Deploy a Django App on Your Server

What is Django?

Python is a popular programming language. Django is a framework for it. A framework is a ready-made base for building websites. To deploy means to move your app to a server and start it for the public. Django's built-in test server is only for practice. For a real site you need a proper setup: Gunicorn and Nginx. Gunicorn runs your Python code. Nginx faces the visitors and passes requests to Gunicorn.

Some shared plans offer a Python app tool in the control panel. Ask Hostvento support what your plan has.

Steps

1. Log in to your server with SSH.
2. Install Python tools. On Ubuntu:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install python3-venv python3-pip nginx

3. Copy your project to the server, for example into /var/www/myproject. Use Git or SFTP.
4. Create a virtual environment. This is a private box for your project's packages.

   cd /var/www/myproject
   python3 -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate

5. Install the packages.

   pip install -r requirements.txt
   pip install gunicorn

6. Edit settings.py for production.
   • Set DEBUG = False.
   • Set ALLOWED_HOSTS = ['yourdomain.com'].
   • Set STATIC_ROOT to a folder for static files.
   • Keep SECRET_KEY out of public code.
7. Prepare the database and static files.

   python manage.py migrate
   python manage.py collectstatic

8. Test Gunicorn.

   gunicorn --bind 127.0.0.1:8000 myproject.wsgi

   Replace myproject with the folder that holds wsgi.py. Stop it with Ctrl+C.
9. Run Gunicorn as a service, so it starts by itself. Create /etc/systemd/system/gunicorn.service with a ExecStart line that runs the command above, then run sudo systemctl enable --now gunicorn.
10. Add an Nginx site that passes requests to 127.0.0.1:8000 with proxy_pass, and serves your static folder directly.
11. Test and reload Nginx.

    sudo nginx -t
    sudo systemctl reload nginx

12. Open your domain in a browser.

Final checks

• Add HTTPS with a free certificate, such as Let's Encrypt.
• Check logs with journalctl -u gunicorn if the site fails.

Quick recap

• Use a virtual environment, Gunicorn and Nginx.
• Set DEBUG = False and ALLOWED_HOSTS.
• Run migrate and collectstatic.
• Run Gunicorn as a service and test Nginx before reloading.