Forem: Solomon Nnajieze

Essential AI & Automation Tools for Modern Professionals

Solomon Nnajieze — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 03:18:36 +0000

I registered for a course on AI and Automation at TS Academy, went through the curriculum, and I was amazed at the amount of AI and Automation tools covered in the course.

The landscape of AI and automation is rapidly evolving, transforming how we work and solve problems across industries. As businesses increasingly seek efficiency and innovation, mastering the right tools has become crucial for professionals looking to stay competitive. The TS Academy AI & Automation curriculum provides comprehensive training on industry-leading platforms that enable anyone, from beginners to seasoned professionals, to build intelligent systems, streamline workflows, and create automation-driven solutions.

Whether you're looking to automate repetitive tasks, build conversational AI agents, or develop complex multi-app workflows, understanding these tools is your gateway to the future of work. Here's a curated list of the essential platforms covered in this transformative program:

Automation Workflow Platforms

Zapier
Zapier is a user-friendly, no-code automation platform that connects your favorite apps and services to automate workflows and business processes. Zapier enables you to create "Zaps" (automations) using triggers and actions to move data between applications, format information, add delays, and integrate Google Workspace tools seamlessly.

Make (formerly Integromat)
An advanced visual automation platform that allows you to build complex, multi-app workflows through scenarios, modules, and data mapping. Make offers sophisticated features, including routers, filters, conditional logic, webhooks, custom integrations, data stores, and API connections for enterprise-level automation.

n8n
This is an open-source, self-hosted workflow automation tool that provides extensive customization options. n8n uses a node-based interface to build automations with triggers, workflows, logic controls, data transformations, webhooks, API integrations, and robust error handling capabilities.

AI Integration & Development

ChatGPT API (OpenAI)
OpenAI's powerful language model API enables developers to integrate advanced conversational AI capabilities into applications. The ChatGPT API allows for natural language processing, content generation, data analysis, and intelligent automation when connected through platforms like n8n or custom applications.

Claude (Anthropic)
Claude is an AI assistant created by Anthropic. It is similar to ChatGPT and can be integrated via API for tasks requiring natural language understanding, content creation, analysis, and conversational interactions within automated workflows.

Data Management & Organization

Airtable
A hybrid database-spreadsheet platform that combines the simplicity of spreadsheets with the power of databases. Airtable features bases, tables, records, fields, multiple view types (Grid, Form, Calendar, Gallery, Kanban), relationship management, formulas, automations, forms for data collection, and collaboration tools. These make it ideal for client management, project tracking, and workflow organization.

Google Sheets
This is a cloud-based spreadsheet application that serves as a versatile data source for automation workflows. It integrates seamlessly with automation platforms to store, retrieve, and manipulate data in real-time across various automated processes.

Conversational AI & Chatbot Platforms

Voiceflow
Voiceflow is a collaborative platform for designing, prototyping, and building conversational AI experiences, including chatbots and voice assistants. Voiceflow provides a visual interface for creating complex conversation flows, integrating with various channels, and deploying intelligent conversational agents.

ManyChat
ManyChat is a platform used in building chatbots that focuses on marketing automation and customer engagement, particularly for Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and SMS. It enables businesses to create automated conversation flows for lead generation, customer support, and sales.

Chatbase
It is a platform for building AI-powered chatbots trained on custom data sources. Chatbase allows you to create intelligent chat assistants that can answer questions based on your specific content, documents, or knowledge base.

AI Voice Technology

Vapi
Vapi is a platform specifically designed for building AI voice agents that can handle real-time voice conversations. It enables the creation of intelligent phone assistants and voice-enabled applications with natural language understanding.

Retell AI
This is a conversational AI platform focused on voice-based interactions, allowing developers to create sophisticated voice agents for customer service, sales, and support applications with natural speech capabilities.

ElevenLabs
ElevenLabs is an advanced AI voice synthesis platform that generates highly realistic, natural-sounding voices. It is used for creating voiceovers, audio content, and powering voice agents with lifelike speech output.

AI-Powered Development (Vibe Coding) Tools

Bolt.new
This is a no-code/low-code AI development platform that enables rapid application development using AI assistance. Bolt.new represents the emerging category of "vibe coding" tools that help users build applications through natural language instructions and AI-powered code generation.

AI Agent Development Platforms

Relevance AI
A low-code/no-code platform for building AI agents and multi-agent systems. Relevance AI enables businesses to create autonomous AI workflows that can handle complex tasks, make decisions, and integrate with various data sources and APIs.

Lindy
Lindy is an AI agent platform that allows users to create autonomous assistants capable of performing tasks, managing workflows, and interacting with multiple applications to streamline business processes.

Flowise
It is an open-source tool for building customized AI flows and agents using a visual, drag-and-drop interface. Flowise enables the creation of large language model (LLM) applications and intelligent automation workflows.

AI Frameworks & Libraries

LangChain
This is a code-first framework for building applications powered by large language models (LLMs). LangChain provides tools for creating chains, agents, and complex AI workflows that can interact with external data sources, APIs, and perform multi-step reasoning.

Conclusion

The convergence of AI and automation is not just changing technology. It is reshaping entire industries and career trajectories. These tools represent the foundation of modern intelligent systems, from simple workflow automations to sophisticated AI agents capable of autonomous decision-making. Whether you are a business professional looking to increase productivity, a developer building the next generation of AI applications, or an entrepreneur seeking to leverage automation for competitive advantage, mastering these platforms opens doors to unprecedented opportunities.

The TS Academy AI & Automation curriculum is designed to take you from foundational concepts to practical implementation across all these tools, preparing you for high-demand roles such as AI Automation Specialist, Business Process Automation Consultant, No-Code AI Developer, AI Product Manager, and Intelligent Systems Analyst. With comprehensive hands-on projects, mentorship support, and job placement assistance, this program provides the complete pathway to becoming job-ready in 3-6 months.

The future belongs to those who can harness the power of AI and automation. Which of these tools are you most excited to master?

AIAutomation #NoCode #WorkflowAutomation #ArtificialIntelligence #AIAgents

CI/CD Is Not Only for the Cloud: Building a CI/CD Pipeline for Shared Hosting Using GitHub Actions

Solomon Nnajieze — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 22:38:51 +0000

Introduction: CI/CD Beyond Cloud Platforms

When people hear Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD), they often think it’s something that only works on cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or GCP, Kubernetes, EC2, containers, and all that.

But the truth is:

CI/CD is not made for the cloud alone. It is a workflow, and it can work anywhere, including shared hosting.

CI/CD pipelines are not exclusive to cloud infrastructure.
In this article, I will walk you through how I built a real CI/CD pipeline for a Laravel application deployed on shared hosting (Namecheap) using GitHub Actions + SSH + rsync, even with the limitations of traditional cPanel servers.

This guild is based on a real-world deployment on Namecheap shared hosting, highlighting challenges, fixes, and best practices.

Why CI/CD on Shared Hosting?

Shared hosting is still very common for:

Personal projects
Small businesses
MVPs
Legacy systems

Yet most CI/CD tutorials completely ignore it.

Common misconceptions

“You need Kubernetes.”
“You need Docker.”
“You need AWS, Azure, or GCP.”

Reality

If you have SSH access, you can do CI/CD
GitHub Actions works anywhere
Automation is about process, not infrastructure

The Stack We Used

Laravel application
Shared hosting (Namecheap)
SSH access enabled
GitHub Actions
rsync for deployment
No Docker.
No cloud VM.
No managed pipelines.

The Main Idea

The idea is simple:

Push code to GitHub
GitHub Actions runs a workflow
The workflow connects to the server via SSH
Only changed files are synced to the server
The application files update automatically

What We Are Building

CI/CD pipeline using GitHub Actions
Deployment to shared hosting (Namecheap)
Laravel application (You can deploy any application)
Secure deployment using SSH
Zero downtime friendly using rsync for deployment

Why CI/CD on Shared Hosting Is Challenging

Shared hosting environments are restrictive by design and functionality, unlike cloud and VPSs, where you have full control. Some of the difficulties we encountered include:

1. Limited Server Control

No root access and sudo
No system-wide package installation
Restricted SSH configuration
Cannot run npm for JavaScript packages

2. SSH Authentication Issues

SSH keys generated on the server vs local machine
Incorrect key formats are causing libcrypto errors
Permission errors (Permission denied (publickey))

3. Risk of Accidental File Deletion

Using rsync --delete without exclusions
Losing .env and storage files

Step-by-Step: Setting Up CI/CD for Shared Hosting

Step 1: Generate SSH Key on the Server

SSH is not enabled on Namecheap cPanel by default, and you need to enable it to be able to follow this guide.

From the cPanel, under Exclusive for Namecheap Customers, click on Manage Shell then you will enable the SSH as shown below:

You can either access the server terminal from your local machine using SSH or directly from cPanel Terminal.

Log into your shared hosting CLI and run:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -f github_actions_key -N ""

Do not set a passphrase. GitHub actions will not work with passphrase/password.
The above bash command will create two files:
- github_actions_key (private key)
- github_actions_key.pub (public key)
The files will be stored in the .ssh folder on cPanel:

Note: You can generate the SSH keys from cPanel UI, but it requires you add a password, which will not work with GitHub actions.

To confirm that the key works, download the key to a folder on your local machine and try to SSH to your server from the same folder where the key is stored. If it does not require a password, then the GitHub action will have the permission to access your server.

Step 2: Add Public Key to Authorized Keys

Append the public key:

cat ~/.ssh/github_actions_key.pub >> ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
chmod 600 ~/.ssh/authorized_keys
chmod 700 ~/.ssh

This will authorize the keys to be accessed from GitHub actions.

Step 3: Add Private Key and other variables to GitHub Secrets

In your GitHub repository:
Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions → New Repository Secret

Name	Value
APP_PATH	project_path
SSH_HOST	yourdomain.com or server IP
SSH_KEY	(contents of github_actions_key)
SSH_PORT	custom_ssh_port(eg 21098)
SSH_USER	hosting_username

Note: Use Repository Secrets, not Environment secrets. Paste the private key, not the .pub file.

Step 4: Create GitHub Actions Workflow for Shared Hosting Deployment

Normally, GitHub detects and presents suggested workflows automatically according to your codebase. In this sample, we will go with the "set up a workflow yourself" link.

This is shown only when you have not created any workflow on the repository. If you have a workflow already, it will show the workflow runs and the button to create another workflow.

Clicking the link will create a file named ".github/workflows/main.yml" which will contain the YAML script of GitHub actions.

Sample Workflow steps explained

Let us go through and explain the workflow steps accordingly.

Workflow Name & Trigger

name: Laravel CI/CD (Namecheap SSH)

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main

This section defines the name of the workflow and when it should run.
This block on.push.branches.main tells GitHub to automatically trigger this workflow whenever new code is pushed to the main branch.

In a company setting with many repository branches, the workflow will not be triggered if a push is made to any branch other than main. That way, it prevents unwanted changes from being deployed.

Job Definition & Runner

jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

This section defines a job named deploy and specifies the environment it runs in, and jobs is the top-level key where all workflow jobs are declared.

Checking Out the Repository

steps:
  - name: Checkout code
    uses: actions/checkout@v4

This step pulls the latest version of your repository into the GitHub Actions runner, and the steps define a sequence of actions executed within the job.

Setting Up PHP Environment

- name: Setup PHP
    uses: shivammathur/setup-php@v2
    with:
      php-version: "8.2"
      extensions: mbstring, xml, curl, zip, bcmath
      coverage: none

This step prepares the PHP runtime required to run the Laravel application. At this point, if you are creating a workflow for an application developed in another language, then this will be different.

Deploying Files to the Server (Rsync over SSH)

- name: Upload project via rsync (SSH)
    uses: burnett01/rsync-deployments@7.1.0
    with:
      switches: -az --exclude=".env" --exclude="storage/**" --exclude="bootstrap/cache/**" --exclude=".git" --exclude=".htaccess"
      path: ./
      remote_path: ${{ secrets.APP_PATH }}
      remote_host: ${{ secrets.SSH_HOST }}
      remote_user: ${{ secrets.SSH_USER }}
      remote_key: ${{ secrets.SSH_KEY }}
      remote_port: ${{ secrets.SSH_PORT }}

This step deploys the application to the server using rsync over SSH.
rsync transfers only changed files, while --exclude prevents sensitive and environment files from being deleted, files like .env, .htaccess, etc.

path specifies the local project directory to sync while remote_*... values are pulled from GitHub Secrets.

Running Laravel Commands on the Server

- name: Run Laravel commands on server
    uses: appleboy/ssh-action@v1.0.3
    with:
      host: ${{ secrets.SSH_HOST }}
      username: ${{ secrets.SSH_USER }}
      key: ${{ secrets.SSH_KEY }}
      port: ${{ secrets.SSH_PORT }}
      script: |
        cd ${{ secrets.APP_PATH }}
        php artisan migrate --force
        php artisan optimize:clear
        php artisan config:cache
        php artisan route:cache
        php artisan view:cache

This step connects to the production server via SSH and executes essential Laravel maintenance commands. It finalizes the deployment by ensuring the application is up to date, optimized, and production ready after each release.

The full CI/CD workflow for shared hosting (`.github/workflows/main.yml`)

name: Laravel CI/CD (Namecheap SSH)

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main

jobs:
  deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Setup PHP
        uses: shivammathur/setup-php@v2
        with:
          php-version: "8.2"
          extensions: mbstring, xml, curl, zip, bcmath
          coverage: none

      - name: Upload project via rsync (SSH)
        uses: burnett01/rsync-deployments@7.1.0
        with:
          switches: -az --exclude=".env" --exclude="storage/**" --exclude="bootstrap/cache/**" --exclude=".git" --exclude=".htaccess"
          path: ./
          remote_path: ${{ secrets.APP_PATH }}
          remote_host: ${{ secrets.SSH_HOST }}
          remote_user: ${{ secrets.SSH_USER }}
          remote_key: ${{ secrets.SSH_KEY }}
          remote_port: ${{ secrets.SSH_PORT }}

      - name: Run Laravel commands on server
        uses: appleboy/ssh-action@v1.0.3
        with:
          host: ${{ secrets.SSH_HOST }}
          username: ${{ secrets.SSH_USER }}
          key: ${{ secrets.SSH_KEY }}
          port: ${{ secrets.SSH_PORT }}
          script: |
            cd ${{ secrets.APP_PATH }}
            php artisan migrate --force
            php artisan optimize:clear
            php artisan config:cache
            php artisan route:cache
            php artisan view:cache

Why rsync Is Ideal for Shared Hosting CI/CD

Transfers only changed files
Faster deployments
Lower server load
Avoids full folder replacement

Does rsync delete everything on the server?

No, unless you use --delete.

If you use:

rsync -az --delete

Files not present in the repo will be removed on the server.

Recommended:

Avoid --delete on shared hosting
And use exclusions (--exclude) very carefully

Best Practices for CI/CD on Shared Hosting

Security

Never commit .env
Use SSH keys, not passwords
Test SSH manually first
Restrict SSH ports
Exclude sensitive files
Do not hard code variables and secrets, use Repository Secrets

Deployment

Deploy only changed files using rsync
Backup before major changes
Exclude runtime directories and files

Stability

Build locally or in CI when possible
Monitor file permissions after deploy

Bonus

You may need .htaccess file for Laravel application

When you host a Laravel application on shared hosting, by default, the file lists will show when someone visits your domain name. To prevent this and direct users to your application home page, use the .htaccess file to set the rules.

Correct Laravel Rewrite Rule

<IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
    RewriteEngine On
    RewriteRule ^(.*)$ public/$1 [L]
</IfModule>

Use the rule above inside the .htaccess file. It will direct traffic to the public folder of the Laravel application instead of listing the directory contents. The .htaccess file should be in the parent folder of the application.

Problem with npm

If you are deploying an application that needs you to run npm command to bundle your app, it is advisable you run npm run build on your local machine and remove the build folder from .gitignore file so it can be pushed to GitHub and then be deployed to your server.

Key Takeaways

CI/CD is not limited to cloud platforms
Shared hosting can support CI/CD with proper setup
GitHub Actions + SSH + rsync is a powerful combo
Understanding hosting limitations is critical Shared hosting can absolutely support professional CI/CD workflows if you design them properly.

Conclusion

CI/CD pipelines are about automation, not infrastructure based. With the right approach, even shared hosting environments can benefit from modern DevOps workflows.

If you're running Laravel on shared hosting, CI/CD is absolutely achievable, and it saves time from having to update your server's files after each change constantly.

After you have followed the above guide, whenever you push your code to the main branch, GitHub Action will automatically deploy your code to your shared host server.

Forem: Solomon Nnajieze

Essential AI & Automation Tools for Modern Professionals

Automation Workflow Platforms

AI Integration & Development

Data Management & Organization

Conversational AI & Chatbot Platforms

AI Voice Technology

AI-Powered Development (Vibe Coding) Tools

AI Agent Development Platforms

AI Frameworks & Libraries

Conclusion

AIAutomation #NoCode #WorkflowAutomation #ArtificialIntelligence #AIAgents

CI/CD Is Not Only for the Cloud: Building a CI/CD Pipeline for Shared Hosting Using GitHub Actions

Introduction: CI/CD Beyond Cloud Platforms

Why CI/CD on Shared Hosting?

Common misconceptions

Reality

The Stack We Used

The Main Idea

What We Are Building

Why CI/CD on Shared Hosting Is Challenging

1. Limited Server Control

2. SSH Authentication Issues

3. Risk of Accidental File Deletion

Step-by-Step: Setting Up CI/CD for Shared Hosting

Step 1: Generate SSH Key on the Server

Step 2: Add Public Key to Authorized Keys

Step 3: Add Private Key and other variables to GitHub Secrets

Step 4: Create GitHub Actions Workflow for Shared Hosting Deployment

Sample Workflow steps explained

Workflow Name & Trigger

Job Definition & Runner

Checking Out the Repository

Setting Up PHP Environment

Deploying Files to the Server (Rsync over SSH)

Running Laravel Commands on the Server

The full CI/CD workflow for shared hosting (.github/workflows/main.yml)

Why rsync Is Ideal for Shared Hosting CI/CD

Does rsync delete everything on the server?

Best Practices for CI/CD on Shared Hosting

Security

Deployment

Stability

Bonus

You may need .htaccess file for Laravel application

Correct Laravel Rewrite Rule

Problem with npm

Key Takeaways

Conclusion

The full CI/CD workflow for shared hosting (`.github/workflows/main.yml`)