8. Set up Plone for the Training#

We install the Plone backend and its React-based frontend Volto, starting with the following folder structure:

training
├── backend
└── frontend

In backend we install Plone and add our custom Python code. In frontend we install Volto and add our custom React code.

8.1. Installing the backend#

We encourage you to install and run Plone on your own machine, as you will have important benefits:

  • You can work with your favorite editor.

  • You have all the code of Plone at your fingertips in site-packages tree.

8.1.1. Prerequisites#

  • make. We recommend upgrading to at least make 4.

8.1.2. Installation#

Set up the backend with the training code: add-ons ploneconf.site and training.votable.

mkdir training
cd training
git clone https://github.com/collective/training_buildout.git backend
cd backend

Build your backend with:

make build

This build executes multiple tasks. The build

  • creates a Python virtual environment and installs prerequisites

  • generates a file structure to be prepared to install Plone packages with pip

  • generates Zope configuration with cookiecutter

By creating and working with a Python virtual environment, we are independent of the system Python installation. We install packages and its version according to our needs.

The build generates a file structure to be prepared to install Plone from packages with pip and mxdev. The tool mxdev helps with configuration files to define which add-ons and which versions to install. It also allows to override Plone core package versions or force a checkout from github. The documentation Manage Plone backend packages with mxdev provides information on common tasks.

The build generates Zope configuration files with cookiecutter cookiecutter-zope-instance. The file we will modify to update our Zope / Plone configuration is instance.yaml. In this file we will add add-ons that are installed as Python packages and shall be loaded in our instance. instance.yaml is the one configuration file for our Zope / Plone instance. The documentation of cookiecutter-zope-instance explains a lot more that can be configured like the port or another storage.

After changes in configuration files, a re-build is necessary:

make build

We are now ready to start the backend with:

make start

Voilà, your Plone is up and running on http://localhost:8080.

The output should be similar to:

katjasuss@purpur training % make start

2022-09-27 08:57:23,961 INFO    [Zope:42][MainThread] Ready to handle requests
Starting server in PID 28745.
2022-09-27 08:57:23,963 INFO    [waitress:486][MainThread] Serving on http://[::1]:8080
2022-09-27 08:57:23,963 INFO    [waitress:486][MainThread] Serving on http://127.0.0.1:8080

Troubleshooting: We are here to help: Please file an issue in training repo.

Point your browser to http://localhost:8080 to see Plone running.

Plone is running.

Plone, up and running.#

There is no Plone site yet. We will create one in the next chapter.

You can stop the running instance anytime using ctrl + c.

Ready to create a `Plone` instance.

Ready to create a Plone instance#

8.2. Installing the frontend#

You have two options:

  1. Create the frontend from scratch using the Volto generator.

  2. Use the prepared Volto project volto-ploneconf with all the code for the training.

8.2.1. Option 1: Frontend from scratch with Volto generator#

Installing Volto

8.2.2. Option 2. Start with prepared training project volto-ploneconf with all code for the training#

Prepare the pre-requisites explained in Pre-requisites for installation.

Get the code for the frontend from GitHub and install:

git clone https://github.com/collective/volto-ploneconf.git frontend
cd frontend
yarn

Now you can start the app with:

$ yarn start

Create a Plone site object Plone on http://localhost:8080

Point your browser to http://localhost:3000 and see that Plone is up and running.

You can stop the frontend anytime using ctrl + c.