Unable to connect Django app to an external PostgreSQL database

Question

Short Description
I am having a number of issues trying to connect a Django app (currently setup as SQLite3) to a newly created PostgreSQL on my Ubuntu Server.

The Question(s)
Can anyone share their success in doing this? Is there a good step-by-step tutorial on doing this? Or at least useful pointers on how to debug this?

Steps So Far (Background information)
1) I have installed PostgreSQL on my Ubuntu Server following this tutorial. Note that this produced Zero errors.
2) I configured my Django settings.py as seen below

DATABASES = {
'default': {
    'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.postgresql', 
    'NAME': 'mytestdb',                   
    'USER': 'mux_user',                    
    'PASSWORD': 'mux',                  
    'HOST': '192.168.1.111',                      
    'PORT': '',                  
    }
}

3) Ran Django's 'syncdb'. This generated the following error.

django.core.exceptions.ImproperlyConfigured: Error loading psycopg module: No module named psycopg

4) Attempted to install psycopg with PIP, easy_install, and with the setup.py. All had the same failure of not being able to find the pg_config.

5) Google told me that I needed to install libpq-dev and python-dev in-order to compile the psycopg package. This is where I have lost most of my confidence in understanding what I am doing. I understand that these 2 packages are to allow me to compile python source, but is it really necessary to do this?

System Information
Client:
OS: OS X Snow Leopard-10.6.6
Django: Version 1.2.5
Python: 2.7 (running virtualenv)

Soon to be client
OS: Windows XP / 7
Running an bundled executable of the python environment above

Server:
OS: Ubuntu 10.10 (server, no gui)
PostgreSQL: 8.4 (that's what apt-get install downloaded)

Update
I did find in the documentation where it talks about needing to install psycopg. I suppose the question moves from do I really need this, to what is the best way to install psycopg on my clients.

Update 5-13-2011: 9:20AM
After speaking with a colleague, I believe this SO question addresses most of my issues

mu is too short · Accepted Answer · 2011-05-13 01:36:20Z

1

I'm no Python guy but you do need the PostgreSQL libraries installed as the Python interface to PostgreSQL (psycopg) is just a Python layer on top of the PostgreSQL C libraries. So, no PostgreSQL development libraries means there's nothing to wrap in Python and no way to talk to PostgreSQL from Python.

answered May 13, 2011 at 1:36

mu is too short

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5 Comments

Adam Lewis Over a year ago

This is exactly why I started to install psycopg. However, I do not know if this is required when using Django. Judging by my errors, I would say yes, but I could not find anywhere in the Django documentation about needing this module. Thanks for the quick answer!

mu is too short Over a year ago

@Adam: I don't think Django itself needs psycopg or any of its supporting libraries but your application needs to talk to PostgreSQL so your application needs psycopg and friends.

mu is too short Over a year ago

@Adam: I think brew install postgresql should get you everything you need if you're using Homebrew. That'll give you the server as well as the libraries but that shouldn't be a big deal as the server won't run unless you ask it to.

Adam Lewis Over a year ago

@mu: That's exactly what I have done. However, now I am having troubling installing Postgres with homebrew :| I just can't win.

Adam Lewis Over a year ago

@mu: I will look into Cinderalla. Thanks for the tip. Regarding the "having trouble installing PostreSQL", I would rather start up a new question once I have more intelligent things to say than 'HELP!' :)

CraigKerstiens · Accepted Answer · 2011-05-13 03:44:54Z

0

You need to put your pg_config into your path, first locate this file on your machine, then run something similar to:

    export PATH=$PATH:/opt/local/lib/postgresql90/bin
    pip install psycopg2

If you do not have postgres installed on your client machine, then you should be able to install with macports:

    sudo port install postgresql90

answered May 13, 2011 at 3:44

CraigKerstiens

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1 Comment

Adam Lewis Over a year ago

As I pointed out in my question, I do not have pg_config on my machine. I am not at a point where I can look this up, so do you know if I can install what I need with homebrew?

Community · Accepted Answer · 2017-05-23 11:47:32Z

0

The issues I ran into were centered around using a 32bit install of Python (required by wxPython 2.8 on Snow Leopard). Please see my answer on this SO Question.

@mu is too short: Thanks for the help.

edited May 23, 2017 at 11:47

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answered May 17, 2011 at 21:48

Adam Lewis

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