Django support [Case 33011]

[shacker23]

I'm getting a number of Django requests from users. Django is a Python-based web application framework similar to Ruby on Rails but with several advantages over RoR. cPanel did such a nice job with the Ruby on Rails integration, it sure would be nice to see parallel integration of Django.

Dreamhost recently rolled out official Django support and we don't want to lose users to Dreamhost.

Deployment should be via mod_wsgi, not mod_python (mod_wsgi provides much better performance and configurability). The current approach to setting up Django on cPanel is to compile the module manually, which is fairly tricky to do right, with libraries linked properly so they don't consume too much memory, and then to set up properly configured custom vhosts and .wsgi files for individual sites, all of which is fiddly and error prone (and not possible for users to do on their own). For details on the current setup approach, see links below.

Finally, because EasyApache doesn't know about mod_wsgi, the custom-compiled library is literally blown away every time you recompile Apache, which means you have to remember to restore the module from a backup copy after each recompile - another pain.

Ideally, admins would be able to enable either global or per-user Django support, and users would be able to set up new Django sites themselves, from within cPanel. Users would need the ability to restart their sites / .wsgi processes (the favored method is to simply "touch mysite.wsgi" but this could be done via cPanel), and the mod_wsgi lib would not get erased when Apache was recompiled.

Note: This feature request is a continuation of this thread, which resulted in this bugzilla ticket.

[Jesepi]

I'd really like this, too. Perhaps you should attach a poll to this thread to gauge interest?

[LoSqualo]

Absolutely agree... long overdue

mod_wsgi, python at least 2.5 and django

[marshalc]

I'll vote for this too please.

[flashweb]

It will be great to have dango support on cpanel servers.

[techmight]

Adding my greater than 10 character vote.

[qwidjib0]

I'd also love to see a supported solution; so far as being happy to contribute to any needed development.

[djbob2]

I would also appreciate Django support. To allow for Django on a cPanel/WHM platform I have to use a rather complicated architecture right now.

[wydadmin]

Yes this is needed in cpanel!

[remcomnet]

+1 for this request.

[qraze]

+1 vote here as well

[radeonpower]

+1 from me as well.

[cPanelDavidG]

I'm getting a number of Django requests from users. Django is a Python-based web application framework similar to Ruby on Rails but with several advantages over RoR. cPanel did such a nice job with the Ruby on Rails integration, it sure would be nice to see parallel integration of Django.

Dreamhost recently rolled out official Django support and we don't want to lose users to Dreamhost.

Deployment should be via mod_wsgi, not mod_python (mod_wsgi provides much better performance and configurability). The current approach to setting up Django on cPanel is to compile the module manually, which is fairly tricky to do right, with libraries linked properly so they don't consume too much memory, and then to set up properly configured custom vhosts and .wsgi files for individual sites, all of which is fiddly and error prone (and not possible for users to do on their own). For details on the current setup approach, see links below.

Finally, because EasyApache doesn't know about mod_wsgi, the custom-compiled library is literally blown away every time you recompile Apache, which means you have to remember to restore the module from a backup copy after each recompile - another pain.

Ideally, admins would be able to enable either global or per-user Django support, and users would be able to set up new Django sites themselves, from within cPanel. Users would need the ability to restart their sites / .wsgi processes (the favored method is to simply "touch mysite.wsgi" but this could be done via cPanel), and the mod_wsgi lib would not get erased when Apache was recompiled.

Note: This feature request is a continuation of this thread, which resulted in this bugzilla ticket.

From what I understand, Django would be on-par with something like Drupal, it gives you all the tools you need to build your own web app, but in Python?

Right now, mod_wsgi and mod_python implementations are done by means of EasyApache Custom Modules (since they are not natively part of the product, yet). In talking with folks, it seems mod_wsgi is by far the preferred implementation. In any case, this would either be an on-for-everyone or an off-for-everyone implementation with regards to mod_wsgi, similar to other Apache modules.

As for Django, are you looking to restrict it solely as an upsell option or are there technical issues we should also be aware of? Looking at the official install options, it doesn't seem like Django was intended for a shared hosting environment where users often don't have shell access. How do you recommend this be dealt with from an implementation standpoint? Should Django essentially be a cPanel plugin?

I've gone through Python 101 myself, but I'm not intimately familiar with Django. Hopefully you can provide some helpful insight with this .

[paulkoan]

Seems to me that the biggest show-stopper here would be that Centos seems to be the preferred platform for cPanel, and that it requires python 2.4 (for yum and other system tools).

So cPanel would need to do a parallel install for Centos for python 2.5, and I guess just check for the presence of 2.5 for other platforms.

There are python 2.5 rpms available for Centos / RHEL5 that install "safely".

[indymike]

As for Django, are you looking to restrict it solely as an upsell option or are there technical issues we should also be aware of? Looking at the official install options, it doesn't seem like Django was intended for a shared hosting environment where users often don't have shell access. How do you recommend this be dealt with from an implementation standpoint? Should Django essentially be a cPanel plugin?

I've gone through Python 101 myself, but I'm not intimately familiar with Django. Hopefully you can provide some helpful insight with this .

Personally, I'd love to be able to simply offer Django hosting on a shared box. There are some issues, but just being able to offer it opens doors for new customers. I'd be happy if this is as simple as making a domain or subdomain be served as a django app (since that is pretty much how mod_wsgi works).

As far as implementation goes, I'd be happy as a developer to have to provide a few details that I know the myapp.wsgi file will need:

Domain or subdomain to serve:
python path to your django application's settings.py: path.to.my.app.settings