3.1. Open edX Platform Installation Options

This section describes Open edX installation options and the components that each option includes. There are two development environment installation options, which install the Open edX software using Docker. If you prefer, you can install into an Ubuntu machine of your own using the Native installation.

3.1.1. Open edX Platform on Docker

You can install the Open edX developer stack (Devstack) or the Open edX analytics developer stack (Analytics Devstack).

  • Devstack is a set of Docker containers designed for local development. For more information, see Open edX Devstack.
  • Analytics Devstack is a modified version of the Devstack installation that allows you to run Open edX Analytics. For more information, see Open edX Analytics Devstack.

You can run Devstack or Analytics Devstack on Linux or macOS. See the Docker downloads page for information about the operating systems and architectures on which you can run Docker.

Devstack using Docker for Windows has not been tested and it is not supported.

3.1.1.1. Open edX Devstack

Devstack is a deployment of the Open edX platform within a set of Docker containers designed for local development. Running the Open edX platform locally allows you to discover and fix system configuration issues early in development.

Devstack simplifies certain production settings to make development more convenient. For example, nginx and gunicorn are disabled in Devstack; Devstack uses Django’s runserver instead.

Note

Because of the large number of dependencies needed to develop extensions to Open edX Insights, a separate development environment is available to support Analytics development. For more information, see Installing and Starting Analytics Devstack.

For more information about Docker, see the Docker documentation.

3.1.1.2. Open edX Analytics Devstack

Some users might want to develop Analytics features on their instance of the Open edX platform. Because of the large number of dependencies needed to develop extensions to Analytics, edX has created a separate developer stack, known as Analytics Devstack. We strongly recommend that you install the Analytics Devstack instead of adding Analytics extensions to an instance of devstack.

Analytics Devstack is a modified version of the Open edX developer stack. This development environment provides all of the services and tools needed to modify the Open edX Analytics Pipeline, Data API, and Insights projects.

3.1.2. Native Installation

The Native installation installs the Open edX software on your own Ubuntu 16.04 machine in a production-like configuration. Details are at the Open edX Native Installation page on the edX wiki.

3.1.3. Software Components

A Devstack installation includes the following Open edX components:

  • The Learning Management System (LMS)
  • Open edX Studio
  • Discussion Forums
  • Open Response Assessments (ORA)
  • E-Commerce
  • Credentials
  • Notes
  • Course Discovery
  • XQueue
  • Open edX Search
  • A demonstration Open edX course

Analytics Devstack also includes the following Open edX components:

  • Open edX Analytics Data API
  • Open edX Insights
  • The components needed to run the Open edX Analytics Pipeline. This is the primary extract, transform, and load (ETL) tool that extracts and analyzes data from the other Open edX services.