+++
tags = ["documentation"]
title = "Installation"
weight = 15
+++

The following steps are here to help you initialize your new website. If you don't know Hugo at all, we strongly suggest you learn more about it by following this [great documentation for beginners](https://gohugo.io/overview/quickstart/).

{{% notice tip %}}
The following tutorial leads you thru the steps of creating a first, minimal new site.

You don't need to edit any files besides your `hugo.toml` and only need to execute the commands in the given order.
{{% /notice %}}

## Create your project

Hugo provides a `new` command to create a new website:

````shell
hugo new site my-new-site
````

After that change into the directory:

````shell
cd my-new-site
````

Every upcoming command will be executed from inside your new site's root.

## Install the theme

### From Download

You can [download the theme as .zip](https://github.com/McShelby/hugo-theme-relearn/archive/main.zip) file and extract it into them `themes/hugo-theme-relearn` directory.

### With Hugo's Module System

Install the Relearn theme by following [this documentation](https://gohugo.io/hugo-modules/use-modules/#use-a-module-for-a-theme) using Hugo's module system.

This theme's repository is: https://github.com/McShelby/hugo-theme-relearn.git

### Using Git or Git Submodules

If you install the theme from your git repository or GitHub, you have several options.

If you use the `head` of the `main` branch, you are using the development version. Usually it is fully functional but can break from time to time. We try to fix newly introduced bugs in this version as soon as possible.

Additionally you can checkout one of the tagged versions. These tagged versions correspond to an official [releases from the GitHub repository](https://github.com/McShelby/hugo-theme-relearn/releases).

Besides the usual version tags (eg `1.2.3`) there are also tags for the main version (eg. `1.2.x`), major version (eg. `1.x`) and the latest (just `x`) released version making it easier for you to pin the theme to a certain version.

## Basic Configuration

When building the website, you can set a theme by using `--theme` option. However, we suggest you modify the configuration file `hugo.toml` and set the theme as the default.

{{< multiconfig file=hugo >}}
theme = "hugo-theme-relearn"
{{< /multiconfig >}}

## Create your Home Page

If you don't create a home page, yet, the theme will generate a placeholder text with instructions how to proceed.

Start your journey by filling the home page with content

````shell
hugo new --kind home _index.md
````

By opening the given file, you should see the property `archetype=home` on top, meaning this page is a home page. The Relearn theme provides [some archetypes](cont/archetypes) to create those skeleton files for your website.

Obviously you better should change the page's content.

## Create your First Chapter Page

Chapters are pages that contain other child pages. It has a special layout style and usually just contains the _title_ and a _brief abstract_ of the section.

````md
# Basics

Discover what this Hugo theme is all about and the core concepts behind it.
````

renders as

![A Chapter](chapter.png?width=60pc)

Begin by creating your first chapter page with the following command:

````shell
hugo new --kind chapter basics/_index.md
````

By opening the given file, you should see the property `archetype=chapter` on top, meaning this page is a _chapter_.

The `weight` number will be used to generate the subtitle of the chapter page, set the number to a consecutive value starting at 1 for each new chapter level.

## Create your First Content Pages

Then, create content pages inside the previously created chapter. Here are two ways to create content in the chapter:

````shell
hugo new basics/first-content.md
hugo new basics/second-content/_index.md
````

Feel free to edit those files by adding some sample content and replacing the `title` value in the beginning of the files.

## Launching the Website Locally

Launch by using the following command:

````shell
hugo serve
````

Go to `http://localhost:1313`

You should notice three things:

1. The home page contains some basic text.
2. You have a left-side **Basics** menu, containing two submenus with names equal to the `title` properties in the previously created files.
3. When you run `hugo serve` your page refreshes automatically when you change a content page. Neat!

## Build the Website

When your site is ready to deploy, run the following command:

````shell
hugo
````

A `public` folder will be generated, containing all content and assets for your website. It can now be deployed on any web server.

Now it's time to deploy your page by simply uploading your project to some webserver or by using one of [Hugo's many deployment options](https://gohugo.io/hosting-and-deployment/).