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1 FAQ: Installation |
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2 ================= |
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3 |
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4 How do I get started? |
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5 --------------------- |
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6 |
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7 #. `Download the code`_. |
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8 #. Install Django (read the :doc:`installation guide </intro/install>`). |
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9 #. Walk through the :doc:`tutorial </intro/tutorial01>`. |
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10 #. Check out the rest of the :doc:`documentation </index>`, and `ask questions`_ if you |
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11 run into trouble. |
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12 |
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13 .. _`Download the code`: http://www.djangoproject.com/download/ |
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14 .. _ask questions: http://www.djangoproject.com/community/ |
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15 |
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16 What are Django's prerequisites? |
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17 -------------------------------- |
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18 |
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19 Django requires Python_, specifically any version of Python from 2.4 |
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20 through 2.7. No other Python libraries are required for basic Django |
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21 usage. |
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22 |
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23 For a development environment -- if you just want to experiment with Django -- |
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24 you don't need to have a separate Web server installed; Django comes with its |
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25 own lightweight development server. For a production environment, Django |
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26 follows the WSGI_ spec, which means it can run on a variety of server |
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27 platforms. See :doc:`Deploying Django </howto/deployment/index>` for some |
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28 popular alternatives. Also, the `server arrangements wiki page`_ contains |
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29 details for several deployment strategies. |
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30 |
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31 If you want to use Django with a database, which is probably the case, you'll |
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32 also need a database engine. PostgreSQL_ is recommended, because we're |
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33 PostgreSQL fans, and MySQL_, `SQLite 3`_, and Oracle_ are also supported. |
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34 |
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35 .. _Python: http://www.python.org/ |
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36 .. _WSGI: http://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0333/ |
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37 .. _server arrangements wiki page: http://code.djangoproject.com/wiki/ServerArrangements |
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38 .. _PostgreSQL: http://www.postgresql.org/ |
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39 .. _MySQL: http://www.mysql.com/ |
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40 .. _`SQLite 3`: http://www.sqlite.org/ |
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41 .. _Oracle: http://www.oracle.com/ |
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42 |
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43 Do I lose anything by using Python 2.4 versus newer Python versions, such as Python 2.5 or 2.6? |
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44 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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45 |
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46 Not in the core framework. Currently, Django itself officially supports any |
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47 version of Python from 2.4 through 2.7, inclusive. However, newer versions of |
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48 Python are often faster, have more features, and are better supported. |
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49 Third-party applications for use with Django are, of course, free to set their |
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50 own version requirements. |
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51 |
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52 Over the next year or two Django will begin dropping support for older Python |
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53 versions as part of a migration which will end with Django running on Python 3 |
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54 (see below for details). |
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55 |
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56 All else being equal, we recommend that you use the latest 2.x release |
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57 (currently Python 2.7). This will let you take advantage of the numerous |
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58 improvements and optimizations to the Python language since version 2.4, and |
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59 will help ease the process of dropping support for older Python versions on |
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60 the road to Python 3. |
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61 |
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62 Can I use Django with Python 2.3? |
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63 --------------------------------- |
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64 |
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65 Django 1.1 (and earlier) supported Python 2.3. Django 1.2 and newer does not. |
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66 We highly recommend you upgrade Python if at all possible, but Django 1.1 will |
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67 continue to work on Python 2.3. |
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68 |
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69 Can I use Django with Python 3? |
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70 ------------------------------- |
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71 |
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72 Not at the moment. Python 3.0 introduced a number of |
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73 backwards-incompatible changes to the Python language, and although |
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74 these changes are generally a good thing for Python's future, it will |
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75 be a while before most Python software catches up and is able to run |
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76 on Python 3.0. For larger Python-based software like Django, the |
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77 transition is expected to take at least a year or two (since it |
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78 involves dropping support for older Python releases and so must be |
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79 done gradually). |
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80 |
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81 In the meantime, Python 2.x releases will be supported and provided |
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82 with bug fixes and security updates by the Python development team, so |
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83 continuing to use a Python 2.x release during the transition should |
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84 not present any risk. |
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85 |
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86 Will Django run under shared hosting (like TextDrive or Dreamhost)? |
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87 ------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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88 |
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89 See our `Django-friendly Web hosts`_ page. |
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90 |
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91 .. _`Django-friendly Web hosts`: http://code.djangoproject.com/wiki/DjangoFriendlyWebHosts |
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92 |
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93 Should I use the stable version or development version? |
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94 ------------------------------------------------------- |
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95 |
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96 Generally, if you're using code in production, you should be using a |
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97 stable release. The Django project publishes a full stable release |
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98 every nine months or so, with bugfix updates in between. These stable |
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99 releases contain the API that is covered by our backwards |
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100 compatibility guarantees; if you write code against stable releases, |
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101 you shouldn't have any problems upgrading when the next official |
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102 version is released. |