Shikshalokam Mohini Service – Local Setup

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Prerequisites

• macOS
• Homebrew installed
• Python 3.10
• Git

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1. Install Python 3.10 and uv Dependency Manager

brew install python@3.10

Verify installation:

python3.10 --version

Install uv:

pip install uv

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2. Create a Virtual Environment (Outside Project Directory)

Assuming your project is located at:

/Users/kunal/PycharmProjects/shikshalokam-mohini-service

Step 1: Go to the project directory

cd /Users/kunal/PycharmProjects/shikshalokam-mohini-service

Step 2: Create the virtual environment

uv venv

Step 3: Activate the virtual environment

source .venv/bin/activate

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3. Install Project Dependencies

uv sync

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4. Load Environment Variables

Make sure you have a .env file in the project root.

export $(cat .env | xargs)

⚠️ Note: This exports variables only for the current shell session.

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5. Set Up Local PostgreSQL Database

5.1 Install PostgreSQL

Using Homebrew:

brew install postgresql@14

Start PostgreSQL:

brew services start postgresql@14

Verify it’s running:

psql --version

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5.2 Create Database and User

Login to Postgres:

psql postgres

Create a database user:

CREATE USER mitra_user WITH PASSWORD 'mitra_password';

Create the database:

CREATE DATABASE mitra_db OWNER mitra_user;

Grant privileges:

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE mitra_db TO mitra_user;

Exit psql:

\q

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5.3 Update .env File

Add or update the following variables in your .env file:

DATABASE_NAME=mitra_db
DATABASE_USER=mitra_user
DATABASE_PASSWORD=mitra_password
DATABASE_HOST=localhost
DATABASE_PORT=5432

5.4 Install PostgreSQL Python Driver

Make sure this dependency exists (usually already in requirements.in):

uv pip install psycopg2-binary

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5.5 Run Django Migrations

Ensure your virtual environment is active and env vars are loaded:

export $(cat .env | xargs)

Run migrations:

python3 manage.py migrate

(Optional) Create a superuser:

You can accept the default name and give any password, keep email empty and just press enter till completed.

python3 manage.py createsuperuser

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Common Issues

Postgres not starting

brew services restart postgresql@14

Role does not exist

psql postgres
\du

Port conflict

lsof -i :5432

6. Run the Application Server

uvicorn shikshalokam_mohini.asgi:application \
  --host 0.0.0.0 \
  --port 9000 \
  --workers 4 \
  --ws-ping-interval 30 \
  --ws-ping-timeout 300 \
  --reload

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7. Run Celery Worker

Open a new terminal (with the same virtual environment activated):

celery -A shikshalokam_mohini worker --pool=threads

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Notes

• Ensure Redis or any other required backing services are running before starting Celery.
• Always activate mitra_env before running server or worker commands.

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Perfect, let’s plug Redis setup into the README cleanly 👌 You can add this as the next section.

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8. Set Up Redis (Local, IF celery gives error)

Redis is required for Celery and background task processing.

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8.1 Install Redis

Using Homebrew:

brew install redis

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8.2 Start Redis Server

Start Redis as a background service:

brew services start redis

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8.3 Verify Redis Is Running

redis-cli ping

Expected output:

PONG

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Common Redis Issues

Redis not running

brew services restart redis

Port already in use

lsof -i :6379