Deploy Jekyll Chirpy to Cloudflare Workers from Ubuntu 22 LXC
Complete guide to install Jekyll with Chirpy theme on a fresh Ubuntu 22 LXC container and deploy it to Cloudflare using Wrangler.
Prerequisites
- Ubuntu 22.04 LXC container
- Internet access
- At least 1GB RAM (2GB recommended)
- Cloudflare account
Step 1: Update System and Install Dependencies
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| sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y git curl gcc g++ make
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Step 2: Install Ruby and Bundler
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| sudo apt install -y ruby-full
sudo gem install bundler
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Verify installations:
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| ruby --version # Should show ruby 3.0.x or later
bundler --version
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Step 3: Install Node.js and npm
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| curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_20.x | sudo -E bash -
sudo apt install -y nodejs
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Verify:
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| node --version # Should show v20.x
npm --version
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Step 4: Install Jekyll and Chirpy Theme
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| git clone https://github.com/cotes2020/jekyll-theme-chirpy.git ~/chirpy-site
cd ~/chirpy-site
bundle install
bundle exec jekyll serve --host 0.0.0.0
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Access at http://<your-lxc-ip>:4000
Press Ctrl+C to stop when confirmed working.
Key settings to change:
| Setting |
Description |
title |
Your site title |
description |
Site description |
url |
Your Cloudflare domain (e.g., https://example.com) |
timezone |
Your timezone (e.g., Asia/Shanghai) |
Save and exit (Ctrl+X, then Y, then Enter).
Step 6: Install Wrangler (Cloudflare CLI)
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| npm install -g wrangler
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If you get EACCES permission errors, install locally:
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| cd ~/chirpy-site
npm install --save-dev wrangler
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Step 7: Authenticate with Cloudflare
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| wrangler login --device-code
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Follow the URL and enter the provided code.
Step 8: Create Wrangler Configuration
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| cat > ~/chirpy-site/wrangler.jsonc << 'EOF'
{
"name": "your-site-name",
"compatibility_date": "2025-06-05",
"assets": { "directory": "./_site" }
}
EOF
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Replace "your-site-name" with your preferred project name.
Step 9: Build and Deploy
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| cd ~/chirpy-site
bundle exec jekyll build
npx wrangler deploy
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Your site will be deployed to https://<project-name>.pages.dev
Step 10: Create Deployment Script (Optional)
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| cat > ~/chirpy-site/deploy.sh << 'EOF'
#!/bin/bash
echo "🔨 Building Jekyll site..."
cd ~/chirpy-site
JEKYLL_GIT=false bundle exec jekyll build
echo "☁️ Deploying to Cloudflare..."
npx wrangler deploy
echo "✅ Deployed!"
EOF
chmod +x ~/chirpy-site/deploy.sh
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Run with: ~/chirpy-site/deploy.sh
Step 11: Add Custom Domain (Optional)
- Go to Cloudflare Dashboard → Workers & Pages → Select your project
- Click Custom domains → Set up a custom domain
- Enter your domain and follow DNS configuration instructions
Complete Workflow Summary
| Action |
Command |
| Initial clone |
git clone https://github.com/cotes2020/jekyll-theme-chirpy.git ~/chirpy-site |
| Install gems |
cd ~/chirpy-site && bundle install |
| Configure site |
Edit _config.yml |
| Build site |
bundle exec jekyll build |
| Deploy to Cloudflare |
npx wrangler deploy |
| One-command deploy |
./deploy.sh |
Troubleshooting
| Issue |
Fix |
Permission errors with gem install |
gem install --user-install bundler |
bundle install fails with native extension errors |
sudo apt install -y build-essential ruby-dev |
| Wrangler login fails in headless LXC |
npx wrangler login --device-code |
| Port 4000 already in use |
bundle exec jekyll serve --port 4001 |
| Git warnings during Jekyll build |
Add export JEKYLL_GIT=false to your script |
| EACCES errors with npm global install |
Use local install: npm install --save-dev wrangler |
Notes
- You don’t need Nginx, Apache, or any other web server
- You don’t need to manage SSL certificates (Cloudflare provides them)
- Your site is served globally via Cloudflare’s CDN
- Updates are instant: just rebuild and redeploy
- The
_site/ directory is generated and should not be edited directly
