Jekyll Upgrade and Deployment Guide
This repository has been upgraded to support both GitHub Pages compatible Jekyll and the latest Jekyll version for maximum flexibility.
🔄 Upgrade Summary
What was upgraded:
- Gemfile: Updated with modern version constraints and additional useful gems
- Jekyll Configuration: Modernized
_config.ymlwith current best practices - Build System: Fixed vendor directory exclusion and improved build performance
- Dependencies: All gems updated to latest compatible versions
Current Versions:
- GitHub Pages Compatible: Jekyll 3.10.0 (via github-pages gem v232)
- Latest Available: Jekyll 4.4.1 with modern features
📦 Deployment Options
Option 1: GitHub Pages (Recommended for simplicity)
Use the main Gemfile and configuration for automatic GitHub Pages deployment:
# Install dependencies
bundle install
# Build and test locally
bundle exec jekyll build
bundle exec jekyll serve
# Deploy: Simply push to main branch - GitHub Pages will build automatically
git push origin main
Files used:
Gemfile- GitHub Pages compatible gems_config.yml- GitHub Pages compatible configuration
Pros:
- Zero-configuration deployment
- Automatic builds on every push
- Free hosting
- SSL certificates included
Cons:
- Limited to GitHub Pages supported plugins
- Jekyll 3.10.0 (older version)
- Longer build times
Option 2: Latest Jekyll with Manual Deployment
Use the latest Jekyll version for advanced features and better performance:
# Use latest Jekyll
cp Gemfile.latest Gemfile
# Install latest dependencies
bundle install
# Build with latest Jekyll and config
bundle exec jekyll build --config _config.latest.yml
# Deploy built _site directory to hosting provider
# (Netlify, Vercel, your own server, etc.)
Files used:
Gemfile.latest- Latest Jekyll and plugins_config.latest.yml- Jekyll 4.x optimized configuration
Pros:
- Latest Jekyll 4.4.1 features
- Better performance and build speed
- More plugins available
- Modern Sass with Dart Sass
- Enhanced security and optimization features
Cons:
- Requires manual deployment setup
- More complex CI/CD pipeline needed
🚀 Modern Features Added
Jekyll 4.x Features (when using latest version):
- Dart Sass: Modern Sass compiler with better performance
- Enhanced Collections: Better content organization
- Improved Performance: Faster builds with incremental building
- Modern Liquid: Better error handling and strict mode options
- Enhanced Security: Better content filtering and validation
Configuration Improvements (both versions):
- Better Compression: Enhanced HTML/CSS compression settings
- SEO Optimization: Jekyll SEO tag integration
- Modern Kramdown: GitHub Flavored Markdown support
- Performance Tuning: Optimized build settings
- Better File Management: Improved exclude/include patterns
Deprecated Features Removed:
- Old platform specifications (replaced with
:windows) - Deprecated Sass configurations
- Outdated compression settings
- Legacy plugin loading methods
🛠️ Development Workflow
For GitHub Pages (Option 1):
# Start development
bundle exec jekyll serve --livereload
# Build for production
bundle exec jekyll build
# Test site
# Visit http://localhost:4000
For Latest Jekyll (Option 2):
# Start development with latest features
BUNDLE_GEMFILE=Gemfile.latest bundle exec jekyll serve --config _config.latest.yml --livereload
# Build for production
BUNDLE_GEMFILE=Gemfile.latest bundle exec jekyll build --config _config.latest.yml
# Optimize images (if using latest version)
bundle exec image_optim --no-pngout --no-svgo assets/img/**/*.{png,jpg,jpeg}
📋 Migration Checklist
- Gemfile Updated: Modern version constraints and new gems added
- Configuration Modernized:
_config.ymlupdated with current best practices - Build System Fixed: Vendor directory properly excluded
- Dependencies Updated: All gems updated to latest compatible versions
- Alternative Setup Created: Latest Jekyll configuration provided
- Documentation Created: Deployment options documented
- Testing Completed: Both setups verified working
🔍 Security & Performance Improvements
Security:
- Updated all gems to latest versions addressing known vulnerabilities
- Enhanced content filtering and validation
- Improved SCSS compilation security
- Better file inclusion/exclusion patterns
Performance:
- Enabled incremental builds where supported
- Enhanced compression settings
- Optimized Sass compilation
- Better caching strategies
- Modern Jekyll 4.x performance improvements (when using latest version)
🎯 Recommendations
- For most users: Use GitHub Pages option (Option 1) for simplicity
- For advanced users: Use latest Jekyll (Option 2) for cutting-edge features
- For best performance: Consider Option 2 with CDN deployment
- For maximum compatibility: Stick with Option 1
📚 Next Steps
- Choose your deployment option
- Test the build locally
- Update any custom plugins if using Option 2
- Configure your deployment pipeline
- Monitor build performance and adjust settings as needed
Both configurations are production-ready and optimized for security, performance, and maintainability.