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 pip command.

Follow the below steps.

1. If you have not installed Python 3, then please install Python 3.
2. Install pip or upgrade pip.
3. Install the virtual environment package virtualenv to isolate the Django project.
4. Install the Django framework using pip.

We often find tutorials for separate technologies but not precise, compact forms. This article aggregates the basic setup to start a Python-Django project on macOS X.

Here we will create a virtual environment on your system containing your project with python3.6 and django2.0. Well, we will install it from scratch. So first, I will show you how to install Python on Mac, install virtualenv, and install Django on that virtual environment.

Step 1: Install Python on Mac.

Python is already installed on a new Mac, but its version is old. So what we do is install the latest versionPythonthon 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.

Okay, so we have successfully installed python 3. To get out from the python console, we need to type exit().

Step 2: Install the Pip package management system.

Pip is the package management system used to install and manage software packages writtenPythonthon. 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.

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

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.

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.

Get the latest development 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 for this tutorial.