mirror of https://github.com/django/django.git
111 lines
4.8 KiB
Plaintext
111 lines
4.8 KiB
Plaintext
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 :doc:`installation guide </intro/install>`).
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#. Walk through the :doc:`tutorial </intro/tutorial01>`.
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#. Check out the rest of the :doc:`documentation </index>`, and `ask questions`_ if you
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run into trouble.
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.. _`Download the code`: https://www.djangoproject.com/download/
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.. _ask questions: https://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 2.5
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through 2.7. 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 follows
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the WSGI spec, :pep:`3333`, which means it can run on a variety of server
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platforms. See :doc:`Deploying 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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.. _server arrangements wiki page: https://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 2.5 versus newer Python versions, such as Python 2.6 or 2.7?
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Not in the core framework. Currently, Django itself officially supports any
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version of Python from 2.5 through 2.7, inclusive. However, newer versions of
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Python are often faster, have more features, and are better supported. If you
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use a newer version of Python you will also have access to some APIs that
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aren't available under older versions of Python. For example, since Python 2.6,
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you can use the advanced string formatting described in :pep:`3101`.
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Third-party applications for use with Django are, of course, free to set their
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own version requirements.
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Over the next year or two Django will begin dropping support for older Python
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versions as part of a migration which will end with Django running on Python 3
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(see below for details).
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All else being equal, we recommend that you use the latest 2.x release
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(currently Python 2.7). This will let you take advantage of the numerous
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improvements and optimizations to the Python language since version 2.5, and
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will help ease the process of dropping support for older Python versions on
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the road to Python 3.
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Can I use Django with Python 2.4?
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---------------------------------
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As of Django 1.4, no.
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Django 1.3 and earlier supported Python 2.4. Django 1.4 (the current development
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version, which hasn't been officially released) and newer version require
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Python 2.5 or greater (but not 3.x; see the next question.)
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We highly recommend you upgrade Python if possible, but Django 1.3.x will
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continue to support Python 2.4.
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Can I use Django with Python 3?
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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`: https://code.djangoproject.com/wiki/DjangoFriendlyWebHosts
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Should I use the stable version or development version?
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-------------------------------------------------------
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Generally, if you're using code in production, you should be using a
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stable release. The Django project publishes a full stable release
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every nine months or so, with bugfix updates in between. These stable
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releases contain the API that is covered by our backwards
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compatibility guarantees; if you write code against stable releases,
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you shouldn't have any problems upgrading when the next official
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version is released.
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