just-the-docs-template

This is a bare-minimum template to create a Jekyll site that:

• uses the Just the Docs theme;
• can be built and published on GitHub Pages;
• can be built and previewed locally, and published on other platforms.

More specifically, the created site:

• uses a gem-based approach, i.e. uses a Gemfile and loads the just-the-docs gem;
• uses the GitHub Pages / Actions workflow to build and publish the site on GitHub Pages.

To get started with creating a site, just click "use this template"!

After completing the creation of your new site on GitHub, update it as needed:

Replace the content of the template pages

Update the following files to your own content:

• index.md (your new home page)
• README.md (information for those who access your site repo on GitHub)

Changing the version of the theme and/or Jekyll

Simply edit the relevant line(s) in the Gemfile.

Adding a plugin

The Just the Docs theme automatically includes the jekyll-seo-tag plugin.

To add an extra plugin, you need to add it in the Gemfile and in _config.yml. For example, to add jekyll-default-layout:

• Add the following to your site's Gemfile:

  gem "jekyll-default-layout"
  

• And add the following to your site's _config.yml:

  plugins:
    - jekyll-default-layout
  

Note: If you are using a Jekyll version less than 3.5.0, use the gems key instead of plugins.

Publishing your site on GitHub Pages

1. If your created site is YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-SITE-NAME, update _config.yml to:

   title: YOUR TITLE
   description: YOUR DESCRIPTION
   theme: just-the-docs
   
   url: https://YOUR-USERNAME.github.io/YOUR-SITE-NAME
   
   aux_links: # remove if you don't want this link to appear on your pages
     Template Repository: https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-SITE-NAME
   

2. Push your updated _config.yml to your site on GitHub.

3. In your newly created repo on GitHub:

   • go to the Settings tab -> Pages -> Build and deployment, then select Source: GitHub Actions.
   • if there were any failed Actions, go to the Actions tab and click on Re-run jobs.

Building and previewing your site locally

Assuming Jekyll and Bundler are installed on your computer:

1. Change your working directory to the root directory of your site.

2. Run bundle install.

3. Run bundle exec jekyll serve to build your site and preview it at localhost:4000.

   The built site is stored in the directory _site.

Publishing your built site on a different platform

Just upload all the files in the directory _site.

Customization

You're free to customize sites that you create with this template, however you like!

Browse our documentation to learn more about how to use this theme.

Licensing and Attribution

This repository is licensed under the MIT License. You are generally free to reuse or extend upon this code as you see fit; just include the original copy of the license (which is preserved when you "make a template"). While it's not necessary, we'd love to hear from you if you do use this template, and how we can improve it for future use!

The deployment GitHub Actions workflow is heavily based on GitHub's mixed-party starter workflows. A copy of their MIT License is available in actions/starter-workflows.

[^1]: It can take up to 10 minutes for changes to your site to publish after you push the changes to GitHub.