How to deploy a Django project using Apache?

XAP Software · May 12, 2022

Python   Django   Apache

You need to do some configuration of Apache and Django before deploying a django project using Apache.

Install mod-wsgi library

The first step is to install libapache2-mod-wsgi-py3 library to let Apache and Django communicate. libapache2-mod-wsgi-py3 is an adapter for running python applications on the Apache web server.


$ sudo apt-get install libapache2-mod-wsgi-py3

Django configuration

Install virtual env

Virtual env allows our project to work without module conflicts with other python projects.

To install virtualenv enter the following command.

 $ sudo pip3 install virtualenv

Now we can create a virtual environment for our project and activate it.

$ virtualenv env && ./env/bin/activate

After activating venv, you need to install all the modules for your project and create a project.

Configuration settings.py and static

Django requires to collect static files.

$ python3 manage.py collectstatic

You need to register in the settings.py the file where folders with static files and media files are located.

# settings.py


 ...

STATIC_URL = '/static/'
STATIC_ROOT = os.path.join(BASE_DIR, 'static')

MEDIA_URL = "/media/"
MEDIA_ROOT = os.path.join(BASE_DIR,"media")

 ...

Apache configuration

Create a djangoproject.conf file in the /etc/apache2/sites-available/ directory and provide the following settings:

  • standart host settings
        ServerAdmin localhost@webmaster
        ServerName server-name
        DocumentRoot /path/to/django/project
        ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
        CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined
  • media and static folder settings
        Alias /static /path/to/django/project/static
        <Directory /path/to/django/project/static>
            Require all granted
        </Directory>

        Alias /media /path/to/django/project/media
        <Directory /path/to/django/project/media>
            Require all granted
        </Directory>
  • wsgi file settings 
          <Directory /path/to/django/project/my-project>
          <Files wsgi.py>
              Require all granted
          </Files>
      </Directory>
  • venv settings 
          WSGIDaemonProcess django_project python-path=/path/to/django/project python-home=/path/to/env/folder/env
      WSGIProcessGroup django_project
      WSGIScriptAlias / /path/to/django/project/my-project/wsgi.py

In the end you will get the following djangoproject.conf file:

<VirtualHost *:80>
        ServerAdmin localhost@webmaster
        ServerName server-name
        DocumentRoot /path/to/django/project
        ErrorLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/error.log
        CustomLog ${APACHE_LOG_DIR}/access.log combined

        Alias /static /path/to/django/project/static
        <Directory /path/to/django/project/static>
            Require all granted
        </Directory>

        Alias /media /path/to/django/project/media
        <Directory /path/to/django/project/media>
            Require all granted
        </Directory>

        <Directory /path/to/django/project/my-project>
            <Files wsgi.py>
                    Require all granted
            </Files>
        </Directory>

        WSGIDaemonProcess django_project python-path=/path/to/django/project python-home=/path/to/env/folder/env
        WSGIProcessGroup django_project
        WSGIScriptAlias / /path/to/django/project/my-project/wsgi.py
</VirtualHost>

Activate this config and restart apache2 service.

$ sudo a2ensite testdjango.conf
$ sudo service apache2 restart

Verbin Kirill

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