Step1 - Install Visual Studio 2008 Express

Optional: You can also install MingW, but VS2008 installation is easier

Download "Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition with SP1" from: http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-us/products/2008-editions/express (if not found or relocated, google for "visual studio 2008 express" for updated link)

You can also download full ISO file for offline installation, just choose "All - Offline Install ISO image file" in the previous page and choose "Visual C++ 2008 Express" when installing.

Step2 - Install Python

Install Python 2.x.y (x >= 5) x86 version (32bit). DO NOT USE A 3.x version. Download Python 2.x.y from: http://www.python.org/download/

Choose "Windows Installer" (32bit version) not "Windows X86-64 Installer". While writing this guide, the latest version was v2.7.3. Remember the specific major and minor version installed, because it will be needed in the next step. In this case, it is "2.7".

Step3 - Install Win32py extensions

Download pywin32 from: http://sourceforge.net/projects/pywin32/files/

• Click on "pywin32" folder
• Click on the first folder (in this case, Build 217, maybe newer when you try)
• Choose the file ending with ".win32-py2.x.exe" -> x being the minor version of Python you installed (in this case, 7) When writing this guide, the file was: http://sourceforge.net/projects/pywin32/files/pywin32/Build%20217/pywin32-217.win32-py2.7.exe/download

Step4 - Python BIN

Add Python BIN folder to the path

You have to add the Python folder to the path, you can do it manually (editing "PATH" environment variable) or using Windows Support Tools that came preinstalled in Vista/7 and can be installed in Windows XP.

• Using support tools on WINDOWS XP: If you use Windows XP you can install them using Windows XP CD and navigating to SUPPORTTOOLS. There, execute Setup.EXE (not MSI). Afterwards, open a CMD and type:

  SETX PATH "%PATH%;[your-python-path]" -M
  

  Close CMD (the path variable will be updated then)

• Using support tools on WINDOWS Vista/7:

  Open a CMD and type:

  SETX PATH "%PATH%;[your-python-path]" /M
  

  Please substitute [your-python-path] with your Python installation path. Typically: C:\Python27

Step5 - RhodeCode folder structure

Create a RhodeCode folder structure

This is only a example to install RhodeCode, you can of course change it. However, this guide will follow the proposed structure, so please later adapt the paths if you change them. My recommendation is to use folders with NO SPACES. But you can try if you are brave...

Create the following folder structure:

C:\RhodeCode
C:\RhodeCode\Bin
C:\RhodeCode\Env
C:\RhodeCode\Repos

Step6 - Install virtualenv

Install Virtual Env for Python

Navigate to: http://www.virtualenv.org/en/latest/index.html#installation Right click on "virtualenv.py" file and choose "Save link as...". Download to C:\RhodeCode (or whatever you want) (the file is located at https://raw.github.com/pypa/virtualenv/master/virtualenv.py)

Create a virtual Python environment in C:\RhodeCode\Env (or similar). To do so, open a CMD (Python Path should be included in Step3), navigate where you downloaded "virtualenv.py", and write:

python virtualenv.py C:\RhodeCode\Env

(--no-site-packages is now the default behaviour of virtualenv, no need to include it)

Step7 - Install RhodeCode

Finally, install RhodeCode

Close previously opened command prompt/s, and open a Visual Studio 2008 Command Prompt (IMPORTANT!!). To do so, go to Start Menu, and then open "Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition" -> "Visual Studio Tools" -> "Visual Studio 2008 Command Prompt"

In that CMD (loaded with VS2008 PATHs) type:

cd C:\RhodeCode\Env\Scripts (or similar)
activate

The prompt will change into "(Env) C:\RhodeCode\Env\Scripts" or similar (depending of your folder structure). Then type:

pip install rhodecode

(long step, please wait until fully complete)

Some warnings will appear, don't worry as they are normal.

Step8 - Configuring RhodeCode

steps taken from http://packages.python.org/RhodeCode/setup.html

You have to use the same Visual Studio 2008 command prompt as Step7, so if you closed it reopen it following the same commands (including the "activate" one). When ready, just type:

cd C:\RhodeCode\Bin
paster make-config RhodeCode production.ini

Then, you must edit production.ini to fit your needs (ip address, ip port, mail settings, database, whatever). I recommend using NotePad++ (free) or similar text editor, as it handles well the EndOfLine character differences between Unix and Windows (http://notepad-plus-plus.org/)

For the sake of simplicity lets run it with the default settings. After your edits (if any), in the previous Command Prompt, type:

paster setup-rhodecode production.ini

(this time a NEW database will be installed, you must follow a different step to later UPGRADE to a newer RhodeCode version)

The script will ask you for confirmation about creating a NEW database, answer yes (y) The script will ask you for repository path, answer C:\RhodeCode\Repos (or similar) The script will ask you for admin username and password, answer "admin" + "123456" (or whatever you want) The script will ask you for admin mail, answer "admin@xxxx.com" (or whatever you want)

If you make some mistake and the script does not end, don't worry, start it again.

Step9 - Running RhodeCode

In the previous command prompt, being in the C:\RhodeCode\Bin folder, just type:

paster serve production.ini

Open yout web server, and go to http://127.0.0.1:5000

It works!! :-)

Remark: If it does not work first time, just Ctrl-C the CMD process and start it again. Don't forget the "http://" in Internet Explorer

What this Guide does not cover:

• Installing Celery
• Running RhodeCode as Windows Service. You can investigate here:
  • http://pypi.python.org/pypi/wsgisvc
  • http://ryrobes.com/python/running-python-scripts-as-a-windows-service/
  • http://wiki.pylonshq.com/display/pylonscookbook/How+to+run+Pylons+as+a+Windows+service
• Using Apache. You can investigate here:
  • https://groups.google.com/group/rhodecode/msg/c433074e813ffdc4