Python Django

Deploy Django on Ubuntu with Gunicorn, Nginx & SQL Server (Step-by-Step Guide)

This guide explains how to deploy a Django application on Ubuntu using Gunicorn, Nginx, and Microsoft SQL Server.
All project names, passwords, and paths below use safe placeholders — replace them with your real values when deploying.

1. Prerequisites

  • Ubuntu Server 18.04 / 20.04 / 22.04 / 24.04

  • Sudo access

  • Django project uploaded to the server

  • Domain name (optional, required for HTTPS)

2. Project Directory Structure

Define your variables:

 
PROJECT_NAME=myproject # Your Django project folder name PROJECT_DIR=/var/www/html/$PROJECT_NAME VENV_DIR=$PROJECT_DIR/.venv RUN_DIR=/run/gunicorn GUNICORN_SOCK=$RUN_DIR/gunicorn.sock DJANGO_WSGI=config.wsgi:application # Replace config with your project config folder

3. Update System and Install Base Packages

 
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y sudo apt install -y software-properties-common build-essential curl ca-certificates gnupg lsb-release

4. Install Python 3.10 and Create Virtual Environment

 
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:deadsnakes/ppa -y sudo apt update sudo apt install -y python3.10 python3.10-venv python3.10-dev python3-pip mkdir -p "$PROJECT_DIR" cd "$PROJECT_DIR" python3.10 -m venv "$VENV_DIR" source "$VENV_DIR/bin/activate" pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel

5. Install Project Dependencies

 
pip install -r requirements.txt

6. Install Microsoft SQL Server

 
curl -sSL https://packages.microsoft.com/keys/microsoft.asc | sudo tee /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/microsoft.asc sudo add-apt-repository "$(wget -qO- https://packages.microsoft.com/config/ubuntu/$(lsb_release -rs)/mssql-server-2022.list)" sudo apt update sudo apt install -y mssql-server sudo /opt/mssql/bin/mssql-conf setup

Check status:

 
sudo systemctl status mssql-server

7. Install SQL ODBC Driver and Tools

 
sudo add-apt-repository "$(wget -qO- https://packages.microsoft.com/config/ubuntu/$(lsb_release -rs)/prod.list)" sudo apt update sudo apt install -y unixodbc-dev build-essential python3-dev libssl-dev libffi-dev sudo ACCEPT_EULA=Y apt install -y msodbcsql18 sudo ACCEPT_EULA=Y apt install -y mssql-tools echo 'export PATH="$PATH:/opt/mssql-tools/bin"' >> ~/.bashrc source ~/.bashrc

8. Configure Django to Use SQL Server

Install backend drivers:

 
pip install mssql-django pyodbc

Edit settings.py:

 
DATABASES = { 'default': { 'ENGINE': 'mssql', 'NAME': 'DB_NAME_HERE', 'USER': 'DB_USERNAME_HERE', 'PASSWORD': 'DB_PASSWORD_HERE', 'HOST': 'localhost', 'PORT': '', 'OPTIONS': { 'driver': 'ODBC Driver 18 for SQL Server', }, } }

Run migrations:

 
python manage.py migrate

9. Collect Static Files

 
python manage.py collectstatic --noinput sudo chown -R www-data:www-data $PROJECT_DIR

10. Configure Gunicorn (systemd)

Create service file:

 
sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/gunicorn.service
 
[Unit] Description=Gunicorn daemon for Django After=network.target [Service] User=www-data Group=www-data WorkingDirectory=/var/www/html/PROJECT_NAME ExecStart=/var/www/html/PROJECT_NAME/.venv/bin/gunicorn \ --workers 3 \ --access-logfile - \ --bind unix:/run/gunicorn/gunicorn.sock \ config.wsgi:application Restart=always [Install] WantedBy=multi-user.target

Enable service:

 
sudo mkdir -p /run/gunicorn sudo chown www-data:www-data /run/gunicorn sudo systemctl daemon-reload sudo systemctl enable --now gunicorn

11. Configure Nginx

Create config:

 
sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/$PROJECT_NAME
 
server { listen 80; server_name YOUR_DOMAIN_OR_IP; location /static/ { alias /var/www/html/PROJECT_NAME/static/; } location /media/ { alias /var/www/html/PROJECT_NAME/media/; } location / { include proxy_params; proxy_pass http://unix:/run/gunicorn/gunicorn.sock; } }

Enable site and restart Nginx:

 
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/$PROJECT_NAME /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/ sudo nginx -t sudo systemctl restart nginx

12. Enable Firewall (Optional)

 
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH sudo ufw allow 'Nginx Full' sudo ufw enable

13. HTTPS (Optional)

 
sudo apt install -y certbot python3-certbot-nginx sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com

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