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Quick Site Handbook

Intermediate Guide

This guide is for users who plan to create multiple websites. Instead of installing tools for each site, we’ll install them once globally on your system.

Quickstart vs Intermediate

Section titled “Quickstart vs Intermediate”
ApproachBest ForSetup Time
QuickstartOne website, fastest setupEach site reinstalls tools
IntermediateMultiple websitesInstall once, create many

What This Guide Covers

Section titled “What This Guide Covers”

By the end, you will have:

  • ✓ Installed Pixi, Git, and Hugo globally on your system
  • ✓ Created your first site using the global tools
  • ✓ Learned how to create additional sites quickly

Prerequisites

Section titled “Prerequisites”

Same as the Quickstart:

Step 1: Install Tools Globally

Section titled “Step 1: Install Tools Globally”

First, we’ll install the three tools you’ll need: Pixi (package manager), Git (version control), and Hugo (site generator).

Mac / Linux

Section titled “Mac / Linux”

Open Terminal and run:

Terminal window
curl -fsSL https://quick-site-handbook.pages.dev/install-tools.sh | bash

Windows

Section titled “Windows”

Open PowerShell and run:

Terminal window
irm https://quick-site-handbook.pages.dev/install-tools.ps1 | iex

What does this do?

This script:

  1. Checks if Pixi is installed (installs it if not)
  2. Runs pixi global install git to install Git
  3. Runs pixi global install hugo to install Hugo

These tools are now available system-wide, not just in one project folder.

Wait for the installation to complete. You may need to restart your terminal/PowerShell when done.

Step 2: Create Your First Site

Section titled “Step 2: Create Your First Site”

Now that tools are installed, creating a site is much faster.

Generate Your Command

Section titled “Generate Your Command”

Go to the Command Generator and select:

  • Tab: “Create Site Only” (not “Ultimate Command”)
  • Fill in your site name, theme URL, and folder path
  • Copy the command

Run the Command

Section titled “Run the Command”

Mac / Linux (Terminal):

Terminal window
# Paste the command from the generator
curl -fsSL https://quick-site-handbook.pages.dev/new-site.sh | bash -s -- -s mysite -t https://github.com/theNewDynamic/gohugo-theme-ananke.git -p /path/to/sites

Windows (PowerShell):

Terminal window
# Paste the command from the generator
irm https://quick-site-handbook.pages.dev/new-site.ps1 | iex -s -- -s mysite -t https://github.com/theNewDynamic/gohugo-theme-ananke.git -p C:\path\to\sites

What does this do?

This script:

  1. Creates a new Hugo site with hugo new site
  2. Initializes Git with git init
  3. Adds your theme as a Git submodule
  4. Configures hugo.toml with the theme name
  5. Creates a helpful README.md and .gitignore

Step 3: Upload and Deploy

Section titled “Step 3: Upload and Deploy”

Follow the same steps as the Quickstart:

  1. Upload to GitHub using GitHub Desktop

    • Add existing repository
    • Publish to GitHub

  2. Deploy on Cloudflare Pages

    • Connect your GitHub repository
    • Select “Hugo” as the framework preset
    • Deploy!

See the Quickstart Steps 4-5 for detailed instructions.

Creating Additional Sites

Section titled “Creating Additional Sites”

Now that tools are installed globally, creating more sites is simple:

Using the Command Generator

Section titled “Using the Command Generator”
  1. Go to the Command Generator
  2. Select “Create Site Only” tab
  3. Fill in new site name, theme, and folder
  4. Copy and run the command

Manual Site Creation (Optional)

Section titled “Manual Site Creation (Optional)”

If you prefer to understand each step:

Terminal window
# Create a new site
hugo new site my-second-site
cd my-second-site


# Initialize git
git init


# Add a theme (replace with your theme URL)
git submodule add https://github.com/theNewDynamic/gohugo-theme-ananke.git themes/ananke


# Configure the theme
echo "theme = 'ananke'" >> hugo.toml


# Create a README
cat > README.md << 'EOF'
# My Second Site


## Development
- Edit content in `content/`
- Test locally: `hugo server -D`
- View at: http://localhost:1313


## Deployment
Changes pushed to GitHub automatically deploy to Cloudflare Pages.
EOF


# Create .gitignore
cat > .gitignore << 'EOF'
# Generated files
public/
resources/
.hugo_build.lock


# OS files
.DS_Store
Thumbs.db
EOF

Managing Your Sites

Section titled “Managing Your Sites”

Listing Installed Tools

Section titled “Listing Installed Tools”

To see what versions you have:

Terminal window
# Check Hugo version
hugo version


# Check Git version
git --version


# Check Pixi version
pixi --version

Updating Tools

Section titled “Updating Tools”

To update to the latest versions:

Terminal window
# Update Hugo
pixi global upgrade hugo


# Update Git
pixi global upgrade git


# Update all global packages
pixi global upgrade-all

Uninstalling Tools

Section titled “Uninstalling Tools”

If you need to remove the tools:

Terminal window
pixi global remove hugo
pixi global remove git

Local Development (Optional)

Section titled “Local Development (Optional)”

With global installation, you can easily preview sites before pushing to GitHub:

Terminal window
# Navigate to your site folder
cd /path/to/your-site


# Start development server
hugo server -D


# Open http://localhost:1313 in your browser
  • Edit files and see changes instantly
  • Press Ctrl+C to stop the server
  • The -D flag includes draft content

Summary

Section titled “Summary”

Global install advantages:

  • ✅ Create sites faster (no re-installation)
  • ✅ Use development server (hugo server)
  • ✅ Easier to manage and update tools
  • ✅ Better for learning and experimentation

When to use Quickstart instead:

  • You’re only making one website ever
  • You want the absolute simplest setup
  • You don’t want tools installed on your system

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”