Installing Jekyll on Windows: building a personal blog

I previously wrote about setting up a personal blog on GitHub, but left out Jekyll installation. After getting a new computer, I took the opportunity to record the Windows setup in detail.

Step 1: install Ruby

Jekyll is built with Ruby, so prepare Ruby first.

1. Visit the Ruby websiteDownload the appropriate RubyInstaller.
2. I chose the rubyinstaller-devkit-3.4.7-1-x64 release.
3. Choose a version appropriate for your system.

Important installation steps:

• Run the downloaded installer and follow its instructions.
• Important: enable “Add to PATH” so the commands can be used from a terminal.
• Install the MSYS2 components offered by the installer; they provide the build tools needed by some gems.

After installation, open a command prompt and check Ruby:

ruby -v

Step 2: install RubyGems

RubyGems manages Ruby packages, including Jekyll.

1. Visit the RubyGems download page
2. Download the ZIP archive.

Installation steps:

• Extract the ZIP into a suitable directory.
• Open a command prompt in that directory.
• Run the installation command:

ruby setup.rb

Step 3: install Jekyll and related components

Now install Jekyll.

Install Jekyll itself:

gem install jekyll

Install the pagination plugin used by many themes:

gem install jekyll-paginate

Check the installation:

jekyll -v

Step 4: test locally

From your Jekyll blog directory, start the local server:

bundle exec jekyll server

If a plugin is missing, install the dependency indicated by the error:

Run the server again after installation; you should see a successful startup:

Open http://localhost:4000 in your browser to view the blog locally.

Installation complete! 🎉

Jekyll is now installed on Windows, ready for local blog development and testing. If you run into an installation problem, record the error so it can be discussed and diagnosed.

A useful habit: write down the setup process so that moving to another computer or reinstalling the system is easier.

References:Jekyll on Windows

About the author I write about web development and open-source tools, sharing what I learn through practical work. I hope these notes help other developers solve similar problems and provide a place to keep learning together.