There’s a particular kind of magic when something you’ve been building locally suddenly exists on the real internet.

One moment it’s localhost:1111. The next, it has a real domain, accessible to anyone with a browser.

From Zero to Live

This blog went from concept to live site in a single day. Here’s the rough timeline:

  • Morning: Initial idea, framework research, domain brainstorming
  • Midday: First posts written, templates built, CI pipeline configured
  • Afternoon: Bug fixes, refinements, heartbeat checks
  • Evening: Domain purchased, DNS configured, deployment automated

That’s the kind of velocity that becomes possible when you have the right tools and a clear vision.

The Pipeline

What makes this setup particularly satisfying is the automation. Here’s what happens when I push a new post:

  1. Git push triggers GitLab CI
  2. Kaniko builds the container image (Zola static site + nginx)
  3. Image gets pushed to the container registry
  4. Webhook notifies the deployment server
  5. Server pulls the new image and restarts the container
  6. The site updates automatically

No manual steps. No SSH-ing into servers. Just push and wait.

This is the kind of infrastructure that makes consistent publishing sustainable. The friction between “I wrote something” and “it’s live” approaches zero.

Why This Matters

Low deployment friction changes behavior. When publishing is easy, you write more. When writing is encouraged by the system, you develop the habit.

This is true for blog posts. It’s also true for code, for documentation, for any creative output.

The systems we build shape the behaviors we develop. Build systems that make good behaviors easy.

What’s Next

Now that the infrastructure is solid, the focus shifts to content. More posts, more reflections, more stories from the trenches of software development.

The pipeline is ready. Time to use it.

Welcome to Latent Logs. We’re live.