How to Install Python, SVN, Django, OSQA on your Web Hosting Server (HostMonster, DreamHost, BlueHost, GoDaddy, HostGator)

Prerequisites:

1. A Reliable Web Hosting (DREAMHOST – Use Promo Code “BESTDISCOUNT2011” for a whopping $47 Discount!)
2. You need Shell/SSH access to your hosting server. Contact your web hosting support for same.
3. Putty Client

Procedure to Install OSQA, Django, Python, SVN on your HostMonster shared web hosting account. (Should be valid for other web hosting servers also)

1. First Login to your SSH Client(Putty) using your credentials.
2. Python
   Create a directory named “python” where your Python executable will reside.
   mkdir python

   Now download ,extract, compile and then install the source for Python 2.7.1 (We are not using Python 3.1 because currently Django does not support Python 3 and won’t for at least a year)

   wget http://www.python.org/ftp/python/2.7.1/Python-2.7.1.tar.bz2
tar -xjf Python-2.7.1.tar.bz2
cd Python-2.7.1
./configure -prefix=$HOME/python
make –j8 && make install

   make –j8 will speed up building as it will be executed in 8 concurrent threads.
   Now check if Python was installed perfectly

   cd
./python/bin/python

   Python 2.7.1 (r271:86832, Jan 16 2011, 06:48:41)
   [GCC 4.1.2 20080704 (Red Hat 4.1.2-48)] on linux2
   Type “help”, “copyright”, “credits” or “license” for more information.
   >>> exit()

   If above message is displayed then your python installation is fine. You can now remove the sources.

   rm Python-2.7.1.tar.bz2
rm -rf Python-2.7.1/

   Now add the Python executable to the $PATH ,so that preference to our newly installed Python is given and can be accessed from anywhere easily.

   cd
pico .bashrc

   Pico text editor will open the .bashrc file, and at the end of the file add the following line

   PATH=~/python/bin:$PATH

   Then save the file by Ctrl + O and then Ctrl + X

   After saving the file you need to reload the .bashrc file by
   source .bashrc

3. SVN
   Now it’s time for Subversion. You install subversion in second place because it will build a python extension. The first step, as before, is to download, unpack and create a destination directory:
   mkdir svn
wget http://subversion.tigris.org/downloads/subversion-1.6.15.tar.bz2
wget http://subversion.tigris.org/downloads/subversion-deps-1.6.15.tar.bz2
tar -xjf subversion-1.6.15.tar.bz2
tar -xjf subversion-deps-1.6.15.tar.bz2

   Now configure, make and install svn in the directory we created.

   cd subversion-1.6 .15
./configure -prefix=$HOME/svn -with-expat=builtin -with-pic -with-ssl
make && make install

   To check if SVN was installed successfully.

   cd
./svn/bin/svn --version

   svn, version 1.6.15 (r1038135)
   compiled Jan 16 2011, 07:18:45

   Now add the SVN executable to the $PATH ,as we did with Python executable

   cd
pico .bashrc

   Pico text editor will open the .bashrc file, and at the end of the file add the following line

   PATH=~/python/bin:~/svn/bin:$PATH

   Then save the file by Ctrl + O and then Ctrl + X

   After saving the file you need to reload the .bashrc file again by
   source .bashrc

4. Python Modules and Packages
   Now we will install Python modules and packages like setuptools : easy_install, flup, MySQL-python, Django. First of all we will install setuptools as it will make installing flup and MySQL-python easy.

   wget http://pypi.python.org/packages/2.7/s/setuptools/setuptools-0.6c11-py2.7.egg
sh setuptools-0.6c11-py2.7.egg

   Now as Setuptools: easy_install is installed, lets proceed installing Django and other dependencies

   easy_install flup
easy_install mysql-python
easy_install Django
easy_install html5lib
easy_install markdown
easy_install south
easy_install python-openid

5. OSQA
   Now Lets install OSQA or Open Source Question Answer on your server. First of all we will download the svn version of OSQA.
   cd
svn co http://svn.osqa.net/svnroot/osqa/trunk
mv trunk osqa
cd osqa
cp settings_local.py.dist settings_local.py
pico settings_local.py


   Now settings_local.py will open in Pico editor, Now enter the Database Name and database user details and save the file by Ctrl + O and Ctrl +X

   Now that you have filled the database details, you need to prepare the Database by:

   cd ~/osqa
python manage.py syncdb –all
python manage.py migrate forum --fake

   Enter NO when prompted to create a new user

   Now create a directory in public_html or www , where you want your domain to refer to. Like I have created myosqa in public_html where I have referred the forum.techgeekguy.com to

   cd
cd public_html
mkdir myosqa

   Now create .htaccess file and enter the following in the .htaccess file in this directory

   pico .htaccess

   AddHandler fcgid-script .fcgi  # For security reasons, Option followsymlinks cannot be overridden.
   #Options +FollowSymLinks
   Options +SymLinksIfOwnerMatch
   RewriteEngine On
   RewriteBase /
   RewriteRule ^(media/.*)$ - [L]
   RewriteRule ^(adminmedia/.*)$ - [L]
   RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !(osqa.fcgi)
   RewriteRule ^(.*)$ osqa.fcgi/$1 [L]

   Save the .htaccess by Ctrl + O and Ctrl + X

   Now create a file named osqa.fcgi and add the following code in it with changes as per your server like username, directory structure etc.

   pico osqa.fcgi

   #!/home/your_username/python/bin/python  import os, sys
   
   sys.path.insert(0, "/home/your_username/")
   sys.path.append("/home/your_username/osqa")
   os.chdir("/home/your_username/osqa")
   
   os.environ['DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE'] = "osqa.settings"
   
   from django.core.servers.fastcgi import runfastcgi
   runfastcgi(method="threaded", daemonize="false")

   Save the osqa.fcgi by Ctrl + O and Ctrl + X

   Make osqa.fcgi executable by

   chmod +x osqa.fcgi

   Now as everything is setup, In your cpanel set a sub-domain or main domain where you want your osqa site to sit at, redirect to the folder ~/public_html/myosqa

And you are ready to go!

Note: Restarting the spawned server
If you change any Python code , or settings of osqa on your site, you’ll need to tell FastCGI the code has changed. You can do this by touching the fcgi file and the Django application will restart.
touch ~/public_html/myosqa/osqa.fcgi