Prerequisites:

mod_wsgi configured with apache2 ( Installing and configuring mod_wsgi, Installation Issues)

virtualenv

What?

It is a tool for creaing isolated python environments.

Why?

Prevent dependency and version problems when deploying programs with conflicting library requirement.

How?

Download virtualenv

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cd $HOME
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mkdir downloads
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cd downloads
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wget http://pypi.python.org/packages/source/v/virtualenv/virtualenv-1.3.3.tar.gz
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tar xzf virtualenv-1.3.3.tar.gz

creating a virtual environment

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cd $HOME
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mkdir webapps
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cd webapps
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python2.5 ~/downloads/virtualenv-1.3.3/virtualenv.py --no-site-packages djangoapp

The –no-site-packages option prevents it from inheriting packages from global site-packages folder.

What gets created:

Activating virtual environment

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source bin/activate
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(djangoapp)vinod@vinod-laptop:~/webapps/djangoapp$ 

To return to original path

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deactivate

Tutorials on virtualenv:

http://code.google.com/p/modwsgi/wiki/VirtualEnvironments

http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv

Caution:

The version of Python from which the virtual environment is created must be the same version that mod_wsgi was compiled for.

Installing django

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source bin/activate
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cd ~/downloads
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wget http://www.djangoproject.com/download/1.1/tarball/
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tar xzvf Django-1.1.tar.gz
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cd Django-1.1
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python setup.py install

Try importing django to check if it worked fine.

Start a project

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django-admin.py startproject testproject
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sudo vi testproject.wsgi

testproject.wsgi content

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import os, sys
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sys.path = ['/home/vinod/webapps/djangoapp', '/home/vinod/webapps/djangoapp/lib/python2.5/site-packages'] + sys.path
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os.environ['DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE'] = 'testproject.settings'
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os.environ['PYTHON_EGG_CACHE'] = '/home/vinod/webapps/djangoapp/tmp/.python_eggs'
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import django.core.handlers.wsgi
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application = django.core.handlers.wsgi.WSGIHandler()

create the directory tmp/.python_eggs for python egg cache

make testproject.wsgi executable

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chmod +x testproject.wsgi

enabling website in apache

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cd /etc/apache2/sites-available
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sudo vi djangosite

djangosite content

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Listen 81 
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NameVirtualHost *:81 
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<VirtualHost *:81>  
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     ServerAdmin webmaster@localhost 
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     DocumentRoot /home/vinod/webapps/djangoapp
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    <Directory />  
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           Options FollowSymLinks +ExecCGI
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           AllowOverride None 
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    </Directory>  
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    <IfModule mod_alias.c>
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            Alias /static /home/vinod/webapps/djangoapp/static
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    </IfModule>
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    <IfModule mod_wsgi.c>
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       # See the link below for an introduction about this mod_wsgi config.
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       # http://groups.google.com/group/modwsgi/browse_thread/thread/60cb0ec3041ac1bc/2c547b701c4d74aa
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       WSGIScriptAlias / /home/vinod/webapps/djangoapp/testproject.wsgi
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       WSGIDaemonProcess vinod processes=7 threads=1 display-name=%{GROUP}
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       WSGIProcessGroup vinod
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       WSGIApplicationGroup %{GLOBAL}
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    </IfModule>
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    ErrorLog /home/vinod/webapps/djangoapp/log/error.log
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    LogLevel warn 
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    CustomLog /home/vinod/webapps/djangoapp/log/access.log combined 
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    ServerSignature On
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</VirtualHost>
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create the folder log and access.log and error.log inside it. We mentioned both of them in ErrorLog and CustomLog in above configuration file

enable website

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sudo a2ensite djangosite

http://localhost:81

It worked!
Congratulations on your first Django-powered page.

If the success page is not available, check apache error.log file .

Resources:
http://pypi.python.org/pypi/virtualenv
http://www.danceric.net/2009/03/26/django-virtualenv-and-mod_wsgi/
http://plone.org/documentation/tutorial/install-plone-3-behind-apache-and-mod_wsgi-using-repoze/tutorial-all-pages
http://code.google.com/p/modwsgi/wiki/IntegrationWithDjango
http://wiki.dreamhost.com/Python
http://wiki.pylonshq.com/display/pylonscookbook/Using+a+Virtualenv+Sandbox