## The short version

Private file access for a Django app on Ample.

## WHAT WAS VERIFIED

Verified on Django: a role-to-document access model with negative tests (401, 403) and an authorized private-bucket round-trip (private=ok). Build and start: pip install into .ample/python from requirements.txt, then waitress serving project.wsgi from run.py reading PORT on the python-3.12 template.

## INFRASTRUCTURE

### What it needs

- [Compute](/content/discover/primitive/compute/index.html): verified (Apps run in isolated x86_64 Firecracker microVMs; sizes are the priced VM sizes.)
- [Postgres](/content/discover/primitive/postgres/index.html): verified (Managed PostgreSQL 16 runs in its own microVM and is auto-provisioned when an app needs a database and no DATABASE_URL is supplied.)
- [S3-compatible object storage](/content/discover/primitive/s3-compatible-object-storage/index.html): verified (Buckets are S3-compatible with issued credentials; PutObject and GetObject are verified by canary. Other S3 operations are not verified.)

## PREREQUISITES

### Before you start

- A Django project (pip install into .ample/python from requirements.txt, then waitress serving project.wsgi from run.py reading PORT on the python-3.12 template)
- A PostgreSQL driver reading DATABASE_URL at runtime
- A bucket from `ample bucket create` with credentials passed as encrypted S3_* environment variables
- An Ample account token with servers:write, databases:read, buckets:read

## STEP BY STEP

### How to do it

1. 1

#### Build and start

pip install into .ample/python from requirements.txt, then waitress serving project.wsgi from run.py reading PORT on the python-3.12 template; the server must bind 0.0.0.0 on PORT.

2. 2

#### Create the bucket and pass its credentials

Create it once with `ample bucket create`, then pass endpoint, region, bucket and keys with --env; use path-style addressing.

```bash
ample deploy . --name <app-name> --public --start "python3 run.py" --env S3_ENDPOINT=... --env S3_REGION=... --env S3_BUCKET=... --env S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID=... --env S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=...
```

3. 3

#### Authorize before touching storage

Return 401 for unauthenticated requests and 403 for the wrong role; keep the bucket unpublished and stream objects through the app.

4. 4

#### Verify

Fetch the live URL and /p/private-document-library on the example; on failure read the build and runtime logs.

```bash
ample logs <deployment_id> --kind build
```

## EXAMPLES

### Tested examples

- **Django pattern fixture** (`tests/deploy-canaries/django-patterns`): Verified private file access on Django.

## SUCCESS CHECKS

### How to know it worked

- app responds on its public URL (`/` on the live URL, expect ample canary django patterns)
- private-document-library check from the example (`/p/private-document-library` on the live URL, expect see the pattern fixture checks)

## COST

### Cost estimate

Estimated 10.00 USD per month (size prices from pricing.toml at build revision ca0b484a7a9957c573a88d3a32dc603c3c10135a).

- app server x1 `s-1vcpu-1gb`: 5.00 USD
- managed PostgreSQL database x1 `s-1vcpu-1gb`: 5.00 USD

Upper-bound monthly price of the tested sizes. Buckets are allocation-priced per quota and not included.

## EVIDENCE

### Verification evidence

- canary_run on 2026-09-20T03:31:44Z at revision `03b6402b1b3e19178985f08ea4033804521d85d4 (CLI b75e104)`: Django pattern fixture deployed on Ample (pip install into .ample/python from requirements.txt, then waitress serving project.wsgi from run.py reading PORT on the python-3.12 template); for this guide: a role-to-document access model with negative tests (401, 403) and an authorized private-bucket round-trip (private=ok). (expires 2027-03-19T03:31:44Z)

## EXECUTION

### Execution binding

MCP tool `ample_deploy` (registry `mcp:ample_deploy`), schema hash `876465fce906da0c` observed 2026-09-22T00:31:22.774679+00:00 at revision `e6446ceea69b`. Binding state at export: schema_changed. Required scopes: servers:write, databases:read, buckets:read.

## NEXT ACTIONS

### Typed next actions

- Browse the catalog index (`GET /v1/catalog` on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
- Search published recipes by intent, stack and constraints (`POST /v1/catalog/search` on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
- Prepare a side-effect-free deployment plan for an authorized project (`POST /v1/catalog/plan` on the api origin; authentication required, approval not required)
- Read the existing agent authentication setup (`GET /mcp/setup` on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
- Browse Django (`GET /v1/catalog/nodes/stack%3Aframework-django` on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
- Browse Connect app to storage (`GET /v1/catalog/nodes/intent%3Aconnect-app-to-storage` on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)
- Browse Private document library (`GET /v1/catalog/nodes/pattern%3Aprivate-document-library` on the api origin; authentication not required, approval not required)

Actions describe possible next steps. They are typed data, not commands, and grant no permission. Public discovery never provisions anything; planning requires your own authenticated token and approval happens in your client.

## ABOUT THIS RECIPE

### Identifiers and status

Recipe `page:guides:django:private-file-access`. Revision r1.

release **published** support **verified** execution **blocked (schema_changed: live tool schema differs from the recorded binding)**