98 lines
4.3 KiB
Plaintext
98 lines
4.3 KiB
Plaintext
.. _faq-install:
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FAQ: Installation
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=================
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How do I get started?
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---------------------
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#. `Download the code`_.
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#. Install Django (read the :ref:`installation guide <intro-install>`).
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#. Walk through the :ref:`tutorial <intro-tutorial01>`.
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#. Check out the rest of the :ref:`documentation <index>`, and `ask questions`_ if you
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run into trouble.
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.. _`Download the code`: http://www.djangoproject.com/download/
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.. _ask questions: http://www.djangoproject.com/community/
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What are Django's prerequisites?
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--------------------------------
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Django requires Python_, specifically any version of Python from 2.3
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through 2.6. No other Python libraries are required for basic Django
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usage.
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For a development environment -- if you just want to experiment with Django --
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you don't need to have a separate Web server installed; Django comes with its
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own lightweight development server. For a production environment, Django
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follows the WSGI_ spec, which means it can run on a variety of server
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platforms. See :ref:`Deplying Django <howto-deployment-index>` for some
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popular alternatives. Also, the `server arrangements wiki page`_ contains
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details for several deployment strategies.
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If you want to use Django with a database, which is probably the case, you'll
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also need a database engine. PostgreSQL_ is recommended, because we're
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PostgreSQL fans, and MySQL_, `SQLite 3`_, and Oracle_ are also supported.
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.. _Python: http://www.python.org/
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.. _WSGI: http://www.python.org/peps/pep-0333.html
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.. _server arrangements wiki page: http://code.djangoproject.com/wiki/ServerArrangements
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.. _PostgreSQL: http://www.postgresql.org/
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.. _MySQL: http://www.mysql.com/
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.. _`SQLite 3`: http://www.sqlite.org/
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.. _Oracle: http://www.oracle.com/
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Do I lose anything by using Python 2.3 versus newer Python versions, such as Python 2.5?
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Not in the core framework. Currently, Django itself officially
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supports any version of Python from 2.3 through 2.6,
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inclusive. However, some add-on components may require a more recent
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Python version; the ``django.contrib.gis`` component, for example,
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requires at least Python 2.4, and third-party applications for use
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with Django are, of course, free to set their own version
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requirements.
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Please note, however, that over the next year or two Django will begin
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dropping support for older Python versions as part of a migration
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which will end with Django running on Python 3.0 (see next question
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for details). So if you're just starting out with Python, it's
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recommended that you use the latest 2.x release (currently, Python
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2.6). This will let you take advantage of the numerous improvements
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and optimizations to the Python language since version 2.3, and will
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help ease the process of dropping support for older Python versions on
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the road to Python 3.0.
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Can I use Django with Python 3.0?
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---------------------------------
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Not at the moment. Python 3.0 introduced a number of
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backwards-incompatible changes to the Python language, and although
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these changes are generally a good thing for Python's future, it will
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be a while before most Python software catches up and is able to run
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on Python 3.0. For larger Python-based software like Django, the
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transition is expected to take at least a year or two (since it
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involves dropping support for older Python releases and so must be
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done gradually).
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In the meantime, Python 2.x releases will be supported and provided
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with bug fixes and security updates by the Python development team, so
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continuing to use a Python 2.x release during the transition should
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not present any risk.
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Will Django run under shared hosting (like TextDrive or Dreamhost)?
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-------------------------------------------------------------------
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See our `Django-friendly Web hosts`_ page.
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.. _`Django-friendly Web hosts`: http://code.djangoproject.com/wiki/DjangoFriendlyWebHosts
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Should I use the official version or development version?
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---------------------------------------------------------
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The Django developers improve Django every day and are pretty good about not
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checking in broken code. We use the development code (from the Subversion
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repository) directly on our servers, so we consider it stable. With that in
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mind, we recommend that you use the latest development code, because it
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generally contains more features and fewer bugs than the "official" releases.
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