Working with Legacy Django Servers: Two Reliable Workflows
When your production host runs an older Python/Django stack, you can still use modern local tools (e.g., AI-assisted coding) without touching the server’s runtime.
1) Remote Filesystem Access (SSHFS or Mutagen)
SSHFS mounts a remote directory over SSH so it appears as a local folder on your machine. You can edit code with your local editor and tooling. Mutagen continuously syncs a local folder with the server, giving you local speed with real-time mirroring to the remote host.
- Pros: Fast iteration, no changes required on the server, works with existing SSH access.
- Best for: Day-to-day development, quick fixes, and leveraging local AI/code tools without installing them remotely.
2) Git-Based Deployment
Treat deployments as Git operations to keep production clean and reproducible. Two common patterns:
- Pull on server: Keep a repo on the server and run
git pullto update. - Push-to-deploy: Use a bare repo with a post-receive hook that checks out code, runs migrations, collects static files, and restarts the app on each
git push.
Why teams prefer this in production: clear history, simple rollbacks, and predictable state.
When to Use What?
- Daily development: SSHFS/Mutagen to iterate quickly with your local toolchain.
- Structured releases: Git push-to-deploy for consistent, auditable deployments.
In practice, many teams combine both: develop locally with SSHFS/Mutagen for instant feedback, then ship via Git push-to-deploy for a clean release process.
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