web/_posts/2019-08-09-getting-started.md

title	description	author	date	categories	tags	pin	media_subpath
Getting Started	Get started with Chirpy basics in this comprehensive overview. You will learn how to install, configure, and use your first Chirpy-based website, as well as deploy it to a web server.	cotes	2019-08-09 20:55:00 +0800	Blogging Tutorial	getting started	true	/posts/20180809

Creating a site repository

There are two methods to create a site repository for Chirpy:

• Using the starter — This approach simplifies upgrades and isolates unnecessary project files, enabling you to concentrate on your content. It's ideal for those who want a hassle-free setup focused primarily on writing.
• Forking the theme — This method allows for customization and development but presents challenges during upgrades. It is not recommended to use this approach unless you are familiar with Jekyll and plan to modify this project.

Option 1: using the starter

1. Sign in to GitHub and navigate to the starter.
2. Click the Use this template button and then select Create a new repository.

Option 2: forking the theme

Sign in to GitHub and fork the theme.

Name your new repository

Rename your repository to <username>.github.io. The username represents your lowercase GitHub username.

Setting up the environment

The easiest way to set up the runtime environment, especially on Windows, is by using Dev Containers. This method installs all packages within a Docker container, isolating them from the host machine and ensuring no interference with existing settings.

For Unix-like systems, besides using Dev Containers, you can also natively set up the runtime environment to achieve optimal performance.

Setting up in Dev Containers

1. Install Docker:
   • On Windows/macOS, install Docker Desktop.
   • On Linux, install Docker Engine.
2. Install VS Code and the Dev Containers extension.
3. Clone your repository:
   • For Docker Desktop: Start VS Code and clone your repo in a container volume.
   • For Docker Engine: Clone your repo to the local disk, then launch VS Code and open your repo in the container.
4. Wait a few minutes for Dev Containers to finish installing.

Setting up natively

1. Follow the instructions in the Jekyll Docs to complete the installation of the basic environment. Ensure that Git is also installed.
2. Clone your repository to a local disk.
3. If your site is created by forking the theme, install Node.js and run bash tools/init.sh in the root directory. This will initialize the repository files and create a commit to save the changes.
4. Install the dependencies by running bundle.

Start the local server

To run the site locally, use the following command:

$ bundle exec jekyll s

After a few seconds, the local server will be available at http://127.0.0.1:4000.

Usage

Configuration

Update the variables in _config.yml{: .filepath} as needed. Some typical options include:

• url
• avatar
• timezone
• lang

Social contact options

Social contact options are displayed at the bottom of the sidebar. You can enable or disable specific contacts in the _data/contact.yml{: .filepath} file.

Customizing the stylesheet

To customize the stylesheet, copy the theme's assets/css/jekyll-theme-chirpy.scss{: .filepath} file to the same path in your Jekyll site, and add your custom styles at the end of the file.

Starting with version 6.2.0, if you want to overwrite the SASS variables defined in _sass/addon/variables.scss{: .filepath}, copy the main SASS file _sass/main.scss{: .filepath} to the _sass{: .filepath} directory in your site's source, then create a new file _sass/variables-hook.scss{: .filepath} and assign your new values there.

Customizing static assets

Static assets configuration was introduced in version 5.1.0. The CDN of the static assets is defined in _data/origin/cors.yml{: .filepath }. You can replace some of them based on the network conditions in the region where your website is published.

If you prefer to self-host the static assets, refer to the chirpy-static-assets repository.

Deployment

Before deploying, check the _config.yml{: .filepath} file and ensure the url is configured correctly. If you prefer a project site and don't use a custom domain, or if you want to visit your website with a base URL on a web server other than GitHub Pages, remember to set the baseurl to your project name, starting with a slash, e.g., /project-name.

Now you can choose ONE of the following methods to deploy your Jekyll site.

Deploy using GitHub Actions

Prepare the following:

• If you're on the GitHub Free plan, keep your site repository public.

• If you have committed Gemfile.lock{: .filepath} to the repository, and your local machine is not running Linux, update the platform list of the lock file:

  $ bundle lock --add-platform x86_64-linux
  

Next, configure the Pages service:

1. Go to your repository on GitHub. Select the Settings tab, then click Pages in the left navigation bar. In the Source section (under Build and deployment), select GitHub Actions from the dropdown menu.
   {: .light .border .normal w='375' h='140' } {: .dark .normal w='375' h='140' }

2. Push any commits to GitHub to trigger the Actions workflow. In the Actions tab of your repository, you should see the workflow Build and Deploy running. Once the build is complete and successful, the site will be deployed automatically.

You can now visit the URL provided by GitHub to access your site.

Manual build and deployment

For self-hosted servers, you will need to build the site on your local machine and then upload the site files to the server.

Navigate to the root of the source project, and build your site with the following command:

$ JEKYLL_ENV=production bundle exec jekyll b

Unless you specified the output path, the generated site files will be placed in the _site{: .filepath} folder of the project's root directory. Upload these files to your target server.