Cayman Blog

Cayman Blog is a free Jekyll blog template that builds a minimal, readable static site from Markdown posts and deploys directly to GitHub Pages.

What is Cayman Blog?

Cayman Blog is a Jekyll blog template adapted from the Cayman theme by Jason Long. It takes Markdown files placed in the _posts folder and generates a static HTML site with a clean, text-focused design. The template is open source, with a live demo available at http://adueck.github.io/cayman-blog/.

Key Features

• Jekyll-based static generation — Converts Markdown posts into HTML at build time, so the resulting site is fast and requires no database.
• GitHub Pages ready — Hosts the blog for free on GitHub Pages; pushing changes to the repository rebuilds the site automatically.
• Configurable via _config.yml — Site title, description, and other Jekyll settings are edited in one place.
• Custom cover image — Replace img/cover.jpg with your own header image to personalize the look.
• Pagination support — Uses the jekyll-paginate gem, which must be installed locally with gem install jekyll-paginate before running the server.
• Simple, readable layout — The Cayman-based design prioritizes short, scannable content, suited for snippets and quick updates.

Who is it for?

• Developers and technical writers who want a no-frills blog hosted alongside their code on GitHub Pages.
• Writers and note-takers looking for a minimal publishing platform for short posts without a content management system.
• Jekyll beginners who want a small, well-commented template to learn static site generation and theming.

What can you do with Cayman Blog?

• Launch a personal blog — Write Markdown posts, drop them in _posts, and push to GitHub Pages for a live, free site.
• Create a snippets library — Use the simple layout to share code snippets, tips, or tutorials as quick, readable entries.
• Prototype a Jekyll theme — Fork the template and modify the Cayman-based HTML and CSS to experiment with custom blog designs.

How does Cayman Blog work?

Getting started involves five steps: fork or clone the repository, edit _config.yml, optionally swap img/cover.jpg for a custom image, add Markdown files to _posts, and run jekyll build followed by jekyll serve locally. For deployment, connect the repository to GitHub Pages and the site is built automatically. This workflow requires the jekyll-paginate gem for local previews.

FAQ

Is Cayman Blog free?

Yes, the template is open source under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license, which allows free use and modification. Hosting on GitHub Pages is also free for public repositories.

Does Cayman Blog use a database?

No, it is a static site generator. Jekyll compiles all content into plain HTML files, so there is no backend or database to manage.

How do I install the required pagination gem?

Run gem install jekyll-paginate in your terminal before starting the local server, as the theme relies on this plugin for paginated post lists.

Can I change the header image?

Yes, replace the img/cover.jpg file with your own image, and it will be used as the site's banner. The path is defined in the theme's layout.

Who created the underlying Cayman theme?

The Cayman theme was created by Jason Long and is also hosted on GitHub. This blog template credits it as the basis for the design.