<![CDATA[Konnexu Community - Blog, CMS, Wiki]]> https://forum.konnexu.com/ Fri, 10 Apr 2026 21:40:50 +0000 MyBB <![CDATA[MkDocs for a Knowledgebase]]> https://forum.konnexu.com/thread-49.html Fri, 01 Nov 2024 11:36:42 +0000 Donna_Kx]]> https://forum.konnexu.com/thread-49.html Mkdocs, a static site generator, for a knowledgebase that'll be for our clients in the near future. According to the MkDocs description, they are:

Quote:MkDocs is a fast, simple and downright gorgeous static site generator that's geared towards building project documentation. Documentation source files are written in Markdown, and configured with a single YAML configuration file.

I use PhpStorm which makes working with MkDocs a breeze. The Material theme, by Martin Donath (aka squidfunk on Github), is awesome. It has so many necessary features that it's almost a must have, IMO. 

When deciding on what platform to use for our KB, we looked at several options. We settled on MkDocs as we wanted a lightweight platform without a database as we don't really need a db for a static site. Yes, it takes a bit of time to learn how to use MkDocs, but that's true with anything. Once you learn how to make pages, menus, etc, you're golden. 

MkDocs has SEO tools, and the Material theme has extra tools to extend those features. You can also mark articles as new, advanced, etc with statuses if using the Material theme:

.png   pagestatus.png (Size: 69.18 KB / Downloads: 7)

In the above image, you can see the statuses to the right of the menus (Deprecated, Happy, Section). That's very handy when making tutorials as you can mark new ones, archived or deprecated posts, advanced, etc etc.

The site search is zippy fast. In fact, the whole KB we have is fast. It's also scoring very high on accessibility, with many pages already at 100%.  Cool

Don't let the initial "coding" aspect of creating the pages scare you. It's not that hard. Really. Should you want to set one up, and get stuck, start a thread and ping me in it (or PM the thread link to me) and I'll try my best to guide you along.  Smile]]> Mkdocs, a static site generator, for a knowledgebase that'll be for our clients in the near future. According to the MkDocs description, they are:

Quote:MkDocs is a fast, simple and downright gorgeous static site generator that's geared towards building project documentation. Documentation source files are written in Markdown, and configured with a single YAML configuration file.

I use PhpStorm which makes working with MkDocs a breeze. The Material theme, by Martin Donath (aka squidfunk on Github), is awesome. It has so many necessary features that it's almost a must have, IMO. 

When deciding on what platform to use for our KB, we looked at several options. We settled on MkDocs as we wanted a lightweight platform without a database as we don't really need a db for a static site. Yes, it takes a bit of time to learn how to use MkDocs, but that's true with anything. Once you learn how to make pages, menus, etc, you're golden. 

MkDocs has SEO tools, and the Material theme has extra tools to extend those features. You can also mark articles as new, advanced, etc with statuses if using the Material theme:

.png   pagestatus.png (Size: 69.18 KB / Downloads: 7)

In the above image, you can see the statuses to the right of the menus (Deprecated, Happy, Section). That's very handy when making tutorials as you can mark new ones, archived or deprecated posts, advanced, etc etc.

The site search is zippy fast. In fact, the whole KB we have is fast. It's also scoring very high on accessibility, with many pages already at 100%.  Cool

Don't let the initial "coding" aspect of creating the pages scare you. It's not that hard. Really. Should you want to set one up, and get stuck, start a thread and ping me in it (or PM the thread link to me) and I'll try my best to guide you along.  Smile]]> <![CDATA[Comparing Grav, Hugo and Mkdocs for Documents or Blogs]]> https://forum.konnexu.com/thread-30.html Fri, 02 Aug 2024 12:31:49 +0000 Donna_Kx]]> https://forum.konnexu.com/thread-30.html As so many focus on WordPress, we figured to share some other options that can be good choices for blogging if you want a less heavy option than WordPress and want to self-host. Since these tend not to use a database, they can also be less of a security concern and easier to backup and maintain. 

Grav, Hugo, and MkDocs are all popular choices for building static websites, including blogs. While they share similarities, they also have distinct characteristics that cater to different user preferences and project requirements. We use MkDocs with the Material theme for our knowledge base that’s in development.

Grav
  • Type: Flat-file CMS  (does not require a database, uses file system to store content)
  • Strengths:
    • Flexible and customizable
    • User-friendly admin panel  
    • Strong theming capabilities  
    • Handles complex content structures well
    • Super simple install - unzip, visit the site in the browser, set up the admin user and password,  and that’s it

  • Weaknesses:
    • Can be resource-intensive compared to Hugo and MkDocs
    • Requires PHP environment  

  • Best for:
    • Bloggers seeking a balance between flexibility and ease of use
    • Those who need to manage complex content structures

Hugo
  • Type: Static site generator  (a tool that creates a static HTML website using raw data and templates)
  • Strengths:
    • Extremely fast performance  
    • Large and active community  
    • Extensive theming options
    • Strong SEO support  

  • Weaknesses:
    • Steeper learning curve compared to Grav and MkDocs
    • Less flexible for complex content structures

  • Best for:
    • Performance-oriented bloggers
    • Developers who prefer a command-line interface

MkDocs
  • Type: Documentation-focused static site generator
  • Strengths:
    • Simple and easy to use
    • Excellent for technical documentation
    • Strong integration with Markdown  
    • Clean and minimalist design

  • Weaknesses:
    • Primarily focused on documentation, might lack features for blogging (unless using a theme that has blogging features such as Material)
    • Fewer theming options compared to Grav and Hugo

  • Best for:
    • Technical bloggers or those creating documentation-heavy sites

  • Note:
    • The Material theme has some awesome features that make blogging with this platform easier to do. It still takes more tech know-how, or a desire to learn some tech.

Comparison Table
Feature               Grav               Hugo               MkDocs
Ease of use       Medium          Low                 High
Performance     Medium          High                High
Flexibility          High               Medium           Low
Theming            High               High                 Medium
Community        Medium         High                 Medium

Choosing the Right Tool
  • Grav: Ideal for bloggers who value flexibility, ease of use, and a rich feature set. Does have an optional admin panel.
  • Hugo: Perfect for performance-conscious bloggers and developers who prefer a command-line interface.
  • MkDocs: Best suited for technical bloggers or those creating documentation-heavy sites.

Ultimately, the best choice depends on your specific needs, technical expertise, and project requirements. Consider factors such as desired level of customization, performance expectations, and the complexity of your content when making a decision. If you need an admin panel, Grav does have one and you could always have one made for either of the others. Hugo has some third party admin panels if needed. But, as far as I’m concerned, it’s fun working with MkDocs and manually making the various pages. Smile]]> As so many focus on WordPress, we figured to share some other options that can be good choices for blogging if you want a less heavy option than WordPress and want to self-host. Since these tend not to use a database, they can also be less of a security concern and easier to backup and maintain. 

Grav, Hugo, and MkDocs are all popular choices for building static websites, including blogs. While they share similarities, they also have distinct characteristics that cater to different user preferences and project requirements. We use MkDocs with the Material theme for our knowledge base that’s in development.

Grav
  • Type: Flat-file CMS  (does not require a database, uses file system to store content)
  • Strengths:
    • Flexible and customizable
    • User-friendly admin panel  
    • Strong theming capabilities  
    • Handles complex content structures well
    • Super simple install - unzip, visit the site in the browser, set up the admin user and password,  and that’s it

  • Weaknesses:
    • Can be resource-intensive compared to Hugo and MkDocs
    • Requires PHP environment  

  • Best for:
    • Bloggers seeking a balance between flexibility and ease of use
    • Those who need to manage complex content structures

Hugo
  • Type: Static site generator  (a tool that creates a static HTML website using raw data and templates)
  • Strengths:
    • Extremely fast performance  
    • Large and active community  
    • Extensive theming options
    • Strong SEO support  

  • Weaknesses:
    • Steeper learning curve compared to Grav and MkDocs
    • Less flexible for complex content structures

  • Best for:
    • Performance-oriented bloggers
    • Developers who prefer a command-line interface

MkDocs
  • Type: Documentation-focused static site generator
  • Strengths:
    • Simple and easy to use
    • Excellent for technical documentation
    • Strong integration with Markdown  
    • Clean and minimalist design

  • Weaknesses:
    • Primarily focused on documentation, might lack features for blogging (unless using a theme that has blogging features such as Material)
    • Fewer theming options compared to Grav and Hugo

  • Best for:
    • Technical bloggers or those creating documentation-heavy sites

  • Note:
    • The Material theme has some awesome features that make blogging with this platform easier to do. It still takes more tech know-how, or a desire to learn some tech.

Comparison Table
Feature               Grav               Hugo               MkDocs
Ease of use       Medium          Low                 High
Performance     Medium          High                High
Flexibility          High               Medium           Low
Theming            High               High                 Medium
Community        Medium         High                 Medium

Choosing the Right Tool
  • Grav: Ideal for bloggers who value flexibility, ease of use, and a rich feature set. Does have an optional admin panel.
  • Hugo: Perfect for performance-conscious bloggers and developers who prefer a command-line interface.
  • MkDocs: Best suited for technical bloggers or those creating documentation-heavy sites.

Ultimately, the best choice depends on your specific needs, technical expertise, and project requirements. Consider factors such as desired level of customization, performance expectations, and the complexity of your content when making a decision. If you need an admin panel, Grav does have one and you could always have one made for either of the others. Hugo has some third party admin panels if needed. But, as far as I’m concerned, it’s fun working with MkDocs and manually making the various pages. Smile]]>