You may opt to install NetBox either from a numbered release or by cloning the master branch of its repository on GitHub.
## Option A: Download a Release
Download the [latest stable release](https://github.com/digitalocean/netbox/releases) from GitHub as a tarball or ZIP archive and extract it to your desired path. In this example, we'll use `/opt/netbox`.
Install the required Python packages using pip. (If you encounter any compilation errors during this step, ensure that you've installed all of the system dependencies listed above.)
```
# sudo pip install -r requirements.txt
```
# Configuration
Move into the NetBox configuration directory and make a copy of `configuration.example.py` named `configuration.py`.
```
# cd netbox/netbox/
# cp configuration.example.py configuration.py
```
Open `configuration.py` with your preferred editor and set the following variables:
* ALLOWED_HOSTS
* DATABASE
* SECRET_KEY
## ALLOWED_HOSTS
This is a list of the valid hostnames by which this server can be reached. You must specify at least one name or IP address.
This parameter holds the database configuration details. You must define the username and password used when you configured PostgreSQL. If the service is running on a remote host, replace `localhost` with its address.
'PORT': '', # Database port (leave blank for default)
}
```
## SECRET_KEY
Generate a random secret key of at least 50 alphanumeric characters. This key must be unique to this installation and must not be shared outside the local system.
You may use the script located at `netbox/generate_secret_key.py` to generate a suitable key.
In the case of a highly available installation with multiple web servers, `SECRET_KEY` must be identical among all servers in order to maintain a persistent user session state.
Before NetBox can run, we need to install the database schema. This is done by running `./manage.py migrate` from the `netbox` directory (`/opt/netbox/netbox/` in our example):
If this step results in a PostgreSQL authentication error, ensure that the username and password created in the database match what has been specified in `configuration.py`
# Create a Super User
NetBox does not come with any predefined user accounts. You'll need to create a super user to be able to log into NetBox:
```
# ./manage.py createsuperuser
Username: admin
Email address: admin@example.com
Password:
Password (again):
Superuser created successfully.
```
# Collect Static Files
```
# ./manage.py collectstatic
You have requested to collect static files at the destination
location as specified in your settings:
/opt/netbox/netbox/static
This will overwrite existing files!
Are you sure you want to do this?
Type 'yes' to continue, or 'no' to cancel: yes
```
# Test the Application
At this point, NetBox should be able to run. We can verify this by starting a development instance:
```
# ./manage.py runserver 0.0.0.0:8000 --insecure
Performing system checks...
System check identified no issues (0 silenced).
June 17, 2016 - 16:17:36
Django version 1.9.7, using settings 'netbox.settings'
Starting development server at http://0.0.0.0:8000/
Quit the server with CONTROL-C.
```
Now if we navigate to the name or IP of the server (as defined in `ALLOWED_HOSTS`) we should be greeted with the NetBox home page. Note that this built-in web service is for development and testing purposes only. It is not suited for production use.
!!! warning
If the test service does not run, or you cannot reach the NetBox home page, something has gone wrong. Do not proceed with the rest of this guide until the installation has been corrected.
