Setting Up a Jekyll Blog with Dokku: A Step-by-Step Guide

In the world of static site generators, Jekyll stands out as a popular choice due to its simplicity and flexibility. If you want to deploy your Jekyll blog with ease, Dokku can be a fantastic solution. Dokku is a lightweight, Docker-powered Platform as a Service (PaaS) that makes deploying and managing applications a breeze. In this tutorial, we will walk you through the process of setting up a Jekyll blog on Dokku.

Prerequisites

Before we get started, ensure you have the following prerequisites:

1. A server with Dokku installed and configured.
2. A domain name pointing to your server’s IP address.

Step 1: Create a Dokku Application

Log in to your server via SSH and create a new Dokku application for your Jekyll blog. Replace your-blog with your desired application name:

dokku apps:create your-blog

Step 2: Configure Your Domain

Configure your domain name to point to your Dokku server’s IP address. You can do this by adding an A or CNAME record in your domain’s DNS settings. Make sure your domain is set up correctly before proceeding.

Step 3: Set Up Git Repository

You need to create a Git repository for your Jekyll blog and push it to your Dokku server. Assuming you already have a Jekyll blog locally:

# Navigate to your Jekyll project directory
cd /path/to/your/jekyll/blog

# Initialize a Git repository (if not already)
git init

# Add your Jekyll files to the repository
git add .

# Commit your changes
git commit -m "Initial commit"

# Add your Dokku server as a remote repository
git remote add dokku dokku@your-server-ip:your-blog

# Push your Jekyll blog to Dokku
git push dokku master

Step 4: Set Environment Variables

To configure your Jekyll blog, you may need to set environment variables. For example, if you use environment-specific configuration files or if you want to set Jekyll environment variables, use Dokku’s environment variable feature:

# Set an environment variable (replace with your own)
dokku config:set your-blog JEKYLL_ENV=production

Step 5: Install Jekyll on Dokku

You’ll need to install Jekyll on your Dokku server. You can do this using Dokku’s plugin system. First, install the Dokku plugin for Jekyll:

# Install the Jekyll plugin
sudo dokku plugin:install https://github.com/dokku/dokku-jekyll.git

Next, link your application to the Jekyll plugin:

# Link the Jekyll plugin to your application
dokku jekyll:link your-blog

Step 6: Access Your Jekyll Blog

Your Jekyll blog should now be accessible at your domain name. Open a web browser and visit http://your-domain.com to see your Jekyll blog in action.

Conclusion

Setting up a Jekyll blog with Dokku is a straightforward process that allows you to quickly deploy and manage your static website. Dokku’s simplicity, combined with Jekyll’s flexibility, makes for a powerful combination. With your blog up and running, you can now focus on creating and sharing your content with the world. Happy blogging!