Skip to content

Configuration Guide

This guide explains how to configure the MyCyclingCity application.

Environment Variables

Configuration is managed through environment variables, typically stored in a .env file.

Important: - Production: The .env file is located outside the software in /data/appl/mcc/.env - Development: The .env file can be in the project directory (mcc-web/.env) or individually configured - The application automatically finds the .env file by searching relative to the project directory

Required Settings

SECRET_KEY

Django secret key for cryptographic signing. Never commit this to version control.

SECRET_KEY=django-insecure-your-secret-key-here

Generate a new secret key: 

python -c "from django.core.management.utils import get_random_secret_key; print(get_random_secret_key())"

DEBUG

Enable debug mode (development only):

DEBUG=True  # Development
DEBUG=False  # Production

ALLOWED_HOSTS

Comma-separated list of allowed hostnames:

ALLOWED_HOSTS=localhost,127.0.0.1,mycyclingcity.net

Database Configuration

SQLite (Default - Development and Production)

The application uses SQLite for all environments. No additional configuration needed.

Production: - Database file: /data/var/mcc/db/db.sqlite3 - The database is automatically created if it doesn't exist

Development: - Database file: data/db.sqlite3 (relative to project directory) - The application automatically finds the database in the project directory

Static and Media Files

STATIC_ROOT

Directory where static files are collected:

Production: 

STATIC_ROOT=/data/appl/mcc/mcc-web/staticfiles

Development: - Can be individually configured (e.g., mcc-web/staticfiles) - The application uses relative paths in the project directory

MEDIA_ROOT

Directory for user-uploaded files:

Production: 

MEDIA_ROOT=/data/appl/mcc/mcc-web/media

Development: - Can be individually configured (e.g., mcc-web/media) - The application uses relative paths in the project directory

Note: In development environments, paths can be individual, as the application finds all information relative to the project directory.

Internationalization

Supported Languages

  • German (de) - Default
  • English (en)

Language Configuration

Configured in config/settings.py:

LANGUAGE_CODE = 'de'
LANGUAGES = [
    ('de', 'Deutsch'),
    ('en', 'English'),
]

API Configuration

API Key

Global API key for device authentication:

API_KEY=your-api-key-here

Device-Specific API Keys

Configured in Django Admin under IoT → Device Configurations.

Email Configuration (Optional)

For email notifications:

EMAIL_BACKEND=django.core.mail.backends.smtp.EmailBackend
EMAIL_HOST=smtp.example.com
EMAIL_PORT=587
EMAIL_USE_TLS=True
EMAIL_HOST_USER=your-email@example.com
EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD=your-password

Logging

Logging is configured in config/settings.py. Logs are written to:

  • logs/mcc_worker.log - Background worker logs
  • Console output (development)

Production Settings

Security Settings

DEBUG=False
ALLOWED_HOSTS=mycyclingcity.net,www.mycyclingcity.net
CSRF_TRUSTED_ORIGINS=https://mycyclingcity.net,https://www.mycyclingcity.net
SESSION_COOKIE_SECURE=True
CSRF_COOKIE_SECURE=True

Gunicorn Configuration

See config/gunicorn_config.py for production server settings. The application is started via the script scripts/mcc-web.sh by the user configured by the administrator (e.g., mcc, www-data, etc.). The user mcc is not mandatory.

Environment-Specific Configuration

Development

DEBUG=True
ALLOWED_HOSTS=localhost,127.0.0.1

Production

DEBUG=False
ALLOWED_HOSTS=mycyclingcity.net
SECRET_KEY=<strong-secret-key>

Configuration Files

  • .env - Environment variables (not in version control)
  • Production: /data/appl/mcc/.env (outside the software)
  • Development: mcc-web/.env or individually configured
  • config/settings.py - Django settings
  • config/gunicorn_config.py - Gunicorn server configuration
  • mkdocs.yml - Documentation configuration

Validation

Check configuration:

python manage.py check --deploy

Next Steps

For production deployment, see the DEPLOYMENT.md file in this directory.