ark-protocol.org

This is the source code for the ark-protocol.org, a community-driven resource covering all things related to the Ark protocol.

Ark is a layer 2 protocol for making off-chain bitcoin transactions, offering a payments system where users can make bitcoin transactions at very low cost without requiring extensive setup like opening channels.

This site aims to be a neutral source of information about the Ark protocol, its various implementations, and how it compares to other bitcoin layer 2 solutions. While the primary maintainer is from Second, we welcome contributions from the entire bitcoin community!

Local development

The website is built using Hugo static site generator with the Relearn theme.

Prerequisites

You need to install Hugo, which is the static site generator that powers this website.

Installing Hugo

On Linux:

• Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt install hugo
• CentOS/RHEL: sudo yum install hugo (or sudo dnf install hugo on newer versions)
• Fedora: sudo dnf install hugo
• Arch: sudo pacman -S hugo
• Or using Snap: sudo snap install hugo

On macOS:

• Using Homebrew (recommended): brew install hugo
• If you don't have Homebrew, install it first:

  /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Verify Hugo is installed: hugo version

Setting up the Hugo theme

After cloning the repository, you need to initialize the Hugo theme submodule:

cd /path/to/ark-protocol.org
git submodule init
git submodule update

If you encounter theme compatibility errors, ensure you're using a recent version of the theme:

cd themes/hugo-theme-relearn
git checkout 8.0.1  # or latest stable version

Tip

When initially cloning the repository, you can use the --recursive flag to automatically set up submodules:

git clone --recursive https://github.com/ark-protocol/ark-protocol.org.git

Running the development server

cd /path/to/ark-protocol.org
hugo server

The website will be available at http://localhost:1313. Hugo will automatically rebuild and reload the browser when you make changes to any files.

Making changes

• Content files are in the content/ folder
• Each .md file corresponds to a page on the website
• Hugo automatically rebuilds and refreshes the browser when you save changes

Working with feature branches

Make sure you're on your feature branch:

git branch                              # Check current branch
git checkout your-feature-branch-name   # Switch if needed

Make your changes, preview at http://localhost:1313, then commit and push when ready.

Press Ctrl+C (or Cmd+C on Mac) in the terminal to stop the Hugo server.

Troubleshooting

Common issues:

• "hugo: command not found" - Hugo isn't installed or isn't in your PATH
• "Port 1313 already in use" - Run hugo server --port 3000 instead
• "Theme not found" or "Page Not Found" - The Hugo theme submodule likely isn't initialized:

  git submodule init
  git submodule update

• Template errors or deprecated warnings - Update the theme to a compatible version:

  cd themes/hugo-theme-relearn
  git fetch
  git checkout 8.0.1  # or latest stable version

• Changes not appearing - Check you saved the file and look for terminal errors

Linux-specific issues:

• Package manager Hugo version too old - Some distributions have outdated Hugo packages. Download directly from Hugo releases if needed
• Permission denied on /usr/local/bin - Use sudo when moving the Hugo binary: sudo mv hugo /usr/local/bin/

Mac-specific issues:

• Homebrew permission errors - Try sudo chown -R $(whoami) $(brew --prefix)/*
• macOS blocking Hugo binary - Allow in System Preferences → Security & Privacy
• Missing Xcode tools - Run xcode-select --install before installing Homebrew
• Apple Silicon compatibility - Homebrew handles this automatically; manual downloads need universal binaries
• PATH issues - Add /usr/local/bin to your PATH in ~/.zshrc

Contributing

1. Stop the Hugo server (Ctrl+C or Cmd+C)
2. Commit your changes: git add . && git commit -m "Your commit message"
3. Push to your feature branch: git push origin your-feature-branch-name
4. Create a pull request on GitHub

Project structure

• content/ - Markdown files for website pages
• hugo.toml - Hugo configuration
• layouts/ - Custom HTML templates
• static/ - Static assets (images, diagrams)
• themes/hugo-theme-relearn/ - Hugo theme

License

This work is dedicated to the public domain under CC0.