Jdoe’s Throwaway

Web2py

Install web2py

First, what you need is to install web2py. This could be as simple as download/unzip (in this case do it yourself), but I think a better option is to make revision control system do the “update job” for us

Since I’m a bazaar user and web2py has a branch on launchpad let’s use it.  The branch is a development branch, so check the log to see a revision which is marked as release. At the time of writing revision 555 is marked as release 1.56.4 in the logs:

555.  By Massimo Di Pierro <email address hidden> on 2009-02-23
                1.56.4

So cd in the directory where you wish to store you web2py applications and get the code (remember the revision we checked above)

$ cd /var/www/
$ bzr branch -r 555 lp:~mdipierro/web2py/devel web2py

Next time you want to upgrade web2py to the next release simply check the new revision and pull your changes.

$ cd /var/www/web2py/
$ bzr pull -r XYZ


Configure web2py

You need to chown the directory so that the webserver user can write *.pyc files.
You can override the user in the configuration, so you basically have to choices:

• The user running apache (apache on gentoo, www-data on ubuntu)
• Use your user (useful only for development, not suitable in production)

Since here we are talking about production, let’s take the first option

$ groupadd web2py
$ chown -R apache:web2py /var/www/web2py
$ chmod -R g+w /var/www/web2py

The web2py group is optional, of course.
Now start web2py “normally” so that it create required files. Insert a password for the admin page, and remember it. Stop web2py by hitting CTRL+C

$ python web2py
...
...
CTRL+C


Now, it should be present two files in the web2py directory:

• options_std.py
• parameters_8000.py

Edit options_std.py and ensure that the line

password = '<recycle>'

is present (it really should)
Create some symlinks:

ln -s options_std.py options.py
ln -s parameters_8000.py parameters_80.py
ln -s parameters_8000.py parameters_443.py

Ok, we’re done with web2py configuration, let’s concentrate on apache and mod_wsgi.

Apache

Installation

Apache install it’s not covered here. Apache and apache ssl is assumed to work before following these istructions

Install required modules

Install mod_wsgi and enable it
On Ubuntu:

$ sudo apt-get install libapache2-mod-wsgi
$ sudo a2enmod wsgi

On Gentoo:

sudo paludis -i www-apache/mod_wsgi
sudo vim /etc/conf.d/apache2
--> add -D WSGI to APACHE2_OPTS variable


Configure vhost

Web2py with wsgi require that you run it in it’s own vhost.
For this to work you have to use a different domain from “localhost”
A dirty hack is to add a new domain name for localhost in /etc/hosts and use it for web2py
open /etc/hosts and add an alias for 127.0.0.1. Obviously on production system you should not have this problem
and you can use a “real” domain name

127.0.0.1 ... ... web2py.localhost

“… …” is not really there in the file, it’s just a placeholder for things already written on that row.

Next, create a new vhost file:

Ubuntu

vim /etc/apache2/sites-available/web2py

Gentoo

vim /etc/apache2/vhost.d/web2py.conf

Vhost file

In the editor, write the following in this file
** CHECK ALL PATHS, SPECIALLY FOR CERTIFICATES **
sample_vhost.conf

OK, almost done. On ubuntu enable the vhost

sudo a2ensite web2py

next, (on ubuntu) add

NameVirtualHost *:443

after the line

<IfModule mod_ssl.c>

in file /etc/apache2/sites-enabled/default-ssl

then restart apache (do not reload, need restart)
sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart

go to http://web2py.localhost/ and you should see the welcome page.
https://web2py.localhost/ should work too.

Next article will introduce a bit of mod_rewrite work to manage default application on a per-domain base.