Blog: add HOWTO simple blog setup guide

content/blog/2025-01-09-HOWTO-a-simple-blog.md

@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
++++
+title = "HOW-TO: A super simple blog"
++++
+
+
+Someone recently asked me how they can setup a blog. They are a Linux user, so I am (ab)using that to craft a really simple **writing** process for blogging. 
+The setup is a little bit technically inclined, but I am hoping this is easy enough to follow
+
+
+Lets begin...
+
+## Tech stack
+[Codeberg pages](https://codeberg.pages) for hosting our website
+
+[Xlog](https://xlog.emadelsaid.com) for generating a pre-styled and fairly simple blog, with a lot of automatic features
+
+
+## Directory structure
+
+| File | Usage |
+| --- | --- |
+| `blog/xlog` | Generates the blog  |
+| `blog/build-and-upload.sh` | Uses `xlog` and then uploads blog to site  |
+| `blog/index.md` | Website Homepage (required!)  |
+| `blog/a_blog_post.md` | An example blog file |
+| `blog/another_blog_post.md` | Another example blog file |
+| `blog/public/` | Generated html; uploaded to Codeberg pages |
+
+## Setting up
+1. Make a [codeberg.org](https://codeberg.org) account - choose a username for desired "USERNAME.codeberg.page" website
+2. Make a new repository called `pages` using the plus button next to your profile picture
+3. Make a folder on your pc for your blog
+4. In that folder... down and extract [github.com/emad-elsaid/xlog/releases/latest](https://github.com/emad-elsaid/xlog/releases/latest)
+	1. Probably want `xlog-linux-amd64.tar.gz`
+	2. You only need the `xlog` binary from here
+5. Make a file called `build-and-upload.sh` with the following contents:
+	- ```sh
+	  #!/bin/bash
+	  
+	  cd "$(dirname "$0")"
+	  ./xlog -build public
+	  
+	  cd public
+	  git add .
+	  git commit -m "Update blog"
+	  git push -u origin main
+	  ```
+	- This script turns your blog posts into website code and then uploads it to codeberg
+6. Make `build-and-upload.sh` executable, normally under rightclick->properties
+7. Getting an access token (so we can upload without signing in)
+	1. Go to [codeberg.org/user/settings/applications](https://codeberg.org/user/settings/applications)
+	2. Type in a name for your token... e.g. "blog upload"
+	3.  Under "Select permissions", set "repository" to "Read and Write"
+	4. Press "Generate Token"
+	5. Copy the token
+8. Setup your pages folder...
+	1. Right click inside your blog folder and "open in terminal"
+	2. Run `git init`
+	3. Run `git checkout -b main`
+	4. Run `git remote add origin https://YOUR_TOKEN@codeberg.org/YOUR_USERNAME/pages.git`
+9. We are setup!
+10. Bonus: Make an application menu entry for upload with something like PinApp. Set the executable to your `build-and-upload.sh` file
+
+## Writing process
+Write markdown files (i.e. in beaver notes) and put them in your blog folder
+
+Then run your `build-and-upload.sh` script
+
+All your change will be at [USERNAME.codeberg.pages](https://USERNAME.codeberg.pages)
+
+</br>
+
+> Note: Remember to write your homepage file `index.md`
+
+## Conclusion
+
+Happy blogging!!