# Django Run Locally > Steps for initiating the Django development server without Docker Use when this capability is needed. - Skill: `tomevault-io/django-run-locally` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/django-run-locally` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/django-run-locally/raw - Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: DevOps & Infra - Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/django-run-locally --- ## When to use Use this skill to spin up or invoke the local development backend sequence for rapid testing processes. ## Steps 1. Navigate securely into the active architecture directory: `cd app` 2. Synchronously install or update environment dependencies strictly through `uv`: `uv sync --all-extras --all-groups` 3. Activate the standard CLI venv wrapper: `. .venv/bin/activate` 4. Deploy local DB schema synchronization calls: `python manage.py migrate` 5. *(Optional)* Setup initial admin: `python manage.py create_admin_user` 6. Build Frontend Assets: ```bash make npminstall python manage.py collectstatic --noinput python manage.py compress --force ``` 7. Initialize the development environment natively: `python manage.py runserver` ## Validation 1. Verify server startup output bindings properly format against standard generic ports (ex. `127.0.0.1:8000`). 2. There should be **no pending/unapplied migration warnings** displayed. 3. Verify `http://127.0.0.1:8000` loads properly without missing CSS/MIME type errors. ## Gotchas - **Strict Environment Imports**: If context dynamically requires variable settings locally, ALWAYS safely fetch these utilizing `from django.conf import settings`. Never import the isolated system settings configuration natively (e.g. absolutely never execute `from eventyay.config import settings`). - **CSS not loading / MIME type errors**: Ensure you have successfully run `collectstatic` and `compress --force` steps to properly build the Javascript/CSS chunks. --- > Converted and distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io/claim/fossasia) — claim your Tome and manage your conversions.