yizeng.me is a Jekyll-based personal website and blog template whose source code is published on GitHub, built with the open-source Simple Texture theme.
What is yizeng.me?
yizeng.me is the source code repository for a personal website and blog. It is built with Jekyll, a static site generator that converts Markdown content into a static HTML site. The site uses Simple Texture, a custom open-source Jekyll theme developed by the same author. The repository includes the full Jekyll source, a Rakefile for common tasks, Travis CI configuration, and content licenses.
Key Features
- Jekyll static site generator — Uses Jekyll to build a fast, database-free website from Markdown and YAML files.
- Simple Texture theme — A custom, open-source Jekyll theme included in the repository, also available separately on GitHub.
- Rake commands — Run the site locally with
rake jekyll [port=4000]or build the static files withrake build. - Continuous integration — Includes a Travis CI configuration that builds the site on every push to verify it compiles correctly.
- Dual licensing — Blog posts are licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0, while the site code is MIT licensed.
- Personal site focus — Designed as a personal portfolio and blog, with a simple layout for articles and pages.
Who is it for?
- Developers — who want a Jekyll-based personal site and blog with a clean, minimal theme.
- Technical bloggers — who need a no-database, static blog that can be deployed to GitHub Pages or any static host.
- Jekyll learners — who want to study a real-world Jekyll project with a Rakefile, Travis CI, and theme integration.
Use cases
- Developer portfolio: Set up a personal landing page with a blog to share project updates and technical articles.
- Self-hosted blog: Use the repository as a starting point for a personal blog with a minimal design and no JavaScript dependencies.
- Open-source learning: Explore the Rakefile, Travis CI configuration, and Jekyll theme structure to understand how a static site is organized.
How does it work?
The repository is a standard Jekyll project. To preview locally, run rake jekyll [port=4000], which starts a development server on the specified port (default 4000). To build the static site, run rake build. The generated site can be deployed to any static hosting service.
Pricing
The site code is open source under the MIT License, and the blog posts are licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0. There are no licensing fees or subscriptions.
Alternatives
- Minimal Mistakes — a popular Jekyll theme with more built-in layouts and features.
FAQ
Is yizeng.me free?
Yes. The code is released under the MIT License, and the blog posts under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0. You can use the code freely, provided you include attribution for the posts.
How do I run the site locally?
Run rake jekyll [port=4000] from the project root. This starts a local Jekyll server, and you can view the site at localhost:4000 (or the port you specify).
What is the Simple Texture theme?
Simple Texture is a custom Jekyll theme created by the repository owner. It is open source and available in a separate GitHub repository, designed to be clean and minimal.
Can I use the blog posts?
The blog posts are licensed under Creative Commons BY-SA 4.0, so you can share and adapt them with attribution.
