Getting Started with a Tech Blog Using GitHub Pages

Hello! Today, we’ll explore how to start a tech blog using GitHub Pages.

If you’re a developer, you’ve probably thought about running your own tech blog at least once. GitHub Pages is an excellent service that allows you to host static websites for free.

Why GitHub Pages?

Here are the reasons I chose GitHub Pages:

1. Completely Free

Provides username.github.io domain at no cost
Completely free hosting
Automatic SSL certificate provision

2. Developer-Friendly

Version control through Git
Write posts in Markdown
Built-in code syntax highlighting

3. Customization Freedom

Theme customization through Jekyll
Direct modification of HTML, CSS, JavaScript
Feature extension through plugins

Setup Process

Step 1: Create Repository

When creating a new repository on GitHub, set the name in the format username.github.io.

# Example
realcoding.github.io

Step 2: Jekyll Configuration

Create a _config.yml file and add basic settings:

title: Real Coding Blog
description: Development know-how and technical insights learned from real work
url: "https://realcoding.github.io"
baseurl: ""

# Author information
author:
  name: Kevin Park
  email: kevin@realcoding.blog

# Build settings
markdown: kramdown
highlighter: rouge
permalink: /:year/:month/:day/:title/

# Plugins
plugins:
  - jekyll-feed
  - jekyll-sitemap
  - jekyll-seo-tag

Step 3: Write Your First Post

Create a file in the _posts directory with the format YYYY-MM-DD-title.md:

---
layout: post
title: "First Post"
date: 2025-06-04 14:30:00 +0900
categories: [Blog]
tags: [getting-started, github-pages]
---

Hello! This is my first post.

## Subheading

Write your content here.

```javascript
console.log("Hello, Blog!");

## Useful Tips

### 1. Setting Up Local Development Environment

```bash
# After installing Ruby
gem install bundler jekyll

# Create new Jekyll site
jekyll new my-blog
cd my-blog

# Run local server
bundle exec jekyll serve

2. Custom Domain Setup

GitHub Pages makes it easy to set up custom domains:

Create a CNAME file in your repository
Enter your desired domain (e.g., blog.example.com)
Add CNAME record in DNS settings

3. SEO Optimization

# Add to _config.yml
plugins:
  - jekyll-seo-tag

# Add metadata to each post
---
title: "Post Title"
description: "Brief description of the post"
image: /assets/images/post-thumbnail.jpg
---

Conclusion

Starting a blog with GitHub Pages is simpler than you might think. Since it’s free yet provides powerful features, it’s an optimal choice for developers.

In the next post, we’ll explore Jekyll theme customization and advanced features.

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments! 😊

References: