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Install Thulite with the Automatic CLI

Ready to install Thulite? Follow this guide to using the create thulite CLI to get started.

Prerequisites

  • Node.js - v20.11.0 or higher — run node -v to check.
  • Hugo extended - v0.125.0 or higher — run hugo version to check.
  • Text editor - We recommend VS Code — see also Editor Setup.
  • Terminal - Thulite is accessed through its command-line interface (CLI).

Installation

create-thulite is the fastest way to start a new Thulite project from scratch. It will walk you through every step of setting up your new Thulite project. It allows you to choose from a few different official starter templates. Or, you can use any existing project on GitHub with the degit command.

1. Run the Setup Wizard

Run the following command in your terminal to start our handy install wizard:

Terminal window
npm create thulite@latest

You can run create-thulite anywhere on your machine, so there’s no need to create a new empty directory for your project before you begin. If you don’t have an empty directory yet for your new project, the wizard will help create one for you automatically.

If all goes well, you should see a “Done” message followed by the next steps.

2. Install dependencies

cd into your new project directory and install your projects’ dependencies before continuing.

Terminal window
npm install

3. Start Thulite ✨

Thulite uses the Hugo development server that has everything you need for project development. The dev command will start the local development server so that you can see your new website in action for the very first time.

Use your favorite package manager to run this command and start the Hugo development server.

Terminal window
npm run dev

If all goes well, Thulite should now be serving your project on http://localhost:1313!

The Hugo server will listen for live file changes in your project directory, so you will not need to restart the server as you make changes during development.

If you aren’t able to open your project in the browser, go back to the terminal where you ran the dev command and look to see if an error occurred, or if your project is being served at a different URL than the one linked to above.

Starter Templates

You can also start a new Thulite project based on an official example by passing a --template argument to the create thulite command. Or, by using a tool like degit to scaffold your project with the main branch of any GitHub repository.

Official

Create a new project with an official example — for example with Doks:

Terminal window
# Syntax: npm create thulite@latest -- --template <example-name>
npm create thulite@latest -- --template doks

Community

Create a new project based on a GitHub repository’s main branch

Terminal window
# Syntax: npx degit <user/repo> [project-directory]
npx degit h-enk/simply-cyan my-thulite-project

Explore our themes and starters showcase where you can browse themes for blogs, portfolios, documentation, landing pages, and more! Or, search on GitHub for even more starter projects.

Next Steps

Success! You are now ready to start building with Thulite! 🥳

Here are a few topics that we recommend exploring next. You can read them in any order. You can even leave our documentation for a bit and go play in your new Thulite project codebase, coming back here whenever you run into trouble or have a question.