3.2. Web server

3.2.1. Django manage runserver

Check if your server is working, test the machado server:

python manage.py runserver

Now, open your browser and go to http://127.0.0.1:8000

Use CTRL+C to stop the webserver.

3.2.2. Django Apache WSGI

Before starting, make sure you have Apache installed in your system. In Ubuntu 20.04, do:

sudo apt install apache2

In order to have Apache2 hosting the Django applications, it’s necessary to use WSGI. By doing this it won’t be necessary to run the runserver command anymore, Apache will take care of this process. It will be necessary to install the following package:

sudo apt install libapache2-mod-wsgi-py3

Now symlink the directory of YOURPROJECT to ‘/var/www/’ (tested in Ubuntu 20.04):

sudo ln -s /FULL/PATH/TO/YOURPROJECT /var/www/
  • Make sure this directory and sub-directories have 755 permissions

Now configure Apache to use the WSGI module. Here is the configuration file (/etc/apache2/sites-available/YOURPROJECT.conf)

<Directory "/var/www/YOURPROJECT/WEBPROJECT/WEBPROJECT">
<Files "wsgi.py">
    Require all granted
</Files>
</Directory>

Alias /YOURPROJECT/static/ /var/www/YOURPROJECT/WEBPROJECT/static/

<Directory "/var/www/YOURPROJECT/WEBPROJECT/static">
    Require all granted
</Directory>

WSGIDaemonProcess WEBPROJECT
WSGIPythonHome /var/www/YOURPROJECT
WSGIPythonPath /var/www/YOURPROJECT/WEBPROJECT
WSGIScriptAlias /YOURPROJECT /var/www/YOURPROJECT/WEBPROJECT/WEBPROJECT/wsgi.py
  • In this example the whole project is in /var/www/YOURPROJECT, but it’s not required to be there.
  • This directory and sub-directories must have 755 permissions

There must be a symlink of your config file in the sites-enabled directory

sudo ln -s /etc/apache2/sites-available/YOURPROJECT.conf /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/YOURPROJECT.conf
  • In the WEBPROJECT/settings.py file, set the following variables:
ALLOWED_HOSTS = ['*']
MACHADO_URL = 'http://localhost/YOURPROJECT'

MACHADO_EXAMPLE_TXT = "kinase"
MACHADO_EXAMPLE_AA_ACC = "AT1G01030.1"
MACHADO_EXAMPLE_AA = 1869098
MACHADO_EXAMPLE_NA = 1869093

MACHADO_VALID_TYPES = ['gene', 'mRNA', 'polypeptide']

STATIC_URL = '/YOURPROJECT/static/'
STATIC_ROOT = '/var/www/YOURPROJECT/WEBPROJECT/static'

Now, run collectstatic to gather the static files from all libraries to STATIC_ROOT.

python manage.py collectstatic

It’s necessary to restart the Apache2 service everytime there are modifications on configuration files or source code updates.

sudo systemctl restart apache2.service

Now, open your browser and go to http://localhost/YOURPROJECT