Category
DevOps & Software Delivery
Goal: Build Kiwi TCMS from source on a GUI-less Ubuntu 24.04 Server and run it in development mode (Django runserver + Webpack watch). Since the server is headless, you’ll reach it from your workstation via SSH local port forwarding and browse at http://127.0.0.1:8000/.
This is for development only. For production, use a real WSGI/ASGI server, reverse proxy, TLS, and a managed database.
1. Clone the source
git clone https://github.com/kiwitcms/Kiwi.git2. Install system packages
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y python3.12-venv pkg-config libmariadb-dev build-essential python3.12-dev3. Create and activate a Python virtualenv
python3 -m venv kiwi-env
source kiwi-env/bin/activate4. Install backend dependencies (MariaDB flavor + dev tools)
cd Kiwi
pip install -r requirements/mariadb.txt
pip install -r requirements/devel.txt5. Install Node.js (via nvm) and frontend deps
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.40.3/install.sh | bash
source ~/.bashrc
nvm install node
cd tcms
npm install6. Initialize database and create a superuser
cd ..
./manage.py migrate
./manage.py createsuperuser7. Start the two dev processes (use two terminals)
Terminal A — Webpack (watch mode)
cd ~/Kiwi/tcms
./node_modules/.bin/webpack watchTerminal B — Django dev server
source ~/kiwi-env/bin/activate
cd ~/Kiwi
./manage.py runserver8. No browser on the server? Use SSH local port forwarding
From your workstation (not the server), forward local port 8000 to the server’s localhost:8000:
ssh -N -L 8000:127.0.0.1:8000 administrator@client.maksonlee.comWhat this does
-L 8000:127.0.0.1:8000maps your127.0.0.1:8000→ server’s127.0.0.1:8000-Ntells SSH not to run a remote command; it just keeps the tunnel open
Now open on your workstation:
http://127.0.0.1:8000/
Verify
- You see the Kiwi TCMS homepage and can log in with the superuser you created.
- Terminal A shows Webpack compilations when frontend files change.
- Terminal B shows Django access logs and tracebacks if any errors occur.