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Local — Getting Started

This guide walks you through installing Pycora Pro on your own computer.

By the end, you will have Pycora Pro running locally — ready to edit content and preview your site.

Estimated time: 10–15 minutes.

What You Need​

Before you begin, make sure you have:

RequirementVersionNotes
Python3.8 or higherRequired
pipLatestComes with Python
Node.jsLTSRequired for Decap CMS
Terminal—Command Prompt (Windows) or Terminal (Mac/Linux)

If you already have Python and Node.js installed, skip to Step 3 — Install Pycora Pro Dependencies.

Step 1 — Install Python​

Python is the engine that runs Pycora Pro.

Windows​

  1. Open https://www.python.org/downloads/
  2. Click the yellow "Download Python" button
  3. Run the installer
  4. ⚠️ IMPORTANT: Check "Add Python to PATH" at the bottom of the installer
  5. Click "Install Now"
  6. Wait until finished

Verify installation — open Command Prompt and type:

python --version

You should see: Python 3.12.x

If you get python is not recognized, reinstall Python and check "Add Python to PATH".

Mac​

  1. Open https://www.python.org/downloads/
  2. Download the macOS installer
  3. Run it, follow the instructions
  4. Or, if you use Homebrew:
brew install python3

Verify installation:

python3 --version

Linux (Ubuntu / Debian)​

sudo apt update
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip

Verify installation:

python3 --version

Step 2 — Install Node.js​

Node.js is required for the Decap CMS admin panel.

  1. Open https://nodejs.org/
  2. Download the LTS version
  3. Run the installer
  4. Follow the setup wizard
  5. Wait until finished

Verify installation:

node --version

You should see: v20.x.x

Step 3 — Install Pycora Pro Dependencies​

Now open a terminal inside the Pycora Pro folder.

How to Open a Terminal in the Project Folder​

Windows:

  1. Open the pycora-pro folder in File Explorer
  2. Click the address bar at the top
  3. Type cmd and press Enter

Mac:

  • Right-click the pycora-pro folder → New Terminal at Folder

Linux:

  • Open Terminal, then: cd ~/pycora-pro

Install Dependencies​

Run this command:

python install.py

This script installs all required Python packages automatically.

Alternative — manual install:

pip install python-frontmatter markdown PyYAML Jinja2 watchdog livereload Pygments

Wait until the installation finishes. It usually takes 1–2 minutes.

Step 4 — Verify Installation​

To confirm everything is installed correctly:

python ssg.py

If successful, you will see:

==================================================
  PYCORA MEDUSA VERSION
  SSG by Axcora Technology
==================================================
  Ready in 1.23s - 45 files

The output/ folder will contain your generated site.

Troubleshooting​

python is not recognized​

Python is not in your system PATH. Reinstall Python and check "Add Python to PATH" during installation.

node is not recognized​

Node.js is not installed. Download it from https://nodejs.org/ and install.

pip is not recognized​

Run:

python -m ensurepip --upgrade

Or follow the official guide: https://pip.pypa.io/en/stable/installation/

ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'jinja2'​

Dependencies are not installed. Run:

pip install python-frontmatter markdown PyYAML Jinja2 watchdog livereload Pygments

What's Next?​

You have installed Pycora Pro. Now let's run it locally.

👉 Next: Run Local →