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Steve for Jekyll

A charming and fun two-column blog theme for Jekyll, distributed as a Ruby gem.

About this template

Steve is a two-column blog theme for Jekyll, distributed as a Ruby gem named steve-for-jekyll, that provides a ready-to-run blog layout for static sites generated from Markdown content.

What is Steve for Jekyll?

Steve is a Jekyll theme created by GitHub user @arthrfrts for use on the Esporo network of websites, and released as open source under the MIT License. As a Jekyll theme, it takes standard Jekyll site content — pages, posts, data files, and configuration — and renders it into a static HTML site using Liquid templates and Sass stylesheets. The theme is installed by adding steve-for-jekyll to a site's Gemfile and setting theme: steve-for-jekyll in _config.yml, then running bundle. It works out-of-the-box and offers documented options for menus, comments, and theme style.

Key Features

  • Packaged as a Ruby gem — Install with gem install steve or via Bundler, then activate it in _config.yml; no manual file copying is required.
  • Out-of-the-box operation — The theme works immediately after installation, with optional configuration for menus, comments, and theme style documented in the project wiki.
  • Two-column blog layout — The repository's topic tags identify Steve as a two-column theme, giving posts a sidebar for widgets or navigation.
  • Standard Jekyll directory structure — Theme files live in _layouts, _includes, _sass, and assets, so customizations follow normal Jekyll conventions.
  • Documentation via wiki — The GitHub wiki covers adding menus, enabling comments, changing the theme style, and setting other options.
  • MIT License — Free to use, modify, and redistribute in personal or commercial projects.
  • Live demo — A preview is hosted at https://esporo.github.io/steve to see the default appearance before installing.

Who is it for?

  • Jekyll bloggers — People who want a pre-built, two-column blog design without writing their own Liquid layouts and Sass.
  • Developers building sites for Esporo — The theme was created specifically for the Esporo platform, so it matches that project's design conventions.
  • Open-source contributors — Developers interested in extending a small, MIT-licensed Jekyll theme; bug reports and pull requests are welcome on GitHub.

What can you do with Steve for Jekyll?

  • Launch a personal blog — Install the gem, add Markdown posts, and get a styled, two-column blog with minimal configuration.
  • Customize the appearance — Use the documented options to change theme style, add menus, and integrate comments.
  • Develop and test the theme — Run bundle exec jekyll serve locally and adjust files in _layouts, _includes, and _sass; the site regenerates automatically on each refresh.

screenshot of Steve for Jekyll on template0.com