500 Server error. Whitenoise Not Working when DEBUG = FALSE - Django - Hosting Static Files

[Shihab Khan]

I am running a Django website and it's about to go into production. I am now at the point where I need to set DEBUG = False in my settings.py file. I am getting the typical 500 errors because I have static files that are being hosted locally. I am working on getting Whitenoise to work to host my static files so I can move on with DEBUG = False. I have followed a lot of documentation and a lot of tutorials and think all of my configurations are all set but I am still getting the same error. When DEBUG = False I am still getting 500 errors on my production pages that have static files. Also when I inspect any static files on the page when DEBUG = True the URL has not changed at all. I am posting all of my configuration below in hopes that there is a simple mistake I made that I have been continuously skipped over but Whitenoise doesn't seem to be working and there seems to be no different from the way it was before now as Whitenoise is "implemented".

I have run python manage.py collect static

I have run pip install whitenoise

I am new to white noise so I am just basing my knowledge on the tutorials and documentation I have found.

setting.py

from pathlib import Path
import os

# Build paths inside the project like this: BASE_DIR / 'subdir'.
BASE_DIR = Path(__file__).resolve().parent.parent

def load_env():
    env_file = os.path.join(BASE_DIR, '.env')
    if os.path.exists(env_file):
        with open(env_file, 'r') as file:
            for line in file:
                line = line.strip()
                if line and not line.startswith("#"):
                    key, value = line.split('=')
                    os.environ[key] = value

# Load environment variables from the .env file
load_env()

# Quick-start development settings - unsuitable for production
# See https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.2/howto/deployment/checklist/

# SECURITY WARNING: keep the secret key used in production secret!
SECRET_KEY = 'django-insecure-x=qe5@^3%@t1fk)pk@uyv&r!z^#9==^*-&aiqfau3@9x@+j%nm'

# SECURITY WARNING: don't run with debug turned on in production!
DEBUG = True if os.getenv('DEBUG') == 'True' else False

ALLOWED_HOSTS = os.getenv('ALLOWED_HOSTS').split(',')


# Application definition

INSTALLED_APPS = [
    'django.contrib.admin',
    'django.contrib.auth',
    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
    'django.contrib.sessions',
    'django.contrib.messages',
    'django.contrib.staticfiles',
    'accounts',
    'home',
    'about',
    'pricing',
    'blog',
    'contact',
    'service',
    'project',
    'settings',
    'legal',
    'menus',
    'adminapp',
    'marketing',
    'custompage',
    'ckeditor',
]

MIDDLEWARE = [
    'django.middleware.security.SecurityMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware',
    'django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware',
    'django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.auth.middleware.AuthenticationMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.messages.middleware.MessageMiddleware',
    'django.middleware.clickjacking.XFrameOptionsMiddleware',   
]

if os.getenv('DEMO_MODE') == 'True':
    MIDDLEWARE.append('core.middleware.middleware.DemoModeMiddleware')

if os.getenv("WHITENOISE_CONFIG") == "True":
    MIDDLEWARE.insert(1, 'whitenoise.middleware.WhiteNoiseMiddleware')
    
    
ROOT_URLCONF = 'core.urls'

TEMPLATES = [
    {
        'BACKEND': 'django.template.backends.django.DjangoTemplates',
        'DIRS': [os.path.join(BASE_DIR, os.getenv('TEMPLATES_DIRS'))],
        'APP_DIRS': True,
        'OPTIONS': {
            'context_processors': [
                'django.template.context_processors.debug',
                'django.template.context_processors.request',
                'django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth',
                'django.contrib.messages.context_processors.messages',
                'core.context_processors.website_settings_context',
                'core.context_processors.seo_settings_context',
                'core.context_processors.header_footer_context',
                'core.context_processors.menu_data',
                'core.context_processors.user_profile_context',
                'core.context_processors.service_context',
                'core.context_processors.project_context',
                'core.context_processors.demo_mode_enabled',
            ],
        },
    },
]

WSGI_APPLICATION = 'core.wsgi.application'


# Database
# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.2/ref/settings/#databases

# First install my sql client using - pip install mysqlclient
if os.getenv('MYSQL_DB') == 'True':
    DATABASES = {
        'default': {
            'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.mysql',
            'NAME': os.getenv('DB_NAME'),
            'USER': os.getenv('DB_USER'),
            'PASSWORD': os.getenv('DB_PASSWORD'),
            'HOST': os.getenv('DB_HOST'),
            'PORT': os.getenv('DB_PORT'),
        }
    }
else:
    DATABASES = {
    'default': {
        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.sqlite3',
        'NAME': BASE_DIR / 'db.sqlite3',
            }
    }
# Email Setup
EMAIL_BACKEND = 'django.core.mail.backends.smtp.EmailBackend'
EMAIL_HOST = os.getenv('EMAIL_HOST')
EMAIL_PORT = os.getenv('EMAIL_PORT')
EMAIL_USE_TLS = os.getenv('EMAIL_USE_TLS')
EMAIL_HOST_USER = os.getenv('EMAIL_HOST_USER') 
EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD = os.getenv('EMAIL_HOST_PASSWORD')

# Password validation
# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.2/ref/settings/#auth-password-validators

AUTH_PASSWORD_VALIDATORS = [
    {
        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.UserAttributeSimilarityValidator',
    },
    {
        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.MinimumLengthValidator',
    },
    {
        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.CommonPasswordValidator',
    },
    {
        'NAME': 'django.contrib.auth.password_validation.NumericPasswordValidator',
    },
]


# Internationalization
# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.2/topics/i18n/

LANGUAGE_CODE = 'en-us'

TIME_ZONE = os.getenv('TIME_ZONE')

USE_I18N = True

USE_TZ = True


# Static files (CSS, JavaScript, Images)
# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.2/howto/static-files/

STATIC_URL = os.getenv('STATIC_URL')
STATICFILES_DIRS = [os.path.join(BASE_DIR, str(os.getenv('STATICFILES_DIRS')))]
STATIC_ROOT = os.path.join(BASE_DIR, str(os.getenv('STATIC_ROOT')))
MEDIA_URL = str(os.getenv('MEDIA_URL'))
MEDIA_ROOT = os.path.join(BASE_DIR, str(os.getenv('MEDIA_ROOT')))

# Default primary key field type
# https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/4.2/ref/settings/#default-auto-field

DEFAULT_AUTO_FIELD = 'django.db.models.BigAutoField'

AUTH_USER_MODEL = 'accounts.User'

# white noise settings
if os.getenv('WHITENOISE_CONFIG') == 'True':
    STORAGES = {
         "default": {
        "BACKEND": "django.core.files.storage.FileSystemStorage",
    },
        "staticfiles": {
              "BACKEND": "whitenoise.storage.CompressedManifestStaticFilesStorage",
         },
    }

urls.py

from django.contrib import admin
from django.urls import path ,include
from django.conf import settings
from django.conf.urls.static import static
from django.views.generic import RedirectView
from core.sitemaps import generate_sitemap
from django.urls import re_path
from django.views.static import serve

urlpatterns = [
    path('oldadmin/', admin.site.urls),
    path('admin/' , RedirectView.as_view(pattern_name="adminHome"), name='adminRedirect'),
    path('dashboard/' , RedirectView.as_view(pattern_name="adminHome"), name='adminRedirect2'),
    path('', include('adminapp.urls')),
    path('', include('accounts.urls')),
    path('', include('home.urls')),
    path('', include('about.urls')),
    path('', include('pricing.urls')),
    path('', include('blog.urls')),
    path('', include('contact.urls')),
    path('', include('service.urls')),
    path('', include('project.urls')),
    path('', include('legal.urls')),
    path('', include('marketing.urls')),
    path('', include('custompage.urls')),
    path('sitemap.xml', generate_sitemap, name='generate_sitemap'),
]

handler404 = 'accounts.views.error_404'
handler404 = 'adminapp.views.error_404'
handler404 = 'home.views.error_404'
handler404 = 'service.views.error_404'
handler404 = 'project.views.error_404'
handler404 = 'contact.views.error_404'
handler404 = 'about.views.error_404'
handler404 = 'blog.views.error_404'
handler404 = 'settings.views.error_404'
handler404 = 'legal.views.error_404'

handler500 = 'adminapp.views.error_500'

urlpatterns += static(settings.MEDIA_URL, document_root=settings.MEDIA_ROOT)

python manage.py collectstatic command

(venv) PS C:\Users\intevers\Downloads\django\intevers> python manage.py collectstatic

You have requested to collect static files at the destination
location as specified in your settings:

    C:\Users\intevers\Downloads\django\intevers\assets

This will overwrite existing files!
Are you sure you want to do this?

Type 'yes' to continue, or 'no' to cancel: yes
Post-processing 'admin\assets\css\vendors\icon\font-awesome\all.min.css' failed!

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Users\intevers\Downloads\django\intevers\manage.py", line 22, in <module>
    main()
  File "C:\Users\intevers\Downloads\django\intevers\manage.py", line 18, in main
    execute_from_command_line(sys.argv)
  File "C:\Users\intevers\Downloads\django\intevers\venv\lib\site-packages\django\core\management\__init__.py", line 442, in execute_from_command_line        
    utility.execute()
  File "C:\Users\intevers\Downloads\django\intevers\venv\lib\site-packages\django\core\management\__init__.py", line 436, in execute
    self.fetch_command(subcommand).run_from_argv(self.argv)
  File "C:\Users\intevers\Downloads\django\intevers\venv\lib\site-packages\django\core\management\base.py", line 412, in run_from_argv
    self.execute(*args, **cmd_options)
  File "C:\Users\intevers\Downloads\django\intevers\venv\lib\site-packages\django\core\management\base.py", line 458, in execute
    output = self.handle(*args, **options)
  File "C:\Users\intevers\Downloads\django\intevers\venv\lib\site-packages\django\contrib\staticfiles\management\commands\collectstatic.py", line 209, in hand
le
    collected = self.collect()
  File "C:\Users\intevers\Downloads\django\intevers\venv\lib\site-packages\django\contrib\staticfiles\management\commands\collectstatic.py", line 154, in coll
ect
    raise processed
whitenoise.storage.MissingFileError: The file 'admin/assets/css/vendors/icon/webfonts/fa-brands-400.woff2' could not be found with <whitenoise.storage.Compres
sedManifestStaticFilesStorage object at 0x000002243C1053C0>.

The CSS file 'admin\assets\css\vendors\icon\font-awesome\all.min.css' references a file which could not be found:
  admin/assets/css/vendors/icon/webfonts/fa-brands-400.woff2

Please check the URL references in this CSS file, particularly any
relative paths which might be pointing to the wrong location.