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# Create a GitLab Pages website from scratch **(FREE)**
# Tutorial: Create a GitLab Pages website from scratch **(FREE)**
This tutorial shows you how to create a Pages site from scratch. You start with
a blank project and create your own CI file, which gives instruction to
a [runner](https://docs.gitlab.com/runner/). When your CI/CD
This tutorial shows you how to create a Pages site from scratch using
the [Jekyll](https://jekyllrb.com/) Static Site Generator (SSG). You start with
a blank project and create your own CI/CD configuration file, which gives
instructions to a [runner](https://docs.gitlab.com/runner/). When your CI/CD
[pipeline](../../../../ci/pipelines/index.md) runs, the Pages site is created.
This example uses the [Jekyll](https://jekyllrb.com/) Static Site Generator (SSG).
Other SSGs follow similar steps. You do not need to be familiar with Jekyll or SSGs
This example uses Jekyll, but other SSGs follow similar steps.
You do not need to be familiar with Jekyll or SSGs
to complete this tutorial.
To create a GitLab Pages website:
-[Step 1: Create the project files](#create-the-project-files)
-[Step 2: Choose a Docker image](#choose-a-docker-image)
-[Step 3: Install Jekyll](#install-jekyll)
-[Step 4: Specify the `public` directory for output](#specify-the-public-directory-for-output)
-[Step 5: Specify the `public` directory for artifacts](#specify-the-public-directory-for-artifacts)
-[Step 6: Deploy and view your website](#deploy-and-view-your-website)
## Prerequisites
To follow along with this example, start with a blank project in GitLab.
Create three files in the root (top-level) directory.
You must have a [blank project](../../working_with_projects.md#blank-projects) in GitLab.
-`.gitlab-ci.yml` A YAML file that contains the commands you want to run.
For now, leave the file's contents blank.
## Create the project files
-`index.html` An HTML file you can populate with whatever HTML content you'd like,
for example:
Create three files in the root (top-level) directory:
```html
<html>
<head>
<title>Home</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Hello World!</h1>
</body>
</html>
```
-`.gitlab-ci.yml`: A YAML file that contains the commands you want to run.
For now, leave the file's contents blank.
-`index.html`: An HTML file you can populate with whatever HTML content
you'd like, for example:
```html
<html>
<head>
<title>Home</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Hello World!</h1>
</body>
</html>
```
-[`Gemfile`](https://bundler.io/gemfile.html): A file that describes dependencies for Ruby programs.
-[`Gemfile`](https://bundler.io/gemfile.html) A file that describes dependencies for Ruby programs.
Populate it with this content:
```ruby
...
...
@@ -53,7 +67,7 @@ to run scripts and deploy the site.
This specific Ruby image is maintained on [DockerHub](https://hub.docker.com/_/ruby).
Edit your `.gitlab-ci.yml`and add this text as the first line.
Edit your `.gitlab-ci.yml`file and add this text as the first line:
```yaml
image:ruby:2.7
...
...
@@ -65,13 +79,15 @@ image that contains NodeJS as part of its file system. For example, for a
## Install Jekyll
To run [Jekyll](https://jekyllrb.com/) locally, you would open your terminal and:
To run [Jekyll](https://jekyllrb.com/) locally, you must install it:
- Install [Bundler](https://bundler.io/) by running `gem install bundler`.
- Create `Gemfile.lock` by running `bundle install`.
- Install Jekyll by running `bundle exec jekyll build`.
1. Open your terminal.
1. Install [Bundler](https://bundler.io/) by running `gem install bundler`.
1. Create `Gemfile.lock` by running `bundle install`.
1. Install Jekyll by running `bundle exec jekyll build`.
In the `.gitlab-ci.yml` file, this is written as:
To run Jekyll in your project, edit the `.gitlab-ci.yml` file
and add the installation commands:
```yaml
script:
...
...
@@ -109,7 +125,8 @@ pages:
Jekyll needs to know where to generate its output.
GitLab Pages only considers files in a directory called `public`.
Jekyll uses destination (`-d`) to specify an output directory for the built website:
Jekyll uses a destination flag (`-d`) to specify an output directory for the built website.
Add the destination to your `.gitlab-ci.yml` file:
```yaml
pages:
...
...
@@ -136,7 +153,7 @@ pages:
-public
```
Paste this into `.gitlab-ci.yml` file, so it now looks like this:
Your `.gitlab-ci.yml` file should now look like this:
```yaml
image:ruby:2.7
...
...
@@ -151,23 +168,29 @@ pages:
-public
```
Now save and commit the `.gitlab-ci.yml` file. You can watch the pipeline run
by going to **CI/CD > Pipelines**.
## Deploy and view your website
When it succeeds, go to **Settings > Pages** to view the URL where your site
is now available.
After you have completed the preceding steps,
deploy your website:
1. Save and commit the `.gitlab-ci.yml` file.
1. Go to **CI/CD > Pipelines** to watch the pipeline.
1. When the pipeline succeeds, go to **Settings > Pages**
to view the URL where your site is now available.
When this `pages` job completes successfully, a special `pages:deploy` job
appears in the pipeline view. It prepares the content of the website for the
GitLab Pages daemon. GitLab runs it in the background and doesn't use a runner.
## Other options for your CI/CD file
If you want to do more advanced tasks, you can update your `.gitlab-ci.yml` file
with [any of the available settings](../../../../ci/yaml/index.md). You can validate
your `.gitlab-ci.yml` file with the [CI Lint](../../../../ci/lint.md) tool that's included with GitLab.
After successful execution of this `pages` job, a special `pages:deploy` job appears in the
pipeline view. It prepares the content of the website for GitLab Pages daemon. GitLab executes it in
the background and doesn't use runner.
The following topics show other examples of other options you can add to your CI/CD file.
## Deploy specific branches to a Pages site
### Deploy specific branches to a Pages site
You may want to deploy to a Pages site only from specific branches.
...
...
@@ -191,7 +214,8 @@ pages:
-public
```
Then configure the pipeline to run the job for the `master` branch only.
Then configure the pipeline to run the job for the
