Deploy a static website with Hugo

This site is generated using Hugo. Configuration is done using yaml and posts are markdown files. Very simple and easy to track in git.

Create a blank site

1. Install hugo

   # snaps are the easiest way to get an updated version of hugo
   sudo snap install hugo
   

2. Create a site (this creates a new folder with the site’s name)

   hugo new site hugo-demo
   cd hugo-demo
   

3. Add a theme, I picked PaperMod

   git init
   
   # install theme
   git submodule add --depth=1 https://github.com/adityatelange/hugo-PaperMod.git themes/PaperMod
   
   # needed when you reclone your repo (submodules may not get cloned automatically)
   git submodule update --init --recursive
   

4. Replace your existing config.yaml with boilerplate from the PaperMod wiki.

5. Create a new post

   # create a new post
   hugo new posts/my-first-post.md
   # add some content
   echo "Hello, World!" >> content/posts/my-first-post.md
   

6. Serve the site locally

   # serve the site, -D enables drafts
   hugo server -D
   

7. Open your browser to http://localhost:1313

Publish to GitHub Pages

Note that there are two URL formats for GitHub Pages:

• <username>.github.io for user or organization sites
• <username>.github.io/<repo> for project sites

If you want to use the first format, the repository you create on GitHub must be named <username>.github.io.

Follow the guide on the Hugo website to set up GitHub Pages.

Optional - Use your own domain name

1. Buy a domain name, I used Namecheap
2. Set up the DNS records to point to your GitHub Pages URL
   • Log in to Namecheap (or your own domain registrar)
   • Go to Account -> Dashboard -> Domain List -> Manage -> Advanced DNS -> Add New Record -> A Record
   • Set the host to @ and the value to 185.199.108.153
   • Repeat for 185.199.109.153, 185.199.110.153, and 185.199.111.153
   • Add a CNAME record for www pointing to <username>.github.io
   • When you’re done, it should look like this:

     Type	Host	Value
     A Record	@	185.199.108.153
     A Record	@	185.199.109.153
     A Record	@	185.199.110.153
     A Record	@	185.199.111.153
     CNAME	www	g0tmk.github.io

3. Wait a few minutes for the DNS records to propagate
4. Configure the custom domain in GitHub Pages
   • Log in to GitHub
   • Go to your repository -> Settings -> Pages -> Custom domain
   • Enter your domain name and save
   • If you get an error, wait a few minutes and try again
5. Load your domain in a browser and check that it works

Maintenence

Later on, you can update the theme by running this command in your repository:

git submodule update --remote --merge