How to Create Your Own Distribution from This Template
This guide will walk you through the process of creating your own distribution based on this one. By following these steps, you can customize and adapt this project to suit your needs.
There are two ways described below, we recommend the first one:
How to Create Your Own Distribution from This Template
This guide explains how to create your own distribution by forking this one. Specifically, you’ll fork the yourOwnDistro branch, which is designed as a starting point for customizing and building your own project.
First way (Recommended):
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Fork the Distribution
- Navigate to the original distribution.
- Click the Fork button in the top-right corner of the page.
- If prompted, select your GitHub account as the destination for the fork.
2. Switch to the yourOwnDistro Branch
After forking the distribution:
- Open the forked distribution on your GitHub account.
- Use the branch dropdown menu (default branch is usually
main) and select theyourOwnDistrobranch. - Click the Branch actions button (the three dots next to the branch name) and choose Rename branch if you want to give it a custom name for your project.
3. Clone the Forked Distribution
To begin working locally:
- Copy the distribution’s URL from the Code button on your forked distribution.
- Open a terminal and run the following command:
git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/<distribution-name>.gitReplace
<your-username>and<distribution-name>with your GitHub username and the forked distribution name. - Navigate into the cloned directory:
cd <distribution-name>
4. Customize the Distribution
The yourOwnDistro branch contains a template structure that you can customize for your project:
- Update the
README.mdfile to describe your project. - Modify the configuration files (e.g.,
.github/workflows/*.yml) to suit your needs. - Add or remove files and directories as necessary.
5. Push Changes to Your Distribution
Once you’ve made your changes:
- Stage your changes:
git add . - Commit your changes with a meaningful message:
git commit -m "Initial customization of the distribution" - Push your changes to your forked distribution:
git push origin yourOwnDistro
Step 6: Enable GitHub Pages (Optional)
If your project includes documentation or a static site, you can enable GitHub Pages to host it:
- Go to your distribution on GitHub.
- Navigate to Settings > Pages.
- Under Source, select GitHub Actions.
- Save the settings.
- Edit the .markdown files inside pages folder
- Run the pages action for GitHub to deploy your site.
Once deployed, your site will be available at https://YOUR_USERNAME.github.io/The name you give.
7. Publish Releases (Optional)
If your project involves building artifacts (e.g., ISOs):
- Use the existing GitHub Actions workflows to automate builds and releases.
- Navigate to the Actions tab in your distribution to monitor workflow runs.
- Once a build is complete, publish the artifact to the Releases section.
Key Notes
- Customization: The
yourOwnDistrobranch is intentionally minimal to provide flexibility. Feel free to adapt it to your specific use case. - GitHub Actions: The workflows provided in this distribution are reusable and can be modified to fit your project’s requirements.
- Documentation: Keep your
README.mdand other documentation up-to-date to help others understand and contribute to your project.
Second way:
Step 1: Fork the Distribution
- Navigate to the original distribution.
- Click the Fork button in the top-right corner of the page.
- Select your GitHub account or organization where you want to create the fork.
Note: Forking creates a copy of the distribution under your account while maintaining a connection to the original distribution for future updates.
Step 2: Clone the Forked Distribution
Once you’ve forked the distribution, clone it to your local machine using the following commands:
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/OwlArch.git
cd OwlArch
Replace YOUR_USERNAME with your actual GitHub username.
Step 3: Customize the Distribution
1. Update Metadata
- Open the
README.mdfile and update the project name, description, and any other relevant details to reflect your new project. - Update the
LICENSEfile if necessary to match your licensing preferences.
2. Modify Content
- Replace existing content (e.g., documentation, scripts, or workflows) with your own files.
- Adjust the GitHub Actions workflows (
.github/workflows/*.yml) to fit your project’s requirements.
3. Update Links
- Update any links in the documentation or README to point to your forked distribution instead of the original one.
Step 4: Push Changes to Your Distribution
After making your changes, commit and push them to your forked distribution:
git add .
git commit -m "Customize distribution for my project"
git push origin main
Step 5: Enable GitHub Pages (Optional)
If your project includes documentation or a static site, you can enable GitHub Pages to host it:
- Go to your distribution on GitHub.
- Navigate to Settings > Pages.
- Under Source, select GitHub Actions.
- Save the settings.
- Edit the .markdown files inside pages folder
- Run the pages action for GitHub to deploy your site.
Once deployed, your site will be available at https://YOUR_USERNAME.github.io/The name you give.
Step 6: Keep Your Distribution Updated (Optional)
To keep your forked distribution up-to-date with changes from the original distribution:
- Add the original distribution as a remote:
git remote add upstream https://github.com/Leku2020/OwlArch.git - Fetch updates from the original distribution:
git fetch upstream - Merge changes into your
mainbranch:git merge upstream/main - Resolve any conflicts and push the updated code to your fork:
git push origin main
Example Use Case
By following this guide, you can use this distribution as a starting point for your own Arch Linux ISO build pipeline or Jekyll-based documentation site. Customize the workflows, scripts, and content to align with your project goals.
For further assistance, refer to the GitHub Documentation or reach out to the community.