Step 1: Environment Isolation

In 2026, professional Python developers never install packages globally. We use a Virtual Environment (venv) to prevent version conflicts between different student projects.

# Create a new directory for your project
mkdir django_mastery
cd django_mastery

# Create the virtual environment bubble
# Windows:
python -m venv .venv

# Mac/Linux:
python3 -m venv .venv

Step 2: Activate the Bubble

You must "enter" the environment before installing Django. Watch for the (.venv) prefix in your terminal.

# Windows (PowerShell):
.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

# Mac/Linux:
source .venv/bin/activate

Step 3: Installation

Now we use pip to pull Django from the official repository.

# Install Django
pip install django

# Verify the version
django-admin --version

Step 4: The Core Setup

Initialize your project structure. Pro-tip: Using the . at the end keeps your folder structure clean.

# Start the project named 'config'
django-admin startproject config .

# Run migrations to set up the default database
python manage.py migrate

Step 5: Ignition (Run Server)

Start the local development server to see your rocket ship launch.

python manage.py runserver