Zope

To run apps built with the Zope web framework using Unit:

Install Unit with a Python 3.6+ language module.

Install Zope. Here, we do this at /path/to/app/; use a real path in your configuration.

Buildout
PIP

First, install Zope’s core files, for example:

$ pip install -U pip wheel zc.buildout

$ cd /path/to/app/ # Path to the application directory; use a real path in your configuration

$ wget https://pypi.org/packages/source/Z/Zope/Zope-A.B.C.tar.gz # Zope version

$ tar xfvz Zope-A.B.C.tar.gz --strip-components =1 # Avoids creating a redundant subdirectory

$ buildout

Next, add a new configuration file named /path/to/app/wsgi.cfg:

[buildout]
extends =
      buildout.cfg

parts +=
      wsgi.py  # The basename is arbitrary; the extension is required to make the resulting Python module discoverable

[wsgi.py]
recipe = plone.recipe.zope2instance
user = admin:admin  # Instance credentials; omit this line to configure them interactively
zodb-temporary-storage = off  # Avoids compatibility issues
eggs =
scripts =
initialization =
      from Zope2.Startup.run import make_wsgi_app
      wsgiapp = make_wsgi_app({}, '${buildout:parts-directory}/wsgi.py/etc/zope.conf')  # Path to the instance's configuration file
      def application(*args, **kwargs):return wsgiapp(*args, **kwargs)

It creates a new Zope instance. The part’s name must end with .py for the resulting instance script to be recognized as a Python module; the initialization option defines a WSGI entry point.

Rerun Buildout, feeding it the new configuration file:

$ buildout -c wsgi.cfg

      ...
      Installing wsgi.py.
      Generated script '/path/to/app/bin/wsgi.py'.

Thus created, the instance script can be used with Unit.

Run the following command (as root) so Unit can access the application directory (If the application uses several directories, run the command for each one):

# chown -R unit:unit /path/to/app/  # User and group that Unit's router runs as by default

Note:
The unit:unit user-group pair is available only with official packages , Docker images, and some third-party repos. Otherwise, account names may differ; run the ps aux | grep unitd command to be sure.

For further details, including permissions, see the security checklist.

Last, prepare the Zope configuration for Unit (use a real value for path):

{
   "listeners": {
      "*:80": {
            "pass": "applications/zope"
      }
   },

   "applications": {
      "zope": {
            "type": "python 3",
            "path": "/path/to/app/",
            "comment_path": "Path to the application directory; use a real path in your configuration",
            "module": "bin.wsgi",
            "comment_module": "WSGI module's qualified name with extension omitted"
      }
   }
}

Create a virtual environment to install Zope’s PIP package

$ cd /path/to/app/ # Path to the application directory; use a real path in your configuration

$ python3 --version # Make sure your virtual environment version matches the module version
      Python 3.Y.Z # Major version, minor version, and revision number

$ python3 -m venv venv # This is the virtual environment directory

$ source venv/bin/activate

$ pip install 'zope[wsgi]'

$ deactivate

Warning:
Create your virtual environment with a Python version that matches the language module from Step 1 up to the minor number (3.Y in this example). Also, the app type in Unit configuration must resolve to a similarly matching version; Unit doesn’t infer it from the environment.

After installation, create your Zope instance:

$ venv/bin/mkwsgiinstance -d instance # Using Zope's own script and the Zope instance's home directory

To run the instance on Unit, create a WSGI entry point:

from pathlib import Path
from Zope2.Startup.run import make_wsgi_app

wsgiapp = make_wsgi_app({}, str(Path(__file__).parent / 'etc/zope.conf')) # Path to the instance's configuration file
def application(*args, **kwargs):return wsgiapp(*args, **kwargs)

Save the script as wsgi.py in the instance home directory (here, it’s /path/to/app/instance/).

Run the following command (as root) so Unit can access the application directory (If the application uses several directories, run the command for each one):

# chown -R unit:unit /path/to/app/  # User and group that Unit's router runs as by default

Note:
The unit:unit user-group pair is available only with official packages , Docker images, and some third-party repos. Otherwise, account names may differ; run the ps aux | grep unitd command to be sure.

For further details, including permissions, see the security checklist.

Last, prepare the Zope configuration for Unit (use real values for path and home):

{
   "listeners": {
      "*:80": {
         "pass": "applications/zope"
      }
   },
   "applications": {
      "zope": {
         "type": "python 3.Y",
         "type_comment": "Must match language module version and virtual environment version",
         "path": "/path/to/app/instance/",
         "path_comment": "Path to the instance/ subdirectory; use a real path in your configuration",
         "home": "/path/to/app/venv/",
         "home_comment": "Path to the virtual environment; use a real path in your configuration",
         "module": "wsgi",
         "module_comment": "WSGI module basename with extension omitted"
      }
   }
}

Upload the updated configuration.

Assuming the JSON above was added to config.json. Run the following command as root:

# curl -X PUT --data-binary @config.json --unix-socket \
      /path/to/control.unit.sock \  # Path to Unit's control socket in your installation
      http://localhost/config/      # Path to the config section in Unit's control API

Note:
The control socket path may vary; run unitd -h or see Startup and shutdown for details.

After a successful update, your Zope instance should be available on the listener’s IP address and port:

$ curl http://localhost

      <!DOCTYPE html>
      <html>
        <head>
      <base href="http://localhost/" />

          <title>Auto-generated default page</title>
          <meta charset="utf-8" />
        </head>
        <body>

          <h2>Zope
              Auto-generated default page</h2>

          This is Page Template <em>index_html</em>.
        </body>
      </html>

Last modified February 6, 2025