[Tutor] Recommend a MVC framework

[Evert Rol]

>> Django can run be run through mod_wsgi (or mod_python if you
>> really want). And other web servers than Apache will also work. 
> 
>> Don't know what you mean with "shared server", but if you mean
>> multiple accounts running their web apps through one Apache
>> server, that can work (provided Apache is correctly configured).
>  By "shared server", I mean a hosting situation where I would not
>  be able to configure Apache. An example would be my own ISP's
>  servers, which I avoid doing development work on *but* I just
>  might have to.

That will all depend on how the webserver is configured by the provider. Some will have a good setup, with mod_wsgi or mod_python already available, and allow lots of options configurable in .htaccess. 
Because of the popularity of PHP (some time ago, that was), a lot of webservers have mod_php configured by default for this. But there really is not difference (imho) between a webserver with mod_php or mod_wsgi. Trick is to tell a hosting provider that, or find one that allows that.

fastcgi is one of the options for "alternative" Django deployments: http://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.2/howto/deployment/fastcgi/
But I'd suggest to read through the various sections of http://docs.djangoproject.com/en/1.2/howto/deployment/ first. 
Or google around if you know what situation you're in: lots of examples out there for setups with limited (root) access.


>  From  
>  http://www.amazon.com/Definitive-Guide-Django-Development-Second/dp/143021936X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1289772638&sr=1-2
>  Can you comment on the following exerpt of the third review, where
>  the reviewer says:
>  """
>   ....
>   one on deployment makes little mention of the fact that there's
>   not really any good way to get Django running smoothly without
>   root access to the server--something a lot of people do not
>   have--and they actually expect their users to run TWO
>   servers--one for Django and one for everything else, like image
>   files.

See above, and the Django folks only (strongly) suggest, not expect, to have two separate servers for Django & static stuff, but that's only for more heavily accessed websites.
I'm running a website through fastcgi & using the same Apache to route both fastcgi and the static files (note that the static files don't go through Django/fastcgi though). Took a bit of figuring out how to set it up, but it now works excellent.
See also the first comment on this comment ;-).


  Evert