Alpha Theme

From Zero with Zero

Target Audience

This guide is for users who have never used Hugo before and want a quick, straightforward way to set up Hugo with Alpha theme.
If you’re already familiar with Hugo, please refer to the Install Alpha guide instead.
The Get Started section of the Alpha documentation serves as a practical demonstration of how effortlessly anyone can create a personal website, with Zero technical knowledge and Zero costs.
If you can copy-paste and click install, you can do this!

So Let’s Start

This guide will follow the path of least resistance, providing a clean and efficient setup process so you can start creating content as quickly as possible.

Supported Platforms

Every step in this guide includes instructions for:

  • Windows 11
  • Linux (distro-agnostic)
  • Chromebooks

Each step and procedure has been extensively tested across different configurations to ensure a fast and reliable setup.

Note: macOS is not included because I currently do not have access to a macOS device to personally verify and guarantee the instructions.
macOS users can follow the Linux instructions, as the setup process is similar. Additionally, they can refer to Hugo’s official documentation for platform-specific details.

A small overview

In the following parts we will:

  • Install Hugo (the website builder), Git (to track changes) and VS Code (a code editor).
  • Create your site on your local computer.
  • Install the Alpha theme.
  • Deploy your site to the web.

Before We Begin

Before we proceed with the installation, you’ll need to create two accounts:

Github Sign-Up

We will use GitHub to store your site’s files

  1. Visit Github and click Sign up
  2. Fill in the required details and verify your account.
Cloudflare Pages Sign-Up

We will use Cloudflare Pages to host your site and make it accessible online.

  1. Visit Cloudflare Pages and click Sign up
  2. Complete the registration process and verify your account.
For Windows Users: Install PowerShell 7

Since Hugo is a command-line program, we will be using the terminal throughout this guide. Windows users must install PowerShell 7 to follow along.

  1. Download the PowerShell 7 MSI package
  2. Double-click the downloaded file and follow the installation instructions

Follow Along

Questions no one asked

But I’m answering them anyway.

I followed the guide but I get an error. Why?

Even though I’ve tested the steps on multiple machines, there’s always a chance something might go sideways.
If you’re stuck and can’t figure it out, feel free to contact me. Let me know what you tried and exactly where things went wrong, I’ll do my best to help.

I found an error in the guide. Should I tell you?

Absolutely!!! Whether it’s a typo, a broken step, or just a better way to explain something, I’d love to hear about it. The guide can only get better with your help.

There are many steps. Can I skip some?

Unfortunately, no. The guide is meant to be followed step-by-step.

I don’t like the X software. Can I use Y instead?

Apart from Hugo itself, you’re free to swap out tools. But I don’t recommend doing that unless you’re already comfortable with the setup.
The tools used in this guide weren’t chosen because they’re “the best,” but because they offer the most straightforward path to the result.