--- title: How to create a Hexo blog on GitLab Pages date: 2018-09-21 00:00:00 lastUpdated: 2018-11-10 00:00:00 tags: - Hexo - GitLab --- Create a website/blog using Hexo on [GitLab Pages](https://about.gitlab.com/features/pages/) for free using the following guide. Refer to my {% post_link hexo-blog-github 'another guide' %} for [GitHub Pages](https://pages.github.com/). ## GitLab project 1. Register a free [GitLab](https://gitlab.com/users/sign_in#register-pane) account or use your current one. 2. Fork the [repo of this blog](https://gitlab.com/curben/blog). 3. Shared Runners should be enabled. Go to your (forked) project `Settings -> CI / CD -> Shared Runners`. 4. Change project website to a user website. This is so that the website's home page is *username*.gitlab.io, instead of username.gitlab.io/hexo. Go to `Settings -> General -> Advanced -> Rename repository`. Change the Path to *username*.gitlab.io, where username is your username on GitLab. 5. You can start writing a new post straight away without [installing](#Installation) Hexo. You still need to change the blog's name and favicon though ([how-to](#Naming)). 1. To create a new post (through GitLab.com), create a new `.md` file in `source/_posts` folder. 2. Start with the following header/[front-matter](https://hexo.io/docs/front-matter): ``` --- title: Test page date: yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss tags: categories: --- ``` 3. Write your post after the second `---` using [Markdown](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/technical-writing/markdown-guide/) [style](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/markdown.html). 6. After you create a new post, the website can be accessed on *username*.gitlab.io or the link shown on your project `Settings -> Pages`. ## Installation 1. Having Hexo means you can debug locally, rather than waiting for [CI](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/). You can even run a local server to preview your blog (see step 6 below). 2. Clone your repo to your workstation. 3. Install Node.js 10 (current [active LTS](https://github.com/nodejs/Release)). Other distro, see this [guide](https://nodejs.org/en/download/package-manager/) or [here](https://github.com/nodesource/distributions). ```bash # Ubuntu 16.04 or newer $ sudo snap install node --classic --channel=10 # Debian $ curl -sL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_10.x | sudo -E bash - $ sudo apt-get install -y nodejs # Fedora 29 or newer $ sudo dnf install npm # Fedora 28 or older $ curl --silent --location https://rpm.nodesource.com/setup_10.x | sudo bash - $ sudo yum -y install nodejs # Arch Linux $ sudo pacman -S npm ``` 4. Install Hexo and its dependencies (defined in `package.json`). Re-launch the terminal program before continue. After installation, append `node_modules/.bin` to $PATH (skip the `echo` step if you've already {% post_link running-locally-installed-node-packages 'done so' %}). ```bash $ cd $ npm install --only=prod $ echo 'PATH="$PATH:./node_modules/.bin"' >> ~/.profile ``` 5. Generate static files to check for any error. You should always do this before pushing/merging commits to the `master` branch. ```bash $ hexo generate ``` 6. (Optional) Start Hexo server on `http://localhost:4000` to preview the blog. ```bash $ hexo server ``` More info: [Server](https://hexo.io/docs/server) 7. Commit the changes and push them. The generated `public` and `node_modules` are [ignored](https://gitlab.com/curben/blog/blob/master/.gitignore), as CI will generate them during build. 1. I have migrated to [Netlify](https://www.netlify.com/) and removed my GitLab page. 2. Since I don't have a gitlab page any more, I removed the deploy command in the `.gitlab-ci.yml`. 3. The config now has two parts. To use in gitlab page, simply uncomment the second part and comment out the first part. 4. Make sure you {% post_link validity-gitlab-ci-config 'double-check' %} the CI config before you push. 8. Check the build status by going to your project `CI /CD -> Pipelines`. Due to the limitation of `hexo`, the build will always pass even when there is error. Check the Jobs log, look for any error after `$ hexo deploy`. 9. If there is no error, the generated website can be accessed on `.gitlab.io/` or the link shown on your project `Settings -> Pages`. ## Writing 1. Create a new post (using Hexo) ``` bash $ hexo new "My New Post" ``` 2. `My-New-Post.md` is created to the `source/_posts` folder, with the following header/[front-matter](https://hexo.io/docs/front-matter): ``` --- title: My New Post date: yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss tags: categories: --- ``` 4. Write your post after the second `---` using [Markdown](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/technical-writing/markdown-guide/) [style](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/markdown.html). More info: [Writing](https://hexo.io/docs/writing.html) ## Configuration ### Naming Change the website's author and name `_config.yml`: ```yml title: subtitle: description: author: ``` `themes/typing/_config.yml`: ```yml menu: GitLab: # Customize /about page nickname: description: ``` ### Favicon [RealFaviconGenerator](https://realfavicongenerator.net/) provides a web-based tool to generate favicons with wide compatibility. 1. Upload your favicon (at least 260x260) and configure however you want. 1. Install the generated package to `themes/typing/source` folder. Make you replace all existing files. 1. Edit `themes/typing/layout/_partial/head.ejs`. Change the `color` values of `mask-icon` and `msapplication-TileColor` to the values you configured on the generator. 1. Check for any error using `hexo generate` (you should do this *before* you push any commit). 1. Commit and push. 1. Check your favicon with the [favicon checker](https://realfavicongenerator.net/favicon_checker). ### Project page If you prefer to have a project page on GitLab: 1. Go to `Settings -> General -> Advanced -> Rename repository`. Change the Path to a name, so the website is available at username.gitlab.io/*name*. It can be any name, like *blog* or *hexo*. 1. Edit **_config.yml**, change the `root:` value from `""` to "*name*". 1. Commit and push. ### Remove fork relationship If you don't have any plan to send merge requests to the upstream, you can remove fork relationship permanently by going to `Settings -> General -> Advanced -> Remove fork relationship`. ## Useful links: Configuration files for this blog deployment: - [.gitlab-ci.yml](https://gitlab.com/curben/blog/blob/master/.gitlab-ci.yml) - [_config.yml](https://gitlab.com/curben/blog/blob/master/_config.yml) - [package.json](https://gitlab.com/curben/blog/blob/master/package.json) - [netlify.toml](https://gitlab.com/curben/blog/blob/master/netlify.toml) *for Netlify deployment only* Docs: - [Hexo Docs](https://hexo.io/docs/) - [GitLab Pages](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/pages/index.html)