This guide assumes you have some working knowledge of git.  We show how to get started with Jekyll, but other site building methods can be used instead.  You will be working in a terminal and authoring your site using Markdown.

1. Upload an SSH Key

Follow our instructions to create and upload an SSH Key which you will use to access your Git Pages repository.  Select the gitpages service.  You can also reuse an existing key by assigning it to the gitpages service (though we recommend using separate keys for better security).  Always use a long or obscure passphrase when creating ssh keys.

2. Create a Repository

Visit the Git Pages site to create an empty repository.  You will need to log into the website using your Brown credentials.  It may take a few moments for it to appear, so refresh your browser.  You will also receive an email when it is ready.

3. Clone Your Repository

Create a working copy of your site by cloning it.

git clone gitpages.cs.brown.edu:people/yourname

If your username on your device does not match your Brown username you'll have to be explicit about it.

git clone yourname@gitpages.cs.brown.edu:people/yourname

The files you create in this directory (folder) will be used to generate your site each time you push your changes.

4. Create Some Files

Your main page will be named "index.md" and Jekyll requires that it have some "frontmatter."

---
layout: default
title: Home
---
Hello World!

You may also want an "_config.yml" file, which contains configuration directives that tell Jekyll how to build your site.

theme: jekyll-theme-minimal
title: My Home Page
description: My new Git Pages page

5. Commit Your Changes and Push

Commit your changes and check them in as you normally would using git.

git add .
git commit
git push origin main

6. Visit Your New Site

Point your browser at your url (https://cs.brown.edu/people/yourname) to see your new site.