PythonAnywhere Setup Instructions 

Overview 

Follow these instructions to set up your PythonAnywhere environment for hosting a web app using Python. This guide covers various aspects of the setup process, from naming conventions to automating deployment and updates.

Preparatory Steps 

Directory and Project Name 

Keep the project directory name the same as your web app name. This practice ensures consistency and simplifies management.
To set your own directory name when cloning from a git repository, use the following command:
```
git clone git-repo-URL desired-directory-name
```

Library Compatibility 

Before you start, check the compatibility of the libraries you plan to use with PythonAnywhere.
PythonAnywhere provides a list of supported libraries; ensure you use only these.
If a library is not supported, explore compatible alternatives or find workarounds.

Environment Variables 

Create a .env file and load it using a library like python-decouple or Python’s os module or python-dotenv.
In cases where the library is not supported, use os.environ directly.

CDN Links and Static Files 

Verify that the CDN links you use are supported by PythonAnywhere.
Host static files locally or on a different CDN if necessary.

Database Configuration 

If you’re using a database, configure it according to PythonAnywhere’s guidelines.

Deployment Automation 

Develop deployment scripts or configuration files specific to your hosting environment to automate deployment tasks.
Our script deploy.sh updates the hosted version of Glitch Guru on PythonAnywhere.

backup.sh 

Here’s how our backup script backup.sh works:

Backing Up Your Data: Instead of backing up the entire project directory, which can consume excessive space and might not be supported under a Free Tier hosting plan, the “backup.sh” script takes a more efficient approach.
Git Branch Commit: It creates a new Git branch named ‘backup’ within your project’s repository and commits all the changes. If the branch already exists, it uses the same branch.
Pushing to Remote: The script pushes the ‘backup’ branch to your remote Git repository. This action effectively saves your project’s state at that moment, ensuring a reliable backup.

However, it’s important to note that this method does have some limitations:

On-Git Assets: Assets that are ignored by .gitignore will not be included in the backup, so be careful about any changes to those files (eg: your .env file). But, since git pull won’t replace those ignored files either, so it’s safe enough in normal operation.

First Time Setup Steps 

Create a virtual environment:

mkvirtualenv --python=/usr/bin/python3.10 venv_name

Clone your GitHub repository:
```
git clone <GitHub repository URL>
```
Activate the virtual environment:
```
workon venv_name
```

Set your virtual environment to point to the corresponding project directory

setvirtualenvproject /home/username/venv_name /home/username/your_project_directory

Install required packages from “requirements.txt”:
```
pip install -r requirements.txt
```
Update your Django project’s settings for production by configuring the .env file.
Set up your web app and configure its settings on PythonAnywhere interface.
Update the WSGI configuration at var/www/<username>_pythonanywhere_com_wsgi.py
Reload your web app.

Instructions for Updating Hosted Version on PythonAnywhere 

Choose between manual and automated update steps:

Manual Steps (Option 1)

Activate your virtual environment:
```
workon venv_name
```
Stash any local changes:
```
git stash
```
Pull the latest changes from the remote repository:
```
git pull origin
```
Install updated packages:
```
pip install -r requirements.txt
```

Touch the WSGI configuration file:

touch /var/www/niloth-pythonanywhere.wsgi

Load fixtures into the database.

Automated Steps (Option 2)

Make the backup script executable:
```
chmod +x ./backup.sh
```
Execute the backup script:
```
./backup.sh
```
Execute the deployment script:
```
./deploy.sh
```

Common Update Steps 

Update the .env file with any new configurations.
Refresh the WSGI configuration.
Update web app settings.
Delete all cached directories.
Reload your web app.
For a hard refresh, use Shift + Reload in your browser.

These instructions provide a comprehensive guide to setting up and maintaining your web app on PythonAnywhere. Ensure compatibility and follow best practices for a smooth hosting experience.

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