Horilla is an open source human resource management system built with Python and Django, and AlmaLinux provides a stable enterprise Linux base for hosting it. A typical installation involves preparing the server, installing Python and PostgreSQL, cloning the Horilla source code, configuring environment settings, running database migrations, and serving the application through Gunicorn and Nginx.<\/p>\n
TLDR:<\/strong> To install Horilla on AlmaLinux, the administrator prepares the system packages, installs PostgreSQL and Python dependencies, then downloads Horilla from its official repository. After configuring the database and application environment, migrations are applied and a superuser account is created. For production use, Horilla should run behind Nginx<\/strong> with Gunicorn<\/strong> managed by systemd<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Before installation begins, the server should have a clean AlmaLinux installation, preferably AlmaLinux 9<\/strong>, with root or sudo access. The system should also have a valid domain name if Horilla will be exposed publicly. Although Horilla can be tested locally, a production deployment is more reliable when PostgreSQL, Nginx, and a dedicated application user are used.<\/p>\n The administrator should first update all installed packages. This reduces the risk of dependency conflicts and ensures security patches are applied before Horilla is installed.<\/p>\n After the update completes, installing a few essential utilities is recommended. These tools are commonly required for Python packages, source compilation, and repository management.<\/p>\n Horilla is a Django-based application, so Python and related build libraries are required. AlmaLinux usually ships with Python 3, but the required development headers should still be installed.<\/p>\n The administrator can verify the installed versions with:<\/p>\n If the server runs an older Python version that is not compatible with the current Horilla release, a newer Python version may need to be installed from approved repositories or built separately. For most current AlmaLinux 9 environments, the default Python version is suitable.<\/p>\n PostgreSQL is a strong choice for production Django applications. It provides reliability, scalability, and better data integrity than lightweight databases used for testing.<\/p>\n Once installed, the database cluster must be initialized:<\/p>\n Then PostgreSQL should be enabled and started:<\/p>\n The administrator can confirm that PostgreSQL is running:<\/p>\n A separate PostgreSQL database and user should be created for Horilla. This keeps application data isolated and improves security.<\/p>\n Inside the PostgreSQL shell, the following commands create the database and user. The password should be replaced with a strong secret.<\/p>\n Running the application as root is not recommended. A dedicated system user limits risk and makes it easier to manage files, permissions, and services.<\/p>\n The application can be installed under the dedicated user\u2019s home directory:<\/p>\n The administrator should switch to the Horilla user and clone the official Horilla repository. The repository URL may vary depending on the official project location, but the common open source repository is hosted on GitHub.<\/p>\n If a specific release is required, the administrator may check available tags and switch to a stable version instead of using the latest branch.<\/p>\n A Python virtual environment keeps Horilla dependencies separate from system packages. This is especially important on enterprise Linux systems where system Python packages may be managed by the operating system.<\/p>\n Next, the administrator should upgrade pip and install the required Python packages:<\/p>\n If the installation reports missing PostgreSQL build dependencies, the administrator should confirm that postgresql-devel<\/strong>, gcc<\/strong>, and python3-devel<\/strong> are installed.<\/p>\n Horilla needs database settings, secret keys, allowed hosts, and other environment values. The project may include an example environment file. If present, it can be copied and edited:<\/p>\n If no example file exists, the administrator should consult the project documentation and create the required variables manually. A typical production configuration may include values similar to the following:<\/p>\n The SECRET_KEY<\/strong> must be unique and private. The ALLOWED_HOSTS<\/strong> value should include the domain name or IP address used to access Horilla. In production, DEBUG<\/strong> should remain disabled.<\/p>\n Database migrations create the tables Horilla needs. From inside the project directory, with the virtual environment activated, the administrator should run:<\/p>\n Static files should then be collected so Nginx can serve them efficiently:<\/p>\n Next, an administrator account should be created:<\/p>\n The command prompts for a username, email address, and password. This account will be used to sign in to the Horilla administration interface.<\/p>\n Before configuring a production service, the application should be tested with Django\u2019s development server. This confirms that dependencies, database connections, and environment variables are working.<\/p>\n From another terminal session, the administrator can test the local response:<\/p>\n If the page returns successfully, the installation is ready for a production service configuration. The development server should not be used as the public-facing service.<\/p>\n Gunicorn acts as the Python application server between Horilla and Nginx. It can be installed inside the virtual environment:<\/p>\n The administrator should test Gunicorn manually first. The exact WSGI module name may depend on the Horilla project structure, but many Django projects use a module similar to horilla.wsgi<\/strong>.<\/p>\n If the command starts without errors, it can be stopped with Ctrl+C<\/strong>. If an import error appears, the administrator should inspect the project directory and confirm the correct WSGI module path.<\/p>\n A systemd service allows AlmaLinux to start Horilla automatically on boot and restart it if the process fails.<\/p>\n The service file can be created as follows:<\/p>\n After saving the file, systemd should be reloaded and the service started:<\/p>\n If the service fails, logs can be reviewed with:<\/p>\n Nginx will receive browser requests and proxy them to Gunicorn. It can also serve static files and later handle TLS certificates.<\/p>\n A new Nginx server block can be created:<\/p>\n The configuration should be tested before reloading Nginx:<\/p>\n If firewalld<\/strong> is enabled, HTTP and HTTPS traffic should be allowed:<\/p>\n On AlmaLinux, SELinux may prevent Nginx from proxying requests to Gunicorn. The following command allows network connections from the web server:<\/p>\n File permissions should also allow Nginx to read static and media files. If static files do not load, the administrator should check ownership, directory permissions, and SELinux contexts.<\/p>\n For public deployments, HTTPS is strongly recommended. Certbot can obtain and install a free Let\u2019s Encrypt certificate for Nginx.<\/p>\n Certbot usually configures certificate renewal automatically. The administrator can test renewal with:<\/p>\n After installation, the administrator should open the domain in a browser and confirm that the Horilla login page loads. The superuser account created earlier should allow access to administrative functions. It is also useful to verify that static assets, uploaded files, and employee management modules behave correctly.<\/p>\n Basic operational checks include:<\/p>\n Horilla should be maintained like any other production web application. The administrator should schedule regular database backups, apply operating system updates, and keep the application code current after reviewing release notes. Before upgrading Horilla, a full backup of the database and application directory should be created.<\/p>\n For application updates, the administrator usually pulls the latest code, updates dependencies, and re-runs migrations:<\/p>\n Yes. Horilla can run on AlmaLinux 8 if the required Python version and dependencies are available. If the default Python version is too old, the administrator may need to install a newer supported Python release.<\/p>\n PostgreSQL is strongly recommended for production installations. Some development setups may use SQLite, but PostgreSQL is more suitable for real HR data and multi-user environments.<\/p>\nPrerequisites<\/h2>\n
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\nStep 1: Update the AlmaLinux System<\/h2>\n
sudo dnf update -y<\/code><\/pre>\nsudo dnf install -y git curl wget vim gcc gcc-c++ make<\/code><\/pre>\nStep 2: Install Python and Development Packages<\/h2>\n
sudo dnf install -y python3 python3-pip python3-devel<\/code><\/pre>\npython3 --version\npip3 --version<\/code><\/pre>\nStep 3: Install and Configure PostgreSQL<\/h2>\n
sudo dnf install -y postgresql-server postgresql-contrib postgresql-devel<\/code><\/pre>\nsudo postgresql-setup --initdb<\/code><\/pre>\nsudo systemctl enable --now postgresql<\/code><\/pre>\nsudo systemctl status postgresql<\/code><\/pre>\nCreate the Horilla Database and User<\/h3>\n
sudo -u postgres psql<\/code><\/pre>\nCREATE DATABASE horilla_db;\nCREATE USER horilla_user WITH PASSWORD 'StrongPasswordHere';\nALTER ROLE horilla_user SET client_encoding TO 'utf8';\nALTER ROLE horilla_user SET default_transaction_isolation TO 'read committed';\nALTER ROLE horilla_user SET timezone TO 'UTC';\nGRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON DATABASE horilla_db TO horilla_user;\n\\q<\/code><\/pre>\nStep 4: Create a Dedicated Horilla User<\/h2>\n
sudo useradd -m -r -s \/bin\/bash horilla<\/code><\/pre>\nsudo mkdir -p \/opt\/horilla\nsudo chown horilla:horilla \/opt\/horilla<\/code><\/pre>\nStep 5: Download Horilla<\/h2>\n
sudo -iu horilla\ncd \/opt\/horilla\ngit clone https:\/\/github.com\/horilla-opensource\/horilla.git app\ncd app<\/code><\/pre>\ngit tag\ngit checkout <version-tag><\/code><\/pre>\nImage not found in postmeta
\nStep 6: Create a Python Virtual Environment<\/h2>\n
python3 -m venv venv\nsource venv\/bin\/activate<\/code><\/pre>\npip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel\npip install -r requirements.txt<\/code><\/pre>\nStep 7: Configure Horilla Environment Settings<\/h2>\n
cp .env.example .env\nvim .env<\/code><\/pre>\nDEBUG=False\nSECRET_KEY=ReplaceWithLongRandomSecretKey\nALLOWED_HOSTS=example.com,www.example.com,server_ip_address\n\nDB_ENGINE=django.db.backends.postgresql\nDB_NAME=horilla_db\nDB_USER=horilla_user\nDB_PASSWORD=StrongPasswordHere\nDB_HOST=127.0.0.1\nDB_PORT=5432<\/code><\/pre>\nStep 8: Run Migrations and Create an Admin User<\/h2>\n
python manage.py makemigrations\npython manage.py migrate<\/code><\/pre>\npython manage.py collectstatic --noinput<\/code><\/pre>\npython manage.py createsuperuser<\/code><\/pre>\nStep 9: Test Horilla Locally<\/h2>\n
python manage.py runserver 127.0.0.1:8000<\/code><\/pre>\ncurl http:\/\/127.0.0.1:8000<\/code><\/pre>\nStep 10: Install and Configure Gunicorn<\/h2>\n
pip install gunicorn<\/code><\/pre>\ngunicorn --bind 127.0.0.1:8000 horilla.wsgi:application<\/code><\/pre>\nStep 11: Create a systemd Service<\/h2>\n
sudo vim \/etc\/systemd\/system\/horilla.service<\/code><\/pre>\n[Unit]\nDescription=Horilla Gunicorn Service\nAfter=network.target postgresql.service\n\n[Service]\nUser=horilla\nGroup=horilla\nWorkingDirectory=\/opt\/horilla\/app\nEnvironment=\"PATH=\/opt\/horilla\/app\/venv\/bin\"\nExecStart=\/opt\/horilla\/app\/venv\/bin\/gunicorn --workers 3 --bind 127.0.0.1:8000 horilla.wsgi:application\nRestart=always\n\n[Install]\nWantedBy=multi-user.target<\/code><\/pre>\nsudo systemctl daemon-reload\nsudo systemctl enable --now horilla\nsudo systemctl status horilla<\/code><\/pre>\njournalctl -u horilla -xe<\/code><\/pre>\nStep 12: Install and Configure Nginx<\/h2>\n
sudo dnf install -y nginx\nsudo systemctl enable --now nginx<\/code><\/pre>\nsudo vim \/etc\/nginx\/conf.d\/horilla.conf<\/code><\/pre>\nserver {\n listen 80;\n server_name example.com www.example.com;\n\n location \/static\/ {\n alias \/opt\/horilla\/app\/staticfiles\/;\n }\n\n location \/media\/ {\n alias \/opt\/horilla\/app\/media\/;\n }\n\n location \/ {\n proxy_pass http:\/\/127.0.0.1:8000;\n proxy_set_header Host $host;\n proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;\n proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;\n proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;\n }\n}<\/code><\/pre>\nsudo nginx -t\nsudo systemctl reload nginx<\/code><\/pre>\nImage not found in postmeta
\nStep 13: Configure Firewall and SELinux<\/h2>\n
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http\nsudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=https\nsudo firewall-cmd --reload<\/code><\/pre>\nsudo setsebool -P httpd_can_network_connect 1<\/code><\/pre>\nStep 14: Add HTTPS with Certbot<\/h2>\n
sudo dnf install -y epel-release\nsudo dnf install -y certbot python3-certbot-nginx\nsudo certbot --nginx -d example.com -d www.example.com<\/code><\/pre>\nsudo certbot renew --dry-run<\/code><\/pre>\nStep 15: Final Verification<\/h2>\n
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Maintenance Tips<\/h2>\n
pg_dump -U horilla_user -h 127.0.0.1 horilla_db > horilla_backup.sql<\/code><\/pre>\ncd \/opt\/horilla\/app\nsource venv\/bin\/activate\ngit pull\npip install -r requirements.txt\npython manage.py migrate\npython manage.py collectstatic --noinput\nsudo systemctl restart horilla<\/code><\/pre>\nFAQ<\/h2>\n
Can Horilla run on AlmaLinux 8?<\/h3>\n
Is PostgreSQL required for Horilla?<\/h3>\n
Why does Nginx show a 502 Bad Gateway error?<\/h3>\n