Beginner’s Guide to Using a Hugo Theme

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

1. Hugo installed on your system
2. A code editor (like VS Code, Sublime Text, etc.)
3. Basic familiarity with command line operations

Step 1: Theme Installation

1. Download the theme from the source
2. Unzip the downloaded file
3. Navigate to the theme folder:

cd lightbi-hugo-master

Step 2: Project Structure

The theme folder should contain these essential directories:

• archetypes/ - Contains default content templates
• content/ - Where your website content goes
• layouts/ - Contains theme templates
• static/ - For static files (images, CSS, JavaScript)
• config.toml - Main configuration file

Step 3: Building Your Site

1. To build your site, run:

hugo

This command:

• Creates a public/ directory
• Generates static files from your content
• Applies the theme styling

2. To preview your site locally:

hugo server

This command:

• Starts a development server
• Makes your site available at http://localhost:1313
• Enables live reload for real-time changes

Step 4: Adding Content

1. Create new content using:

hugo new posts/my-first-post.md

2. Edit the generated markdown file in the content/posts directory

Step 5: Customization

1. Configure your site by editing config.toml:

baseURL = "https://example.org/"
languageCode = "en-us"
title = "My New Hugo Site"
theme = "lightbi-hugo"

2. Customize theme parameters according to the theme documentation

Common Issues and Solutions

1. If the server doesn’t start:

   • Check if port 1313 is already in use
   • Try using a different port:

     hugo server -p 1314
     

2. If theme isn’t applying:

   • Verify theme name in config.toml
   • Ensure theme files are in the correct directory

Deployment Tips

1. Always run hugo command before deploying
2. Use the contents of public/ folder for deployment
3. Consider using GitHub Pages or Netlify for hosting

Best Practices

1. Keep content organized in appropriate directories
2. Use meaningful names for content files
3. Regularly commit changes if using version control
4. Test locally before deploying

Next Steps

1. Explore theme-specific features
2. Learn about Hugo shortcodes
3. Customize templates
4. Add custom CSS/JavaScript

Remember to check the theme’s documentation for specific features and customization options available with this particular theme.