summary Where to get help on using mod_wsgi.
Where To Get Help
If you are having problems with installing or using mod_wsgi, then ensure you read this first. It will give you some pointers on what you can do to resolve the problem yourself.
Read The Documentation
First thing you should do is make sure you have read the actual mod_wsgi documentation on the mod_wsgi site. The documentation on the mod_wsgi site goes into much more detail than anything else you will find elsewhere on the Internet. It certainly is going to be better to be relying on the official documentation rather than some obscure personal blog site. Even integration guides in official documentation for the major Python web frameworks are quite sparse and in some cases inaccurate or incomplete.
The key document you should start with is:
- Installation Instructions
This has pointers to other documents covering installation, configuration and subsequent setup issues. Also references documents on how to go about debugging any issues.
If you have been successful in getting mod_wsgi running and your questions are more about how mod_wsgi works or how more complicated features are used, then you should start with:
- Developer Guidelines
Although this is labelled as being for developers, that is referring to you as a user of mod_wsgi and a developer of your own web application. It isn't information for people developing mod_wsgi itself.
You will find pointers to documentation in there about how mod_wsgi processes and threading works, use of virtual environments, source code reloading and much more.
For a lost of all available documentation see:
Also check the authors blog site as various useful posts have been made there which have never made there way back into the core documentation.
Hello World Program
Second thing is that if your issue is arising from your very first attempt to setup mod_wsgi and you are trying to use a high level Python web framework or application, then step back for a moment and try and get a basic hello world program running first.
In other words, lets just make sure mod_wsgi itself is working before you complicate matters by introducing some third party software into the picture.
You can find a simple hello world program in:
- Quick Configuration Guide
Conference Presentations
The author has also done a number of presentations in the past. The main one for which information is available online is as follows:.
Ensure you watch the presentatIon as it details many of the common pitfalls for new users.
Asking Your Questions
Finally, if you still can't find the answer, next step is to use the mod_wsgi mailing list to post your question. The mailing list is hosted by Google Groups at:
You do not need to have a Google email account as Google Groups allows you to register external email addresses as well.
Please use the mailing list in preference to raising a ticket in the issue tracker unless you are somewhat certain that the problem is a bug in mod_wsgi and not just some environment issue related to your application, any third party packages being used or the operating system. It is much easier to have a discussion on the mailing list than the issue tracker.
The mailing list also has many people participating, or at least reading, so you have people with a broad experience with many third party Python web packages and operating systems and so you aren't reliant on just the mod_wsgi developers to try and answer any question.
If the problem is potentially more an issue with a third party package or the operating system rather than mod_wsgi, you might also consider asking on any mailing list related to the third party package instead. You will find references to support mailing lists for many of the major Python web frameworks and applications in the integration guides provided on the mod_wsgi site.
A further option is to ask your question on StackOverflow, if a programming question, or ServerFault, if an administration issue. These sites allow a broad range of questions about many topics with quite a large user base of sometimes knowledgeable people. You might also try IRC channels related to any third party package or the more general #wsgi and
python.web channels.
Do be aware though that the only forum that is now monitored by mod_wsgi developers is the mod_wsgi mailing list. Questions about mod_wsgi will no longer be answered on sites such as StackOverflow and ServerFault, on IRC, or even mailing lists for other packages. So, it is much preferable to use the mod_wsgi mailing list if you want an informed answer for a mod_wsgi specific question.
As a general rule, if you have never participated in public forums previously to seek answers to technical questions, including about Open Source software, it is highly recommended you have a read of.
This will help you to ensure you have exhausted all possibilities as to where to find information and try and solve the problem yourself, as well as assist you in framing your question the best way so as to get the best response possible. Remember that people on the mailing list are volunteering their time to help and don't get paid for answering questions. Thus, it is in your interest not to annoy them too much.
No matter which forum you use, when asking questions, it is always helpful to detail the following:
- Which version of mod_wsgi you are using and if using a packaged distribution, who provided the distribution.
If you are not using the latest version, then upgrade first and verify the problem still occurs with the latest version.
Which version of Python you are using and if using a packaged distribution, who provided the distribution.
Which version of Apache you are using and if using a packaged distribution, who provided the distribution.
If not using latest patch revision of Apache 2.2, then consider upgrading and trying again.
What operating system you are using.
Details on any third party packages being used and what versions of those packages.
The mod_wsgi configuration you are using from Apache configuration files.
In particular you should indicate whether you are using mod_wsgi embedded mode or daemon mode. Also can be helpful to indicate what MPM Apache has been compiled for and whether mod_php or mod_python are being loaded into the same Apache instance.
- Relevant error messages from the Apache error logs.
Specifically, don't just quote the single line you think shows the error message. Instead, also show the lines before and after that point. These other lines from the error logs may show supplemental error messages from Apache or mod_wsgi or provide Python traceback information.
Lodging Bug Reports
If you believe you really have uncovered a bug in mod_wsgi code, and that has perhaps also been verfied through discussion on the mod_wsgi mailing list or elsewhere, and the mod_wsgi developers don't beat you to it, then lodge a bug report on the mod_wsgi issue tracker. The issue tracker is located at:
Note that the issue tracker on GitHub replaces an existing issues tracker used on this site. Key issues from the old issue tracker that still need to be resolved will in time be copied across to the new issue tracker. In the mean time the old issue tracker can be found at:
As mentioned above, try and resolve issues using the mod_wsgi mailing list before lodging bug reports. The majority of issues lodged by non developers via the issue tracker are not actually bugs in mod_wsgi but due to external factors or simply a failure to read the documentation.
Contacting The Author
It would be prefered that you use the mod_wsgi mailing list to ask questions. If however it involves revealing information which is confidential then you can always track down the author's email address and make contact direct. This really should be a last resort.
If the question doesn't seem to warrant personal contact being made, you will be told to use the mod_wsgi mailing list like everyone else. That will be reconsidered if you want to pay some sort of support money for mod_wsgi or give a generous donation.