Dasper is a free, MIT-licensed Jekyll theme for static blogging that recreates the visual style of Ghost's default Casper theme, packaged as a GitHub Pages-ready repository. Built as a fork-style starting point, it takes Markdown posts and Liquid templates as input and outputs a static HTML site that can be hosted on GitHub Pages or any static file server.
What is Dasper?
Dasper is a Jekyll theme created by ozgrozer and first released in 2016, drawing inspiration from Ghost's Casper theme as well as the Jasper and Kasper themes. The theme includes templates for blog posts, page layouts, a custom 404 page, and paginated post listings, so a user can fork the repository and have a working blog with minimal setup. Its output is purely static files, which means it runs without a database or server-side application.
Key Features
- Pagination — The theme supports splitting blog post listings across multiple pages, a Jekyll plugin-based feature that is configured out of the box.
- 404 page — A styled 404 error page is included, so broken links on your site produce a branded response rather than a default server page.
- Fastclick — Built-in integration with the Fastclick library from @ftlabs removes the 300ms tap delay on mobile browsers.
- Syntax highlighting — Code blocks are highlighted using PrismJS, which is already wired into the theme's assets.
- Sitemap generator — Uses the kinnetica jekyll-plugins sitemap generator to automatically create a sitemap.xml for search engine crawling.
- RSS generator — Employs the agelber jekyll-rss plugin to generate an RSS feed so readers can subscribe to new posts.
- AddThis sharing buttons — Social sharing buttons from AddThis are embedded in the post template, allowing readers to share content across social networks.
- Disqus comments — The theme integrates Disqus for blog comments, so you can enable discussion on posts by adding your Disqus shortname.
- Google Analytics — A Google Analytics tracking snippet is pre-included, and you only need to supply your tracking ID to start collecting visitor statistics.
Who is it for?
Dasper is aimed at developers, writers, and hobbyists who want a clean, card-style blog theme similar to Ghost's default look without paying for a hosted platform. It is particularly useful for Jekyll users comfortable editing a _config.yml file and deploying through GitHub Pages. Theme developers can also use it as a reference for implementing pagination, PrismJS, and comment integration in a Jekyll project.
What can you do with Dasper?
- Personal bloggers: Publish a free blog on GitHub Pages by forking the repository, renaming it to
username.github.io, and editing the configuration file. - Jekyll learners: Study the theme's file structure to understand how pagination, syntax highlighting, and social sharing are implemented in Jekyll.
- Portfolio sites: Customize the theme's layouts to present projects or creative work instead of posts, since the underlying Jekyll templates are flexible.
How does Dasper work?
Dasper works like any Jekyll theme: you write content as Markdown files with YAML front matter, and Jekyll generates static HTML using the theme's Liquid templates. After forking the repository, you rename it from dasper to username.github.io, update your site details in _config.yml, and push the changes. GitHub Pages then serves the generated site at https://username.github.io/, and a live demo is available at ozgrozer.github.io/dasper.
FAQ
Is Dasper free?
Yes, Dasper is released under the MIT License, which allows free use, modification, and distribution, including for commercial projects.
Does Dasper support comments and analytics?
The theme includes both Disqus for comments and Google Analytics for tracking. To enable them, you need to add your Disqus shortname and Google Analytics tracking ID to the site configuration.
Can I use Dasper without GitHub Pages?
Yes, because Jekyll generates static HTML, the output can be deployed to any static hosting service, such as Netlify or a traditional web server. The theme itself has no dependency on GitHub Pages beyond the convenience of its name-based URL workflow.
What does Dasper include that a standard Jekyll theme doesn't?
Dasper bundles several common blog features that Jekyll does not provide out of the box: pagination plugins, PrismJS syntax highlighting, an RSS feed plugin, a sitemap plugin, Fastclick touch handling, and AddThis sharing buttons.
