headstart-django

This template is designed to quickly set up a Django project using PostgreSQL, Gunicorn, Nginx, and Certbot (for SSL). It supports both development and production environments, facilitating the running of your project in a containerized setup.

Motivation

I needed a robust Docker setup for my Django projects and came across this article The (near) Perfect Dockerfile for Django Applications by Siddharth Sahu. While the original setup was a good start, it lacked several essential features for my projects. As a result, I decided to enhance it and create this template.

Tech Stack

Technology	Version	Badge
Django	5.1
PostgreSQL	16.4
Gunicorn	21.2.0
Nginx	1.27.1
Certbot	latest

Features

• Quick setup for Django projects with a core application.
• Dockerized environments for both development and production.
• Automatic SSL certificate renewal using Certbot.
• Production-ready Nginx configuration.
• Local static and media directories (configurable for S3 or other storage services).
• Support for both PostgreSQL and SQLite databases (SQLite will be used in development if PostgreSQL isn't available).

Setup Instructions

Production Environment Setup

1. Create a .prod.env File: In the root directory of your project, create a .prod.env file with the required environment variables. Use the provided template.prod.env for guidance.

2. Run Docker Compose: Execute the following command to build and run your project in a production environment:

   docker compose -f docker-compose.prod.yml up --build

   Your project is now running in a production environment!

Development Environment Setup

Option 1: Using Virtualenv (Recommended)

1. Create a Repository from This Template:

   Create Repository

2. Clone the Repository Locally:

   git clone <YOUR-repository-url>

3. Create a Virtual Environment:

   python3 -m venv venv

4. Activate the Virtual Environment:

   source venv/bin/activate

5. Install Requirements:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

6. Create a .dev.env File: In the root directory of the project, create a .dev.env file with the required environment variables, referencing template.dev.env.

7. Start the Development Server:

   python manage.py runserver

Option 2: Using Docker

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone <repository-url>

2. Create a .dev.env File: In the root directory of the project, create a .dev.env file with the required environment variables, referencing template.dev.env.

3. Run Docker Compose:

   docker compose up --build

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