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How I Blog with Obsidian, Hugo, GitHub, and Cloudflare – Zero Cost, Fully Owned

Posted: 2025-04-23 13:00:32

This blog post details a completely free and self-hosted blogging setup using Obsidian for writing, Hugo as the static site generator, GitHub for hosting the repository, and Cloudflare for DNS, CDN, and HTTPS. The author describes their workflow, which involves writing in Markdown within Obsidian, using a designated folder synced with a GitHub repository. Hugo automatically rebuilds and deploys the site whenever changes are pushed to the repository. This combination provides a fast, flexible, and cost-effective blogging solution where the author maintains complete control over their content and platform.

This blog post meticulously details a personal blogging workflow centered around a combination of free and open-source tools, achieving a completely self-hosted, zero-cost setup while retaining full ownership and control over the content. The author leverages the power of Obsidian, a popular note-taking application, as the primary writing environment. This choice capitalizes on Obsidian's intuitive markdown support, flexible organization through internal linking, and extensive plugin ecosystem. Specifically, the article highlights the use of various plugins like "Front Matter Title", which streamlines the addition of metadata necessary for blog post formatting, and "Admonition" for creating visually distinct callouts within the text.

The core of the publishing process revolves around Hugo, a static site generator known for its speed and simplicity. The author elaborates on how Obsidian serves as the content creation hub, while Hugo takes these markdown files and transforms them into the static HTML files that comprise the website. This decoupling allows for a clean separation of writing and publishing concerns. A critical element of this integration is the explanation of how the directory structure within Obsidian mirrors the organization expected by Hugo, facilitating seamless transfer and rendering of content. The post explicitly mentions the use of a specific Hugo theme and provides insights into configuring it for optimal appearance and functionality.

Beyond content creation and static site generation, the author dives into the technicalities of hosting and deployment. GitHub Pages is chosen as the free hosting platform, leveraging its reliability and straightforward integration with Git for version control. The detailed steps of pushing the generated static files from Hugo to the designated GitHub repository are outlined, ensuring that any reader can replicate the setup. Furthermore, the integration with Cloudflare is explained, highlighting its role in providing a custom domain name, enhanced security through SSL encryption, and improved performance through caching and content delivery network (CDN) capabilities. This aspect emphasizes the author's focus on achieving a professional-grade online presence without incurring any financial costs.

Finally, the post touches upon the automation aspects of the workflow, albeit briefly. While not implemented at the time of writing, the author expresses the intention to explore GitHub Actions for automating the build and deployment process. This forward-looking perspective underscores the potential for further streamlining the blog publishing pipeline, ultimately enabling a more efficient and hands-off approach to content management. In essence, the article provides a comprehensive guide to establishing a completely free, fully controlled, and technically sound personal blogging platform using a synergistic combination of Obsidian, Hugo, GitHub Pages, and Cloudflare.

Summary of Comments ( 132 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43771645

Hacker News users generally praised the blog post's approach for its simplicity and control. Several commenters shared their own similar setups, often involving variations on static site generators, cloud hosting, and syncing tools. Some appreciated the author's clear explanation and the detailed breakdown of the process. A few discussed the tradeoffs of this method compared to managed platforms like WordPress, highlighting the benefits of ownership and cost savings while acknowledging the increased technical overhead. Specific points of discussion included alternative tools like Jekyll and Zola, different hosting options, and the use of Git for version control and deployment. One commenter suggested using a service like Netlify for simplification, while another pointed out the potential long-term costs associated with Cloudflare if traffic scales significantly.

The Hacker News post discussing the blog post "How I Write My Blogs in Obsidian and Hugo, Publish Instantly" generated a moderate amount of discussion, with several commenters sharing their own experiences and opinions on similar setups.

Several commenters praised the author's choice of tools and workflow. One commenter appreciated the simplicity and efficiency of the setup, particularly the use of Obsidian for writing and Hugo for static site generation. They also highlighted the benefit of owning your content and platform. Another commenter echoed this sentiment, expressing a preference for self-hosted solutions over relying on third-party platforms.

A few commenters shared their own variations of the described setup. One user mentioned using a similar combination of tools but opted for a different hosting provider. They also detailed their process for automatically deploying changes using GitHub Actions. Another commenter described using Obsidian for note-taking and a separate static site generator, Jekyll, for their blog. They emphasized the flexibility and customizability offered by these tools.

Some commenters focused on specific aspects of the author's workflow. One questioned the need for Cloudflare, suggesting alternative solutions for DNS and CDN. Another commenter inquired about the author's experience with Obsidian's mobile app for writing and editing.

A couple of commenters offered alternative approaches to blogging. One suggested using a simpler setup with a single tool like Bear Blog, emphasizing its ease of use for those less technically inclined. Another commenter mentioned using a dedicated blogging platform like Ghost, highlighting its features specifically designed for blogging.

While several commenters expressed their appreciation for the author's setup, some also acknowledged the potential learning curve associated with configuring and maintaining such a system. They suggested that this approach might not be suitable for everyone, particularly those who prioritize simplicity and ease of use.

Overall, the comments section provided a valuable discussion around different blogging workflows, highlighting the pros and cons of various tools and approaches. The general sentiment leaned towards appreciating the control and ownership offered by self-hosted solutions, while also acknowledging the potential complexity involved.

Why Is This Site Built with C

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Posted: 2025-03-30 17:51:42

This blog post explains why the author chose C to build their personal website. Motivated by a desire for a fun, challenging project and greater control over performance and resource usage, they opted against higher-level frameworks. While acknowledging C's complexity and development time, the author highlights the benefits of minimal dependencies, small executable size, and the learning experience gained. Ultimately, the decision was driven by personal preference and the satisfaction derived from crafting a website from scratch using a language they enjoy.

The blog post, "Why Is This Site Built with C," by Marcelo Fernandes, delves into the author's rationale for choosing the C programming language to construct their personal website. Fernandes begins by acknowledging the unconventional nature of this decision, recognizing that C is not typically employed for web development due to the prevalence of higher-level languages and frameworks specifically designed for that purpose, such as Python, Ruby, JavaScript, and PHP. These languages and their associated frameworks offer features like automated memory management and built-in web server functionalities, significantly streamlining the development process. In contrast, using C requires a more manual and lower-level approach.

Despite these challenges, Fernandes outlines a series of motivations for opting for C. A primary driver is the sheer enjoyment and educational value derived from tackling the complexities of building a web server from scratch using a fundamental language like C. This process provides an in-depth understanding of the underlying mechanisms involved in handling HTTP requests, managing memory, and interacting directly with system calls. It allows for fine-grained control over every aspect of the website's performance and behavior.

Furthermore, the author expresses an affinity for the minimalist and performant nature of C. By meticulously crafting each component and avoiding the overhead associated with larger frameworks, the resulting website achieves exceptional speed and efficiency. Fernandes argues that this bare-bones approach contributes to a cleaner, more maintainable codebase and aligns with their philosophy of simplicity.

The technical implementation details are also discussed. The website utilizes a custom-built HTTP server written entirely in C. This server listens for incoming connections on a designated port, parses HTTP requests, retrieves the requested content, and constructs HTTP responses to send back to the client. The content itself, primarily consisting of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files, is stored on the server's file system. The C server handles the dynamic aspects of the site, including routing and generating responses. The author emphasizes the educational benefit of building such a system from the ground up, highlighting the deep learning experience gained in the process.

Finally, Fernandes acknowledges that while this approach might not be suitable for all web development projects, particularly those requiring rapid prototyping or complex features, it provides a unique and rewarding experience for personal projects. This allows for a deeper appreciation of the foundational technologies that underpin the web and offers the satisfaction of building something completely from scratch.

Summary of Comments ( 32 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43526058

Hacker News users generally praised the author's technical skills and the site's performance, with several expressing admiration for the clean code and minimalist approach. Some questioned the practicality and maintainability of using C for a website, particularly regarding long-term development and potential security risks. Others discussed the benefits of learning C and low-level programming, while some debated the performance advantages compared to other languages and frameworks. A few users shared their own experiences with similar projects and alternative approaches to achieving high performance. A significant point of discussion was the lack of server-side rendering, which some felt hindered the site's SEO.

The Hacker News post "Why Is This Site Built with C" generated a moderate amount of discussion with a variety of perspectives on the author's choice of C for their website.

Several commenters focused on the performance aspects. Some agreed with the author that C offers significant performance advantages, particularly for a static site, leading to faster loading times and reduced server load. They pointed out that the simplicity of C and lack of complex frameworks can contribute to this efficiency. However, others argued that while C can be incredibly performant, it's not inherently so, and achieving those benefits requires careful optimization and coding practices. They suggested that other languages and frameworks, while potentially less performant at their peak, are often easier to optimize to a sufficient level of performance for a typical website.

Another thread of discussion revolved around the maintainability and development experience. Some commenters appreciated the author's minimalist approach and the learning opportunity presented by using C. They saw it as a refreshing alternative to more complex web development stacks. However, others expressed concern about the long-term maintainability of a C-based website. They pointed out the potential difficulties in debugging, updating, and scaling such a site, particularly compared to more modern frameworks that offer built-in tools and libraries. They also highlighted the increased risk of security vulnerabilities if the C code isn't meticulously written and audited.

A few commenters questioned the practicality of using C for web development in general, arguing that the time and effort required to build and maintain a C-based site outweigh the potential performance benefits. They suggested that the author's choice might be more of a personal project or learning exercise rather than a practical solution for most web developers.

There was also some discussion about the specific technical details of the author's implementation, including their use of a custom HTTP server and templating engine. Some commenters expressed interest in the author's approach, while others suggested alternative libraries or frameworks that could simplify the process.

Finally, a few commenters simply expressed admiration for the author's unconventional approach and their willingness to explore different technologies. They saw it as a reminder that there's more than one way to build a website, and that sometimes choosing a less common technology can lead to interesting results.

Goodbye, Slopify

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Posted: 2025-01-29 00:51:25

Alexey Starobinskiy's blog post, "Goodbye, Slopify," details his decision to discontinue Slopify, a side project offering simplified Spotify playlists. He explains that maintaining the service became too time-consuming and costly, especially with the increasing complexity of handling Spotify's API and data updates. Despite initial success and positive user feedback, the project's unsustainability, combined with Starobinskiy's desire to focus on other ventures, ultimately led to its shutdown. He expresses gratitude to his users and reflects on the valuable lessons learned throughout the project's lifespan.

In a valedictory blog post entitled "Goodbye, Slopify," author Alexey Staravoitau chronicles the discontinuation of his software creation, Slopify, a minimalist note-taking application distinguished by its unique approach to organization. Mr. Staravoitau meticulously details the rationale behind this decision, citing a confluence of factors that ultimately contributed to the application's sunsetting. He commences by elucidating the initial impetus for Slopify's development: a desire for a note-taking tool unburdened by the complexities and often perceived bloat of contemporary alternatives. This desire manifested in a deliberately spartan interface and a core functionality centered around the rapid capture and retrieval of textual information.

The author then proceeds to expound upon the evolutionary trajectory of Slopify, highlighting the incremental additions and refinements implemented throughout its lifespan. He underscores the challenges inherent in balancing the application's minimalist ethos with the burgeoning demands of an expanding user base. Despite his best efforts to accommodate feature requests while preserving the software's fundamental simplicity, Mr. Staravoitau acknowledges a gradual drift away from the original vision. This divergence, coupled with the increasing personal time commitment required for maintenance and support, ultimately led to a state of diminished enthusiasm for the project.

Furthermore, the post delves into the intricacies of Slopify's technical underpinnings, offering insight into the chosen technologies and the rationale behind their selection. The author explicitly addresses the limitations of these choices, conceding that certain architectural decisions made in the early stages of development ultimately hampered the application's long-term scalability and adaptability. He expresses a degree of retrospective regret for these constraints, recognizing their contribution to the overall complexity of maintaining and extending the software.

Finally, Mr. Staravoitau concludes by expressing gratitude to the Slopify user community for their support and feedback throughout the application's existence. He acknowledges the disappointment that the discontinuation may cause some users, while simultaneously expressing a sense of closure and liberation from the ongoing responsibilities of maintaining a software project that had, in his estimation, deviated from its initial purpose. He provides clear instructions for exporting existing Slopify data, ensuring users can retain their notes and transition to alternative platforms. The overall tone of the post is reflective and introspective, offering a candid account of the challenges and rewards of independent software development, and culminating in the acceptance of a necessary, albeit bittersweet, conclusion.

Summary of Comments ( 101 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42860113

Hacker News users generally agreed with the author's criticisms of Slopify, echoing frustrations with the app's user experience, bugs, and lack of responsiveness from the developers. Several commenters shared similar experiences with the app crashing, losing data, and encountering unhelpful or non-existent support. Some speculated on technical reasons for the app's poor performance, suggesting issues with Electron or database choices. Others pointed to alternative note-taking apps like Obsidian and Logseq as preferred replacements. A few users expressed disappointment with the apparent abandonment of the project, having previously enjoyed its unique features. The overall sentiment was one of resignation and a search for better alternatives.

The Hacker News post "Goodbye, Slopify" with the URL https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42860113 has several comments discussing the author's decision to discontinue Slopify, a tool designed to simplify text.

One commenter expressed appreciation for the tool, particularly its ability to simplify academic papers. They found it useful for understanding complex research and wished similar projects continued development. This commenter also highlighted the challenge of balancing simplification while retaining core information, a nuance the author acknowledged in their blog post.

Another commenter questioned the overall utility of text simplification tools, arguing that true comprehension requires grappling with the original, nuanced language. They suggest that relying on simplified versions can hinder deep understanding. This sparked a brief discussion about the benefits and drawbacks of simplification, with others suggesting that it can be a valuable tool for accessibility or initial exposure to complex topics.

Several comments focused on the technical aspects of Slopify. One user inquired about the specific model used for simplification, showing interest in the underlying technology. Another commenter with experience in natural language processing (NLP) praised the project and suggested potential alternative approaches using larger language models (LLMs), possibly leading to better results. They acknowledged the resource intensiveness of such an undertaking, especially for a solo developer.

A few comments lamented the discontinuation of Slopify and expressed hope that the author might open-source the code, allowing others to continue development or learn from the project. This sentiment reflected a general appreciation for the author's work and a desire to see its potential preserved.

Finally, a commenter offered a contrasting perspective, suggesting that tools like Slopify could contribute to a decline in overall reading comprehension skills by encouraging reliance on simplified texts. This comment touched on broader concerns about the potential societal impact of such technologies.

Overall, the comments represent a mixture of appreciation for Slopify, discussion of its strengths and weaknesses, technical inquiries, and broader considerations about the role of text simplification in education and society.

Show HN: I made a service to convert WordPress blogs to Hugo

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Posted: 2025-01-22 17:28:20

wp2hugo.blogdb.org offers a service to convert WordPress blogs into Hugo static websites. It aims to simplify the migration process by handling the conversion of posts, pages, taxonomies, menus, and internal links. The service provides a downloadable zip file containing the converted Hugo site, ready for deployment. While emphasizing ease of use, the creator acknowledges potential limitations and encourages users to test the results thoroughly before switching over completely.

A new online service, meticulously crafted and presented via the Hacker News forum, aims to streamline the process of migrating blog content from the widely-used WordPress platform to the static site generator Hugo. This service, hosted at wp2hugo.blogdb.org, offers a potentially valuable tool for bloggers seeking the performance benefits, enhanced security, and simplified maintenance associated with statically generated websites. The service functions by accepting a WordPress export file, commonly known as an XML export, which encapsulates the entirety of a blog's content, including posts, pages, categories, tags, and other crucial metadata. Upon receiving this file, the service processes the data and transforms it into a format compatible with Hugo, specifically producing a directory structure containing Markdown files, configuration adjustments, and any necessary accompanying assets, all meticulously organized for seamless integration into a Hugo project. This conversion process aims to preserve the original content's integrity, ensuring that the transitioned blog mirrors the existing WordPress site as closely as possible in terms of structure and styling, thereby minimizing the disruption for both the blog owner and its readership during the migration. The implicit promise of this service is a simplified transition experience, relieving users from the complexities of manual conversion, scripting, or reliance on potentially imperfect existing tools. While the precise technical details of the conversion process are not explicitly outlined in the announcement, the implication is that the service handles the intricacies of converting various WordPress elements, such as formatting, embedded media, and internal linking structures, into their Hugo equivalents. The service effectively offers a potentially automated solution to a frequently encountered challenge in the blogging sphere, facilitating the adoption of a modern static site generation approach without requiring extensive technical expertise.

Summary of Comments ( 33 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42795249

HN users generally praised the project's usefulness for those migrating from WordPress to Hugo. Several commenters shared personal anecdotes about their own migration struggles, highlighting the difficulty of converting complex WordPress setups. One user suggested adding support for migrating comments, a feature the creator acknowledged as a significant undertaking. Another expressed concern about potential SEO issues during the transition, specifically around maintaining existing permalinks. Some questioned the choice of Python for the backend, suggesting Go might be a better fit for performance. Finally, there was discussion about handling WordPress shortcodes and the challenges of accurately converting them to Hugo equivalents.

The Hacker News post discussing the "WP2Hugo" WordPress-to-Hugo conversion service elicited a range of comments, primarily focusing on the complexities and nuances of such conversions, existing alternatives, and the author's approach.

Several commenters shared their own experiences and challenges with migrating from WordPress to static site generators like Hugo. One user highlighted the difficulties in accurately converting the complex structures and embedded content often found in WordPress posts, particularly with plugins adding custom shortcodes and functionality. They emphasized that a simple export/import process often falls short, requiring significant manual cleanup and adjustments.

Another commenter mentioned their preference for using a headless WordPress setup, retaining WordPress for content management while leveraging a static site generator for the frontend. This approach, they argued, offered the best of both worlds – the familiar WordPress interface and the performance benefits of a static site.

The author of the WP2Hugo service actively engaged with commenters, acknowledging the limitations of a fully automated conversion process. They explained their focus on handling common WordPress elements and offered insights into their technical approach. They also responded to specific questions regarding the handling of embedded media and internal links, revealing the service's reliance on external libraries and tools.

One commenter suggested exploring alternative solutions, including parsing the WordPress database directly to extract content and metadata. This approach, they argued, could offer more control and flexibility compared to relying on WordPress's export functionality.

A recurring theme in the comments was the importance of testing and verifying the converted content thoroughly. Several users stressed the need for meticulous review and potential rewriting to ensure accuracy and maintain the original structure and formatting.

Some commenters expressed interest in specific features and functionalities, such as the ability to handle custom post types and complex taxonomies. This feedback provided valuable insights for the author to further refine and enhance their service.

Overall, the comments section provided a valuable discussion on the challenges and considerations involved in migrating from WordPress to Hugo, offering practical advice, alternative approaches, and feedback directly to the creator of the WP2Hugo service.

Stories with Tag Static Site Generator

How I Blog with Obsidian, Hugo, GitHub, and Cloudflare – Zero Cost, Fully Owned

Summary of Comments ( 132 ) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43771645

Why Is This Site Built with C

Summary of Comments ( 32 ) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43526058

Goodbye, Slopify

Summary of Comments ( 101 ) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42860113

Show HN: I made a service to convert WordPress blogs to Hugo

Summary of Comments ( 33 ) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42795249

Summary of Comments ( 132 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43771645

Summary of Comments ( 32 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43526058

Summary of Comments ( 101 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42860113

Summary of Comments ( 33 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42795249