Installation

Requirements

Requirement	Supported
Ruby	3.2, 3.3, 3.4, or 4.0
Rails	8.0 or 8.1
Database	PostgreSQL or SQLite
Images	Active Storage with libvips (or ImageMagick if your host uses that backend)
Rich text	Action Text, only when body_formats includes :rich_text

Every combination of Ruby, Rails, and database above runs in CI. Add the gem and run the installer:

bundle add open_blog
bin/rails generate open_blog:install

To run the latest unreleased source instead, use bundle add open_blog --github techwright-lab/open-blog.

Start the host with bin/dev (or bin/rails server) and open /blog. Set your site and author names in the generated initializer, or pass --site-name="My Journal" --author-name="Example Author" to the generator.

The generator installs the tables, mounts /blog, copies reader views and browser controllers, and publishes one sample article. When the host has no authentication hook or existing token, it prints one API token; save the secret because repeated installation will not show it again. It detects importmap or a JavaScript bundler and Tailwind 4. If Tailwind is absent, its installer also changes the host’s application layout and development scripts. Use --skip-tailwind to keep the host’s CSS setup and load the gem’s compiled stylesheet only in the blog layout.

Generator options

Option	Default	Effect
--site-name, --author-name	placeholders	Values written to the initializer.
--mount-at=/journal	/blog	Mount path. Part of every post URL, so choose it before publishing.
--mount-position=first	last	Place the mount before existing host routes. The default keeps host routes first.
--theme=editorial	signal	Preset written to the initializer as config.theme: signal, editorial, or ink.
--body-format=rich_text	markdown	Permitted body formats: markdown, rich_text, or both.
--skip-sample		Do not publish the sample article.
--skip-migrate		Copy migrations without running them. The sample and token are deferred; run bin/rails open_blog:sample and bin/rails open_blog:install_token after migrating.
--skip-tailwind		Keep the host’s CSS setup and load the gem’s compiled stylesheet.
--admin-suite		Also run the AdminSuite generator.
--force		Replace changed copied files. Without it, changed files are kept in a noninteractive terminal.

Repeating installation reuses the sample and migrations. bin/rails generate open_blog:views refreshes only the copied views.

Configure your site

Run bin/rails open_blog:doctor to inspect configuration, assets, routes, storage, and publishing records. Errors return exit status 1; warnings identify setup still needed.

Set your public origin and replace the placeholder identities in config/initializers/open_blog.rb. The configuration reference lists every setting with its default. The copied templates live in the host’s app/views/open_blog; see customization for reader assets and themes for presets and colors.