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Getting Started with Krik: From Installation to Your First Post

January 15, 2025

Welcome to Krik! This comprehensive guide will take you from zero to publishing your first blog post in just a few minutes. Krik makes it incredibly easy to create beautiful, fast static websites with minimal setup.

Installation

Quick Install (Recommended)

The fastest way to get started is installing Krik from crates.io:

cargo install krik

That’s it! No additional setup required - themes and sample content are embedded directly in the executable.

Verify Installation

Check that Krik is installed correctly:

kk --version
kk --help

Creating Your First Site

Initialize a New Site

Create a new blog in just one command:

# Create a new blog directory
kk init my-awesome-blog
cd my-awesome-blog

This creates a complete site structure with:

  • Sample blog posts and pages
  • Default theme with light/dark mode
  • Site configuration
  • All necessary assets

Start the Development Server

Launch the development server with live reload:

kk server

Open your browser to http://localhost:3000 and you’ll see your new site! The server automatically watches for changes and refreshes your browser when you edit files.

Creating Content

Your First Blog Post

Create a new blog post with a simple command:

kk post "My First Blog Post"

This creates content/posts/my-first-blog-post.md with:

  • Proper YAML front matter
  • Current timestamp
  • Helpful starter content
  • Tips for writing

Custom Filenames

Want a specific filename? Use the --filename option:

kk post "How to Build Amazing Websites" --filename amazing-websites

This creates amazing-websites.md instead of the auto-generated filename.

Creating Pages

Pages are perfect for static content like About, Contact, or Documentation:

kk page "About Me"
kk page "Contact" --filename contact

Pages are created in content/pages/ and use the page template automatically.

Customizing Your Content

Front Matter Explained

Every post and page starts with YAML front matter:

---
title: "Your Post Title"
date: 2025-01-15T12:00:00Z
layout: post                 # or 'page' for pages
tags: ["tutorial", "guide"]  # helps categorize content
toc: true                    # enables table of contents
draft: false                 # set to true to hide from site
---

Adding Your Content

Below the front matter, write your content in Markdown:

# Main Heading

Your content here with **bold text**, *italic text*, and [links](https://example.com).

## Subheadings

- Lists work great
- Easy to read
- Organize your thoughts

### Code Examples

```javascript
console.log("Code highlighting works automatically!");


### Markdown Features

Krik supports rich Markdown including:

- **Tables** with automatic styling
- **Footnotes** with bidirectional navigation
- **Code highlighting** for 100+ languages
- **Math expressions** (LaTeX support)
- **Task lists** with checkboxes

## Publishing Your Site

### Generate Static Files

When you're ready to publish, generate static files:

```bash
kk

This creates the _site/ directory with your complete website. Upload these files to any web host!

Development vs Production

During development, use the server:

kk server                    # Live reload for development
kk server --no-live-reload   # Disable live reload if needed

For production builds:

kk --input content --output _site --theme themes/default

Advanced Features

Internationalization

Create translations by adding language codes to filenames:

# Create English version
kk post "Welcome to My Blog"

# Create Italian translation (manually)
cp content/posts/welcome-to-my-blog.md content/posts/welcome-to-my-blog.it.md
# Edit the Italian version

Table of Contents

Enable automatic TOC generation by adding toc: true to your front matter. Perfect for long articles like this one!

Theme Customization

The default theme includes:

  • Automatic light/dark mode detection
  • Responsive design for all devices
  • Mobile-friendly hamburger menu
  • Smooth scroll-to-top button
  • Professional typography

Tips for Success

Writing Great Content

  1. Use descriptive titles - They appear in navigation and feeds
  2. Add relevant tags - Helps organize and categorize your posts
  3. Include dates - Keeps your content chronologically organized
  4. Enable TOC for long posts - Improves navigation
  5. Use drafts - Set draft: true while working on content

Workflow Optimization

  1. Start with the development server: kk server
  2. Create content quickly: kk post "Title" or kk page "Title"
  3. Edit in your favorite editor - Changes appear instantly in browser
  4. Generate when ready: kk to create static files

Organization Best Practices

  • Use /posts/ for time-sensitive content (blog posts, news, updates)
  • Use /pages/ for static content (about, contact, documentation)
  • Keep images organized in /images/ subdirectories
  • Use consistent naming conventions for translations

Next Steps

Now that you have Krik set up:

  1. Customize your site.toml with your information
  2. Replace sample content with your own posts and pages
  3. Explore the theme system for advanced customization
  4. Set up deployment to your preferred hosting platform

Getting Help

  • Documentation: Check the comprehensive documentation page on this site
  • Examples: Explore the sample posts to see features in action
  • Community: Join discussions on GitHub

Congratulations! You now have everything you need to create amazing static websites with Krik. The combination of powerful features and simple commands makes it easy to focus on what matters most: your content.

Happy blogging! 🚀

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