Django is a popular Python framework for writing web applications. With Django, you can build applications faster, without reinventing the wheel.
If you want to install Django on a CentOS 7 machine, there are several methods from which you can choose. However, the most flexible choice is to install Django with pip in a virtual environment created by virtualenv. This guide demonstrates how to install Django using pip and virtualenv.
To get started, you will need to:
Deploy a Vultr CentOS 7 server instance.
Log into this server over SSH, using a non-root user with sudo privileges.
sudo yum install epel-release
sudo yum update -y && sudo reboot
After the reboot finishes, log in with the same sudo user.
Use the commands below to install the latest version of pip:
sudo yum install python-devel python-setuptools python-pip
sudo pip install --upgrade pip
You can use pip to install virtualenv:
sudo pip install virtualenv
Say that you want to create a dedicated virtual environment to contain the Django framework:
cd ~
virtualenv djangoenv
The command above will create the directory ~/djangoenv that contains your virtual environment.
First, activate the virtual environment:
source ~/djangoenv/bin/activate
The prompt of your SSH terminal will resemble the following:
(djangoenv) [user@hostname ~]$
This means that you have stepped into the virtual environment "djangoenv". Install Django in the virtual environment:
pip install django
Be aware that you are installing Django locally, so you don't need to use the sudo command.
Now that the Django framework has been installed, you can to give it a test drive by creating a sample project.
cd ~
django-admin startproject prj1
The command above will create a directory prj1 in your working directory ~, and store all necessary files within.
Run the commands below in sequence to get your application started. Follow the instructions on screen to provide the superuser's credentials.
cd prj1/
python manage.py migrate
python manage.py createsuperuser
python manage.py runserver 0.0.0.0:8000
In order to allow access to port 8000, you need to modify firewall rules in a new SSH connection:
sudo firewall-cmd --zone=public --permanent --add-port=8000/tcp
sudo firewall-cmd --reload
Use a web browser to visit your application:
http://<your-Vultr-server-IP>:8000
http://<your-Vultr-server-IP>:8000/admin
Upon success, you will see a Django page with the following output:
It worked!
Congratulations on your first Django-powered page.
Having finished the test, press Ctrl + C to quit your application.
Finally, use the "deactivate" command to leave your virtual environment:
deactivate
The prompt of your SSH terminal will now return to the ordinary status:
[user@hostname prj1]$