If you're not running a Linux machine, the easiest way for (me to show you how)
you can install the database is probably to run it on scripts.mit.edu, so here
are instructions for that.

You should ssh into an Athena machine (for example, athena.dialup.mit.edu).

Once there, run "add scripts; scripts-django". That will ask you various
questions, that I think are mostly straightforward to answer. I'm going
to assume that you'll pick ~"1. Install into my locker.", give a path of
"asa-db", and a project name of "asadb". Once you finish that, you'll
have a generic Django install, which we need to turn into an ASA DB
install (going roughly off the instructions at
http://scripts.mit.edu/faq/127/how-can-i-import-an-outside-django-project).
Adjust the directions below appropriately if you picked other options.

In the directions below, where `adehnert` appears you should instead put your
username.

# 2. Move the autoinstalled version aside
cd /mit/$USER/Scripts/django/
mv asa-db{,.auto}

# 3. Download the ASA DB code
git clone https://asa-db.scripts.mit.edu/git/asa-db/asa-db.git asadb

# 4. Fix index.fcgi
nano /mit/$USER/web_scripts/asadb/index.fcgi
# Add "sys.path.insert(0, "/mit/adehnert/Scripts/django/asa-db/asadb")"
# just below the other sys.path.insert line

# 5. Add the media symlink
ln -s ../../Scripts/django/asa-db/asadb/media/ ../../web_scripts/asa-db/

# 6. Configure your settings
cd asa-db/asadb/
cp settings/local_settings.scripts.py local_settings.py
cp settings/local_settings_after.scripts.py local_settings_after.py
nano local_settings.py
# update the database name ("adehnert+asadb"), replace testing@mit.edu
# with "adehnert@mit.edu", and use the supplied Python snippet to set
# SECRET_KEY.
# https://asa.scripts.mit.edu:444 should be adehnert, not asa.
# I *think* everything else should be fine.

# 7. Install dependencies
# (see http://scripts.mit.edu/faq/126)
add consult
mkdir -p /mit/$USER/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/
fsr sa /mit/$USER/.local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/ daemon.scripts write
mkdir -p /mit/$USER/Scripts/
fs sa /mit/$USER/Scripts/ daemon.scripts write

ssh $USER@scripts.mit.edu
cd /mit/$USER/Scripts/
easy_install --user -Z django-form-utils django-reversion
pip-python install --user -e git+https://github.com/alex/django-filter.git#egg=django-filter

cd /mit/$USER/Scripts/django/asa-db/asadb/media/
mkdir -p js/libs/chosen/
cd js/libs/chosen/
wget https://github.com/harvesthq/chosen/releases/download/1.0.0/chosen_v1.0.0.zip
unzip chosen_v1.0.0.zip

# 8. Set up the database backend
cd /mit/$USER/Scripts/django/asa-db/asadb/
./manage.py syncdb
./manage.py migrate

At this point, it should be working. If it doesn't, debug or get a more
experienced developer to help you do so.

In general, the obvious next thing for new contributors to do is to look at
https://asa.scripts.mit.edu/trac/query and
https://asa.scripts.mit.edu/trac/wiki/PossibleNextTickets (more the latter),
and see if there's a couple things listed there that look like fun to fix
(probably with "Size: small" or "Size: tiny"). Take a shot at fixing them,
or ask a more experienced developer to help you.