Learning how to set up and host my own website using Jekyll.
When I first decided to create my own personal website, I was faced with a common dilemma: which platform should I use? The obvious choice seemed to be website builders like Wix, Squarespace, and Weebly given there simplicity and popularity. However, as I explored my options, I found myself drawn to something more customizable and developer-friendly…. Jekyll.
One of the main reasons to I chose Jekyll is the unparalleled flexibility it offers. Unlike Wordpress, which can sometimes feel restrictive with its themes and plugins, Jekyll gives me complete control over every aspect of my website. From the layout and design to the functionality and content structure, I can tailor anything to match my vision if I wanted to do so. This level of customization was exactly what I was looking for as someone who enjoys tinkering and learning new things with code and experimenting with different ideas.
Another significant advantage of Jekyll is its seamless integration with Github Pages. As someone who loves exploring projects on GitHub, I was excited to use a platform that works so well with Git’s version control system. With Jekyll, I can host my website directly from a GitHub repository, making it easy to manage updates, track changes, and collaborate with others if needed. Plus, deploying the site is as simple as pushing commits to my repository—no need to worry about complex setups or hosting fees.
I wanted to learn more about using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and Git. With Jekyll, I could easily set up my development environment on WSL, clone my repository using Git, and manage my site entirely from the command line. So not am I only getting more hands on with using Git commands, I am learning how to traverse through a linux environment right on my windows system, thanks to WSL! This hands-on approach allowed me to deepen my understanding of version control and site deployment, skills that I wanted to develop as a someone who is eager to learn new things in IT.
Jekyll’s static site generation also stood out to me for its performance and security benefits. Jekyll generates static HTML files so that my website loads faster and is less vulnerable to attacks compared to a dynamic WordPress site that relies on a database. This means I can focus on creating more content and less on dealing with potential security issues or performance bottlenecks.
In the end, Jekyll was the clear winner for me because it provided the perfect balance of flexibility, control, and learning potential. It is a platform that aligned with my passion for coding and understanding CI/CD pipelines, as well as heightening other skills. If you are looking for a powerful and developer-friendly way to build a website, I highly recommend giving Jekyll a try. Thank you for taking the time to read my story, and I look forward to sharing more about my experiences and giving you all tutorials on how I manage to accomplish everything you see here and in future posts!
I’d also like to give a special shoutout to Reddit user alshedivat and their 209 contributors for creating the fantastic ai-folio template, which has been incredibly helpful in my Jekyll journey. If you’re interested in learning more about Jekyll, be sure to check out the official Jekyll website. And for anyone looking for high-quality themes, I highly recommend exploring the jekyll-theme repository on GitHub.