[7jun2026] setting up self-hosted static org-mode website

Problem
Plan

Problem

Want alternative publishing destination to https://rconybea.github.io/web/

Plan

Expand on rented droplet git hosting

org-mode source	https://conybeare.us/git/org-howto
host html	`/var/www/org-howto`

Ingredients:

nginx	`/etc/nginx/nginx.conf`
env	`https://conybeare.us/git/org-howto/shell.nix`
script	`https://conybeare.us/git/org-howto/bin/howto-publish`

Html Location

Provide a place for static html content

  $ sudo mkdir -p /var/www/org-howto
  $ chown forgejo-runner:forgejo-runner /var/www/org-howto

Nginx

Add a new location to nginx configuration, inside the 443 server block

   # /etc/nginx/nginx.conf

   events { }

   http {
       server {
    listen 443 ...;

    ...

           location /git/ {
        ...
           }

    location /web/ {
        alias /var/www/org-howto/;
 index index.html;
    }
       }
   }

Tell nginx to reload its configuration
```
  $ sudo systemctl reload nginx
```

Nix environment

Reproducible environment for batch-mode org2html pipeline.

  # org-howto/shell.nix

  { pkgs ? import <nixpkgs> {} }:

  let
    emacs = (pkgs.emacsPackagesFor pkgs.emacs30).emacsWithPackages (ep: [
ep.htmlize
    ]);
  in
  pkgs.mkShell {
    buildInputs = [ emacs ];
  }

Relying on htmlize for highlighting e.g. in bash source blocks.

Publishing script

Simple bash script for now.

org-howto/bin/howto-publish:

  #!/usr/bin/env bash

  set -euo pipefail

  src_dir="$(cd "$(dirname "$0")/.." && pwd)"
  dest_dir="${1:?usage: howto-publish DEST_DIR}"

  mkdir -p "${dest_dir}"

  emacs --batch \
    --eval "(require 'ox-publish)" \
    --eval "(setq org-publish-project-alist
  '((\"org-howto\"
     :components (\"org-howto-notes\" \"org-howto-static\"))
    (\"org-howto-notes\"
     :base-directory \"${src_dir}\"
     :base-extension \"org\"
     :publishing-directory \"${dest_dir}\"
     :recursive t
     :publishing-function org-html-publish-to-html
     :auto-preamble t)
    (\"org-howto-static\"
     :base-directory \"${src_dir}\"
     :base-extension \"css|html|js|svg|ico|png|jpg|gif|pdf\"
     :publishing-directory \"${dest_dir}\"
     :recursive t
     :publishing-function org-publish-attachment)))" \
    --eval "(org-publish \"org-howto\" t)"

Runner setup

We already have a self-hosted runner for https://conybeare.us/git, with persistent /nix/store access. All that remains is to give that runner a new workflow:

  # org-howto/.forgejo/workflows/deploy.yaml

  name: Deploy

  on:
    push:
      branches: [main]

  jobs:
    publish:
      runs-on: host
      steps:

        - name: Setup PATH
          run: |
            echo "/nix/var/nix/profiles/default/bin" >> $GITHUB_PATH
            echo "/var/lib/forgejo-runner/.nix-profile/bin" >> $GITHUB_PATH

        - name: checkout
          run: |
            git clone --quiet --depth=1 $GITHUB_SERVER_URL/roland/org-howto.git .

        - name: publish
          run: |
            nix-shell shell.nix --run "./bin/howto-publish /var/www/org-howto"

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