Deploying to GitHub Pages

Step-by-step guide on how to deploy your Jekyll site to GitHub Pages, making your site accessible to anyone on the internet.

Introduction

Deploying your Jekyll site to GitHub Pages is a straightforward way to make your content accessible on the internet. GitHub Pages provides a free hosting service that integrates directly with GitHub repositories, making it an ideal platform for hosting Jekyll-based sites.

Preparing Your Site for GitHub Pages

Before deploying, ensure your site is compatible with GitHub Pages:

1. GitHub Pages Dependency Versions: Check that your Jekyll version and any plugins are supported by GitHub Pages.
2. Repository Setup: Your site should be in a GitHub repository, either in the root of the master branch, the gh-pages branch, or in a /docs folder on the master branch.

Deploying Your Site

1. GitHub Pages Activation:
   • Go to your repository’s settings on GitHub.
   • Find the “GitHub Pages” section.
   • Select the branch and folder you want to deploy from, then click “Save”.

2. Custom Domain (Optional): If you have a custom domain, you can configure it in the GitHub Pages settings.

3. Wait for Deployment: GitHub automatically builds your site when you push changes to the configured branch. The process may take a few minutes.

4. Access Your Site: Once deployed, GitHub will provide a URL to access your site, such as https://<username>.github.io/<repository>.

Updating Your Site

Any changes you make to your site can be pushed to the configured branch in your GitHub repository. GitHub Pages will automatically rebuild and redeploy your site.

Practice Exercise

1. Ensure your Jekyll site is ready for deployment, following the GitHub Pages requirements.
2. Deploy your site to GitHub Pages, using either the master, gh-pages branch, or a /docs folder.
3. Customize your site with a custom domain, if available.
4. Make a change to your site, push the change to GitHub, and verify that your site updates automatically.

Additional Resources

• GitHub Pages Documentation
• Jekyll on GitHub Pages

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