=================

FAQ: Installation

=================

How do I get started?

=====================

#. `Download the code`_.

#. Install Django (read the :doc:`installation guide </intro/install>`).

#. Walk through the :doc:`tutorial </intro/tutorial01>`.

#. Check out the rest of the :doc:`documentation </index>`, and `ask questions`_ if you

   run into trouble.

.. _`Download the code`: https://www.djangoproject.com/download/

.. _ask questions: https://www.djangoproject.com/community/

What are Django's prerequisites?

================================

Django requires Python. See the table in the next question for the versions of

Python that work with each version of Django. Other Python libraries may be

required for some use cases, but you'll receive an error about them as they're

needed.

For a development environment -- if you just want to experiment with Django --

you don't need to have a separate web server installed or database server.

Django comes with its own :djadmin:`lightweight development server<runserver>`.

For a production environment, Django follows the WSGI spec, :pep:`3333`, which

means it can run on a variety of web servers. See :doc:`Deploying Django

</howto/deployment/index>` for more information.

Django runs `SQLite`_ by default, which is included in Python installations.

For a production environment, we recommend PostgreSQL_; but we also officially

support MariaDB_, MySQL_, `SQLite`_, and Oracle_. See :doc:`Supported Databases

</ref/databases>` for more information.

.. _Python: https://www.python.org/

.. _PostgreSQL: https://www.postgresql.org/

.. _MariaDB: https://mariadb.org/

.. _MySQL: https://www.mysql.com/

.. _`SQLite`: https://www.sqlite.org/

.. _Oracle: https://www.oracle.com/

.. _faq-python-version-support:

What Python version can I use with Django?

==========================================

============== ===============

Django version Python versions

============== ===============

2.2            3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8 (added in 2.2.8), 3.9 (added in 2.2.17)

3.1            3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9 (added in 3.1.3)

3.2            3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10 (added in 3.2.9)

4.0            3.8, 3.9, 3.10

4.1            3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11 (added in 4.1.3)

============== ===============

For each version of Python, only the latest micro release (A.B.C) is officially

supported. You can find the latest micro version for each series on the `Python

download page <https://www.python.org/downloads/>`_.

Typically, we will support a Python version up to and including the first

Django LTS release whose security support ends after security support for that

version of Python ends. For example, Python 3.3 security support ended

September 2017 and Django 1.8 LTS security support ended April 2018. Therefore

Django 1.8 is the last version to support Python 3.3.

What Python version should I use with Django?

=============================================

Since newer versions of Python are often faster, have more features, and are

better supported, the latest version of Python 3 is recommended.

You don't lose anything in Django by using an older release, but you don't take

advantage of the improvements and optimizations in newer Python releases.

Third-party applications for use with Django are free to set their own version

requirements.

Should I use the stable version or development version?

=======================================================

Generally, if you're using code in production, you should be using a

stable release. The Django project publishes a full stable release

every nine months or so, with bugfix updates in between. These stable

releases contain the API that is covered by our backwards

compatibility guarantees; if you write code against stable releases,

you shouldn't have any problems upgrading when the next official

version is released.