How to install Django on Ubuntu 25.10?

Deploying Django on Ubuntu 25.10 is fast when you use a Python virtual environment and pip. The steps below install the latest Django, create a clean project, run the development server, and optionally wire Gunicorn with Nginx for production-grade serving on a VPS or cloud instance.

Refresh Ubuntu 25.10 packages

Pull the newest security and feature updates to keep dependencies consistent.

sudo apt update
sudo apt -y upgrade

Install Python, pip, and venv

Install Python 3, the virtual environment module, and build tools required by many Python wheels.

sudo apt install -y python3 python3-venv python3-pip python3-dev build-essential

Create a project directory and virtual environment

Keep project files isolated and reproducible with a venv scoped to your app.

mkdir -p ~/apps/mydjango
cd ~/apps/mydjango
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
python -V

Python 3.x.x

Upgrade pip and install Django

Upgrade the packaging toolchain, then install the latest stable Django. Gunicorn is added for a production-ready WSGI server.

python -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel
pip install "Django>=5.1,<6" gunicorn

Verify Django is available

Confirm the installation and record the exact version for your notes or CI.

python -m django --version
pip show Django | awk '/Version|Location/'

5.1.x
Version: 5.1.x
Location: /home/ubuntu/apps/mydjango/.venv/lib/python3.x/site-packages

Create a new Django project

Generate a minimal project with manage.py at the repository root for simpler commands.

django-admin startproject config . 
ls -al

.
├── manage.py
└── config
    ├── __init__.py
    ├── asgi.py
    ├── settings.py
    ├── urls.py
    └── wsgi.py

Migrate the database and run the development server

Create the default SQLite schema and start the server bound to all interfaces for testing.

python manage.py migrate
python manage.py runserver 0.0.0.0:8000

Starting development server at http://0.0.0.0:8000/
Quit the server with CONTROL-C.

Open the firewall for port 8000

Allow HTTP traffic to the development server if UFW is enabled.

sudo ufw allow 8000/tcp comment "Django dev"
sudo ufw status

Create a Django superuser (optional)

Access the admin panel at /admin with credentials you set now.

python manage.py createsuperuser

Production option: Gunicorn + Nginx

Serve Django via Gunicorn behind Nginx. Replace ubuntu and paths to match your user and project location. Ensure ALLOWED_HOSTS in config/settings.py includes your domain or server IP.

sudo apt install -y nginx

# Collect static files if you use STATIC_URL/STATIC_ROOT
python manage.py collectstatic --noinput

# Systemd service for Gunicorn (socket-based via UNIX file)
sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/gunicorn-mydjango.service > /dev/null <<'EOF'
[Unit]
Description=gunicorn daemon for mydjango
After=network.target

[Service]
User=ubuntu
Group=www-data
WorkingDirectory=/home/ubuntu/apps/mydjango
Environment="PATH=/home/ubuntu/apps/mydjango/.venv/bin"
ExecStart=/home/ubuntu/apps/mydjango/.venv/bin/gunicorn --workers 2 --bind unix:/run/gunicorn-mydjango.sock config.wsgi:application
Restart=on-failure

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now gunicorn-mydjango
sudo systemctl status gunicorn-mydjango --no-pager

sudo tee /etc/nginx/sites-available/mydjango.conf > /dev/null <<'EOF'
server {
    listen 80;
    server_name _;

    access_log /var/log/nginx/mydjango.access.log;
    error_log  /var/log/nginx/mydjango.error.log;

    location = /favicon.ico { access_log off; log_not_found off; }

    location /static/ {
        alias /home/ubuntu/apps/mydjango/static/;
    }

    location / {
        include proxy_params;
        proxy_pass http://unix:/run/gunicorn-mydjango.sock;
    }
}
EOF

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/mydjango.conf /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/ || true
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx

If you see 502 errors, check permissions on the socket, verify Gunicorn is running, and review Nginx and Gunicorn logs. That’s it: Django runs on Ubuntu 25.10 with a clean venv, and production can be enabled via Gunicorn and Nginx. For more reading, guidance, purchasing various servers, and support, you can use dropvps. For more guides, visit dropvps.com