How to setup a Django Wagtail project?

Hey @itsremco,

I’ll be happy to assist.

1. SSH into the Droplet: Once the Droplet is created, you can SSH into it using the command line. Open your terminal (or use an SSH client like PuTTY on Windows) and connect to the Droplet using its IP address and your ssh key

2. Update the System: After logging in, update the system packages to ensure you have the latest software:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

3. Install Required Dependencies: Install the necessary dependencies for your Django and Wagtail project:

sudo apt install python3-pip python3-venv git

4. Set Up a Python Virtual Environment: It’s a best practice to work within a Python virtual environment to isolate your project’s dependencies. Create a new virtual environment:

python3 -m venv myprojectenv
source myprojectenv/bin/activate

5. Clone Your Django Wagtail Project: Use git to clone your Django Wagtail project from a Git repository (if you have your code hosted there):

git clone your_repo_url myproject

6. Install Project Dependencies: Navigate to your project directory and install the required Python packages using pip:

cd myproject
pip install -r requirements.txt

7. Configure the Database: Set up your database settings in the Django project’s settings.py file. You can use SQLite for development or choose a more robust database like PostgreSQL or MySQL for production. Alternatively, I’ll recommend using DigitalOcean Managed Databases to configure a database. The bonus is that you wouldn’t have to manage it and can focus only on developing your project rather wasting time with configuring and managing the database:

https://www.digitalocean.com/products/managed-databases-postgresql

8. Run Migrations: Apply the database migrations to create the necessary tables:

python manage.py migrate

9. Create a Super user for the django admin interface

python manage.py createsuperuser

10. Collect Static Files: Collect the static files:

python manage.py collectstatic

11. Test the Development Server: Start the Django development server to test if your project is working correctly:

python manage.py runserver 0.0.0.0:8000

12. Set Up Gunicorn and Nginx (Optional): For production, it’s recommended to use a production-ready web server like Gunicorn and Nginx to serve your Django application. Install Gunicorn and Nginx and configure them to serve your Wagtail project. You can follow this tutorial to configure it:

https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-set-up-django-with-postgres-nginx-and-gunicorn-on-ubuntu-22-04

13. Configure Domain and SSL (Optional): If you have a domain, configure it to point to your Droplet’s IP address. You can use Let’s Encrypt to obtain SSL certificates and secure your website with HTTPS.