10 Steps to Deploy a New Django App on Fly.io

10 Steps to Deploy a New Django App on Fly.io

This article provides a quick and structured guide to setting up and deploying a fresh Django project onto the Fly.io platform, utilizing its automated configuration and powerful command-line interface, flyctl.

This workflow assumes you have a basic Django project initialized locally, have the flyctl CLI installed, and are logged into your Fly.io account.

Part 1: Preparing Your Django Project for Production

1. Generate Dependency File:

Create a requirements.txt file listing all your Python packages and their versions to ensure the build environment is consistent with your local setup.

Command: pip freeze > requirements.txt (assuming you are in a virtual environment).

1. Install Production Dependencies:

Install necessary packages for production, such as a production web server (e.g., Gunicorn), a PostgreSQL adapter (e.g., psycopg), and a static file handler (e.g., WhiteNoise).

Example: pip install gunicorn psycopg[binary] whitenoise

1. Configure settings.py for Production:

• Set DEBUG = False.

• Configure ALLOWED_HOSTS to accept the deployed host (e.g., using a .fly.dev subdomain or the FLY_APP_NAME environment variable).

• Integrate WhiteNoise into your MIDDLEWARE and set STATIC_ROOT and STATICFILES_STORAGE for serving static assets.

1. Create .dockerignore and Project Structure:

Add files you don't want in your production Docker image (like .env, __pycache__, db.sqlite3) to a .dockerignore file.

`# Python
__pycache__/
*.pyc
*.pyo
*.pyd
*.db

# Django
*.sqlite3
*.log
staticfiles/
media/

# Environments
.env
.venv/
venv/
env/

# Git
.git
.gitignore

# OS
.DS_Store
Thumbs.db

# Docker
Dockerfile
docker-compose.yml
`

Ensure your project is in a clean directory ready for deployment.

Part 2: Launching and Deploying with Fly.io

1. Initialize the Fly.io Application:

Run the launch command from your project's root directory. Fly.io will auto-detect your Django project and prompt you for configuration details.

Command: fly launch

Output: This command will generate a Dockerfile (for building the app image) and a fly.toml file (for Fly.io configuration) and may offer to provision a PostgreSQL database.

1. Provision and Attach PostgreSQL Database (Optional but Recommended):

If prompted by fly launch, select Yes to set up a PostgreSQL cluster. This will automatically create and attach a database, setting a DATABASE_URL secret.

Alternative Command: fly postgres create followed by fly postgres attach <database-app-name>

1. Set Secrets for Security:

Set your Django SECRET_KEY and other sensitive variables as secrets on Fly.io. This prevents them from being exposed in your code or Docker image.

Command: fly secrets set SECRET_KEY='your-secure-random-key-here'

1. Run the Deployment:

Execute the deploy command. This triggers Fly.io to build the Docker image (based on your Dockerfile), push it to the registry, and deploy it to a new VM.

Command: fly deploy

1. Execute Initial Migrations:

Once the app is deployed, run database migrations to create the necessary tables in your attached PostgreSQL database.

Command: fly ssh console --pty -C "python manage.py migrate"

1. Open the Deployed Application:

Use the fly apps open command to quickly launch your default web browser and view your live Django application.

Command: fly apps open