Getting Started with the TOM Toolkit
------------------------------------
So you’ve decided to run a Target and Observation Manager system. This article will
help you get started.
The TOM Toolkit is a `Django `__
project. This means you’ll be running an application based on the Django
framework when you run a TOM. If you decide to customize your TOM,
you’ll be working in Django. You’ll likely need some basic understanding
of python and we recommend all users work their way through the `Django
tutorial `__ first
before starting with the TOM Toolkit. It doesn’t take long, and you most
likely won’t need to utilize any advanced features.
Ready to go? Let’s get started.
Quickstart
~~~~~~~~~~
The easiest way to getting a TOM system up and running on a Linux or Mac
is to use our make-tom script. If you would rather install the TOM
manually, you can follow the instructions in the :doc:`Manual Installation
Guide `, but we recommend using the
script if you are new to the TOM Toolkit.
This script will create a virtual environment
and install a TOM system on your local machine. Simply clone
`the make-tom repository `_:
::
git clone https://github.com/TOMToolkit/make-tom.git
cd make-tom
Ensure that the script is executable...
::
chmod +x make-tom.sh
...and then run the script, giving a name for your TOM's code repository
as the first argument. You can call this whatever you like:
::
./make-tom.sh my_tom
Your TOM should now be initialized, and you are ready to spin up a server.
.. _runserver:
Running the dev server
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now that your TOM has been built you can run it immediately, directly on
your local machine, using the command ``runserver``:
::
./manage.py runserver
Now, if you open a web browser, you can navigate to the URL
`http://127.0.0.1:8000 `_ and you should see your
new TOM up and running! Go ahead and login to explore what it can do.