---
title: "Buddy"
---

[Buddy][buddy-homepage] is a [Docker][docker-homepage]-based CI server that you can set up in 15-20 minutes to build, test, and deploy your Jekyll websites. It supports [GitHub][github-homepage], [Bitbucket][bitbucket-homepage], and [GitLab][gitlab-homepage] repositories, and can be installed on-premises or used in cloud. The following guide will show you how to set up a free environment to build and test your Jekyll project.

[buddy-homepage]: https://buddy.works
[docker-homepage]: https://www.docker.com/
[github-homepage]: https://github.com
[bitbucket-homepage]: https://bitbucket.org/
[gitlab-homepage]: https://gitlab.com

## 1. Getting started

1. Log in at [https://buddy.works][buddy-homepage] with your GitHub/Bitbucket account or email
2. Choose your Git provider and select or push your Jekyll Project
3. Create a new pipeline and set the trigger mode to 'On every push'
4. Add and configure the Jekyll action and save the pipeline

## 2. How it works

Whenever you make a push to the selected branch, the Jekyll action runs `jekyll build` in an isolated [Jekyll Docker image][jekyll-docker-image]. The output is generated to the `/filesystem` directory, and can be further deployed to FTP/SFTP and IaaS services. You can add your own commands, install additional packages, attach services, and run Selenium tests, as well as add other actions down the pipeline, eg. a Slack notification or an SSH script that will restart your server.

[jekyll-docker-image]: https://hub.docker.com/r/jekyll/jekyll/

## 3. Using YAML for configuration

If you prefer configuration as code over GUI, you can generate a `buddy.yml` that will create a pipeline with the Jekyll action once you push it to the target branch:

```yaml
- pipeline: "Build and Deploy Jekyll site"
  trigger_mode: "ON_EVERY_PUSH"
  ref_name: "master"
  actions:
  - action: "Execute: jekyll build"
    type: "BUILD"
    docker_image_name: "jekyll/jekyll"
    docker_image_tag: "latest"
    execute_commands:
    - "chown jekyll:jekyll $WORKING_DIR"
    - "jekyll build"
```

## 4. Setting up on-premises server

The self-hosted version of Buddy can be installed on any type of server supporting Docker, including [Linux][bw-linux], [Mac][bw-mac], [AWS EC2][bw-aws-ec2], [DigitalOcean][bw-digitalocean], and [Microsoft Azure][bw-azure].

[bw-linux]: https://buddy.works/knowledge/standalone/installation-linux
[bw-mac]: https://buddy.works/knowledge/standalone/installation-mac-osx
[bw-aws-ec2]: https://buddy.works/knowledge/standalone/installation-amazon-ec2
[bw-digitalocean]: https://buddy.works/knowledge/standalone/installation-digitalocean
[bw-azure]: https://buddy.works/knowledge/standalone/installation-azure

## 5. Questions?

This entire guide is open-source. Go ahead and [edit it][jekyll-docs-ci-buddy] if you want to expand it or have a fix or [ask for help][jekyll-help] if you run into trouble and need assistance. Buddy also has an [online community][buddy-forum] for help.

[jekyll-docs-ci-buddy]: https://github.com/jekyll/jekyll/edit/master/docs/_docs/continuous-integration/buddyworks.md
[jekyll-help]: https://jekyllrb.com/help/
[buddy-forum]: https://forum.buddy.works/