⚙️ Django Installation

First, check whether Python is already installed on your computer.

python --version

You should see a Python version such as:

Python 3.x.x

Modern Django development uses Python 3. Make sure you are using a supported Python 3 version.

Check the installed version before starting Django development.

On some Linux and macOS systems, Python is accessed using python3.

python3 --version

This command displays the installed Python 3 version.

pip is the package installer commonly used with Python. It allows you to install Python packages such as Django.

pip --version

Run the following command to check whether pip is available:

pip --version

If pip is installed correctly, the command displays its version and installation location.

Windows users can open Command Prompt or PowerShell.

Then type:

python --version

Linux and macOS users can open the Terminal application.

Then check Python using:

python3 --version

It is often useful to update pip before installing Python packages.

python -m pip install --upgrade pip

On systems where Python is accessed as python3, you can use:

python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip

The simplest way to install Django is through pip.

python -m pip install Django

pip downloads Django and installs it into the current Python environment.

On some systems, you may use pip3 instead.

pip3 install Django

The exact command depends on how Python and pip are configured on your system.

After installation, check the Django version.

django-admin --version

If Django was installed successfully, the command displays its version number.

You can also check the Django version using Python.

python -m django --version

This is another useful way to verify that Django is available to Python.

django-admin is a command-line utility provided by Django.

It can be used for tasks such as creating Django projects and inspecting Django information.

A virtual environment keeps project dependencies separate from other Python projects.

We can create one using:

python -m venv venv

On Windows Command Prompt, activate the environment using:

venv\Scripts\activate

After activation, the environment name may appear in the command prompt.

On Linux or macOS, the activation command is:

source venv/bin/activate

After activation, packages installed with pip are installed into the virtual environment.

Once the virtual environment is activated, install Django:

python -m pip install Django

This keeps the Django installation associated with that project environment.

Different projects may require different package versions. A virtual environment helps keep those dependencies separate.

• Project isolation
• Separate dependencies
• Cleaner development environment
• Better project management

After activation, your terminal generally shows the virtual environment name before the command prompt.

For example:

(venv) C:\DjangoProject>

pip can install a particular Django version when a project requires it.

python -m pip install Django==5.2

The version number can be changed according to the project's requirements.

If Django is already installed and you want to upgrade it, use:

python -m pip install --upgrade Django

Always consider project compatibility before upgrading a production project.

You can see installed Python packages using pip.

python -m pip list

The command displays packages installed in the active Python environment.

The following command provides information about the installed Django package:

python -m pip show Django

It can show information such as the installed version and package location.

If the terminal says that python or pip is not recognized, Python may not be installed correctly or may not be available through the system PATH.

Check the Python installation and try the appropriate Python command again.

If Django cannot be found after installation, first check whether the correct virtual environment is activated.

python -m django --version

A basic Django setup can follow these steps:

1. Install Python
2. Check Python
3. Create a virtual environment
4. Activate the environment
5. Install Django
6. Check the Django version

Example workflow on Windows:

python --version
python -m venv venv
venv\Scripts\activate
python -m pip install Django
python -m django --version

Example workflow on Linux or macOS:

python3 --version
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
python -m pip install Django
python -m django --version

Once the installation is successful and the Django version can be displayed, your environment is ready for the next steps.

In the next lessons, we will learn more about virtual environments, Django projects, and Django commands.

Django installation mainly involves preparing Python, optionally creating a virtual environment, installing Django with pip, and verifying the installation.

python -m pip install Django

After installation, verify it with:

python -m django --version