Limp Dark

Limp Dark is a Jekyll theme distributed as a Ruby gem that provides writers and bloggers with a dark, modern flat-style site interface, and it integrates the Jekyll-Spaceship plugin for extended Markdown capabilities.

What is Limp Dark?

Limp Dark is a dark-themed Jekyll site template packaged as a Ruby gem. It takes a standard Jekyll project with Markdown content and configuration files, and produces a static website with a modern flat visual style and a dark background. The theme is maintained by Ankit Kumar Jat (the repository is github.com/ankit-kumar-jat/hello) and is available as open source under the MIT License. A live demo is hosted at ankitkumarjat.me/limp-dark/.

Key Features

• Modern flat dark design — The theme's signature look pairs a dark background with a clean, flat visual hierarchy designed for "elegant writers."
• Jekyll-Spaceship integration — Limp Dark uses the Jekyll-Spaceship plugin (a Ruby gem) to extend Markdown with advanced capabilities; the theme's README points users to the plugin's own README to unlock 100% of the features.
• Responsive tables — Tables become responsive when wrapped in a div with class table-wrapper and markdown="block", so wide tables scale on mobile screens.
• Social media configuration — Social network links are managed through a dedicated _data/social.yml file, separate from the main site config.
• Centralized configuration — All theme settings are edited in the site root's _config.yml, keeping customization in one place.
• Standard Jekyll workflow — The theme runs like a normal Jekyll site; local development uses bundle exec jekyll serve with live regeneration on file changes.
• Gem-based installation — Install via your site's Gemfile by adding gem "limp-dark" and setting theme: limp-dark in _config.yml, then running bundle.

Who is it for?

• Bloggers and writers who prefer a dark, low-glare reading environment and want a pre-styled Jekyll theme without hand-writing CSS.
• Jekyll developers who want a gem-based theme they can drop into a project and override only the parts they need.
• Technical content creators who use tables extensively and need a simple responsive-table pattern that works with Jekyll's Markdown pipeline.

What can you do with Limp Dark?

• Publish a personal blog — Install the gem, update _config.yml and _data/social.yml, then write posts in Markdown exactly as with any Jekyll site.
• Build a documentation or article site — Use the responsive table wrapper to present tabular data cleanly on desktops and mobile devices.
• Extend Markdown with Jekyll-Spaceship — Add the plugin and enable its advanced features (such as math, emoji, and table enhancements) inside the same theme before the site builds.

How does Limp Dark work?

1. Add gem "limp-dark" to your Jekyll site's Gemfile and set theme: limp-dark in _config.yml.
2. Run bundle to install the gem, or install it directly with gem install limp-dark.
3. Edit configuration in _config.yml and _data/social.yml, then start a local server with bundle exec jekyll serve to preview the site at http://localhost:4000.

FAQ

Is Limp Dark free?

Yes. Limp Dark is open source under the MIT License, so you can use, modify, and distribute it freely without paying a license fee.

How do I install Limp Dark?

Add the line gem "limp-dark" to your site's Gemfile, set theme: limp-dark in _config.yml, and run bundle. Alternatively, install the gem globally with gem install limp-dark and reference it manually.

Does Limp Dark require Jekyll-Spaceship?

The theme is designed to use Jekyll-Spaceship to deliver its full feature set. The README states that to take 100% advantage of the theme, you should follow the plugin's README; the base theme may still render without it, but some enhanced Markdown features may be unavailable.

How do I make tables responsive in Limp Dark?

Wrap a Markdown table in a div block with class table-wrapper and the markdown="block" attribute, then place the table inside. This pattern lets the theme scroll or reformat wide tables on smaller screens.