Moon is a minimal, single-column Jekyll theme that turns Markdown content into a responsive blog or portfolio site, hosted openly on GitHub.
What is Moon?
Moon is a minimal, one-column Jekyll theme designed for writers and developers who want a fast, content-focused static site. It accepts Markdown posts and pages and generates a responsive site with a simple navigation menu, optional background image, and social icons. The theme is distributed through the tolgatatli GitHub account and can be previewed live at its GitHub Pages site. A successor project called Moonrise serves as the new home for continued development.
Key Features
- Responsive one-column layout — The theme's single-column design adapts to mobile and desktop screens, keeping the focus on written content.
- Disqus integration — Add comments to posts by configuring your Disqus shortname, giving readers a place to discuss articles.
- Syntax highlighting — Code blocks are highlighted for readability, making the theme suitable for technical blogs and tutorials.
- MathJax support — Mathematical equations written in LaTeX can be rendered in posts and pages for scientific or academic writing.
- Optional post images — Each post can include a cover image that appears in the layout, enhancing visual appeal without clutter.
- Social icons — Links to social profiles can be displayed in the navigation area, connecting readers to your other online presences.
- Project sharing page — A dedicated page type lets you showcase your projects with details and links, turning the theme into a mini portfolio.
- Simple navigation menu — A straightforward menu structure lets visitors browse pages and posts without complex navigation modules.
Who is it for?
- Bloggers who want a clean, minimal writing environment and a fast-loading site without design distractions.
- Developers who are comfortable with Jekyll and want a no-frills theme to deploy on GitHub Pages for a personal site or documentation.
- Academics and technical writers who need MathJax for mathematical notation and syntax highlighting for code examples.
- Freelancers and creatives who need a simple portfolio page to showcase projects with a dedicated sharing page.
What can you do with Moon?
- Start a personal blog: Publish Markdown posts with tags and comments enabled via Disqus, then deploy the static site to GitHub Pages.
- Create a project portfolio: Use the project sharing page to list your work with descriptions and links, forming a one-page showcase.
- Write technical tutorials: Take advantage of syntax highlighting and MathJax to present code and mathematical formulas clearly.
- Maintain a minimal online presence: Use the optional background image and social icons to give your site a simple, branded feel.
Alternatives
- Minimal Mistakes — A more feature-rich Jekyll theme with multiple layout options and extensive customization settings.
Pricing
Moon is free and open source; you can fork the repository and use it without paying a license fee.
FAQ
Is Moon free to use?
Yes, Moon is an open-source Jekyll theme hosted on GitHub. You can fork the repository and use it for personal or commercial projects without paying a fee.
Yes, Moon integrates with Disqus for comments. You need to provide your Disqus shortname in the configuration, and comment sections will appear on your posts.
Can I write mathematical equations in Moon?
Yes, Moon includes MathJax support, so you can render LaTeX-style math notation in your Markdown posts and pages.
What is the relationship between Moon and Moonrise?
Moon's original repository points users to Moonrise as its new home. Moonrise continues the theme's development, so new users are encouraged to use that repository instead of the older one.
How do I install Moon?
The project's page links to a Setup Guide that explains installation and configuration steps. Because it's a Jekyll theme, you'll need Ruby and Jekyll installed, then follow the guide for your chosen hosting method.
