How to Install Django on Mac Step by Step

To install Django on Mac, install the virtual environment package virtualenv to isolate the Django project and then install the Django framework using the pip command.

Here is the step-by-step guide to installing Django and configure on Mac.

Step 1: Install Python on Mac.

Python is already installed on a new Mac, but its version is old. So, we install the latest version of Python using homebrew.

brew install python3

After installing, you will type the following command to check the version. First, type python3 in your terminal. Since MacOS X is already Python installed, we cannot uninstall the old version because otherwise, the Python 2-supported programs will be stopped, and we need to reinstall the Mac. So we need to type python3 instead of Python.

python3

It will display the version, and now we can execute the Python code. I am using iTerm2, so your terminal may be different, but it does not matter with any commands.

how to install python in mac

Step 2: Install the Pip package management system.

Pip is the package management system used to install and manage software packages written in Python. Now, install it using the following command.

sudo easy_install pip

Step 3: Install virtualenv Pythonthon.

Type this command in your terminal.

sudo pip install virtualenv

After installing, we need to create a virtual environment. Now, you will create this folder while putting in your other projects. Mine is desktop >> code folder. So navigate to that and type the following command. In my case, My virtualenv folder name is thanos.

virtualenv thanos

It will install the required folders. Now, go into that folder.

cd thanos

Activate the virtual environment by typing the following command. First, please Make sure you are in the virtual environment directory.

source bin/activate

You will see what your terminal looks like below.

Create Virtual Environment in Python

Our virtual environment has started. Now is the time to install the Django Framework.

Step 4: Install Django On Mac

Now, stay in that folder and install Django using the following command.

The latest official version is 3.0.1. So first, read the 3.0.1 release notes, then install it with pip:

sudo pip install django==3.0.1

It will download the Django project. Check the Django version using the following command.

python -m django --version

In our case, we have explicitly defined that we are installing 3.0.1. So it will display that version.

Step 5: Create the Django Project.

We need to install the skeleton of the Django project. Type the following command.

django-admin startproject thanosback

Here, our project name is thanosback. So, next, go into that folder.

cd thanosback

Finally, we have created the project. Now, start the project server by typing the following command.

python manage.py runserver

python django tutorial

It has started the development server, and we can access it via localhost:8000

Navigate to the browser, and you will see a screen like this.

django rest framework tutorial

Step 6: Open Django on Visual Studio Code.

If you have not installed Visual Studio Code on Mac, please check out my tutorial below. 

Related Post:  How To Install Visual Studio Code On Mac

This step is optional because if you are using Visual Studio Code, then it will be helpful to you.

You can skip this step using another IDE like pycharm or an editor like Sublime Text. But first, perform the following step.

Install the Python extension.

Now, open our project using the following command in the Visual Studio code.

code .

Please make sure you are at the root of the thanosback folder.

You will get the folder structure like this.

django tutorial

Get the latest development of the Django version.

The latest and most excellent Django version is the one that’s in our Git repository (our revision-control system).

This is only for experienced users who want to try incoming changes and help identify bugs before an official release. Get it using this shell command, which requires Git:

That’s it.

17 thoughts on “How to Install Django on Mac Step by Step”

  1. hello
    python manage.py migrate is not working
    (myproject) Teen-MacBook-Air:myproject chok$ python manage.py runserver
    python: can’t open file ‘manage.py’: [Errno 2] No such file or directory

    Reply
  2. Hi, Very helpful indeed.
    Can you help me in setting up MSSQL Connection from Python 2.7, Django 1.8 using Virtual Env?
    I have tried whatever I could find on internet with no help.

    Reply
  3. I’m confused. You install python3 but then use “python” and “pip”. When I used “pip install django=2.03”
    , it wanted to install django v1 for python 2. I had to use “python3” and “pip3”. Did I miss something about getting “python” to actually invoke “python3”?

    Reply
    • I have installed Python3 (machine already has 2.7).
      Thanks for your work, but I got a problem.

      When I do “sudo easy_install pip” it returns
      “Processing pip-9.0.2-py2.7.egg”

      This seems to be not what I want.

      How do I make it use Python3 ?

      Reply
      • When you install virtualenv, make sure you use `pip3` or else it would be using the mac default python 2.7.

        $ pip3 install virtualenv

        When you use the virtualenv command, it would use python3. Note: you might have to uninstall and reinstall, in case you previously installed virtualenv with v.2.7

        Reply
  4. Traceback (most recent call last):
    File “manage.py”, line 14, in
    import django
    ModuleNotFoundError: No module named ‘django’

    During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

    Traceback (most recent call last):
    File “manage.py”, line 17, in
    “Couldn’t import Django. Are you sure it’s installed and ”
    ImportError: Couldn’t import Django. Are you sure it’s installed and available on your PYTHONPATH environment variable? Did you forget to activate a virtual environment?

    I am getting this error

    Reply
  5. File “manage.py”, line 16
    ) from exc
    ^
    SyntaxError: invalid syntax
    (Django) Admins-MacBook-Pro:button apple$ python manage.py runserver
    File “manage.py”, line 16
    ) from exc
    ^
    SyntaxError: invalid syntax

    Reply
  6. using “virtualenv”, how would you install different versions of python on a single system?

    you can’t. if your projects require different versions of python, only “pyenv” can provide that.

    Reply
  7. Breaks soon! “sudo easy_install pip” gives “invalid syntax error”. Three days spent at trying to install pip and then django, after successfully importing Python 3.8 end then 3.9. I fear there will be a fourth one!
    Why is it so difficult to work with the terminal??? Why? Why? Why? Always tons of “…not found”. Apple and Python are so “wonderfull” and so “user dedicated” that they should provide “Download, click and use.”

    Reply
  8. Thank-you for your concise tutorial. I had ruined a django install by installing Pihole as part of a larger server app. I couldn’t repair my django installation after the server crashed until I followed this tutorial exactly.
    I think that I will recommend you most highly and look forward to your future posts.

    Reply

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