FAQ

Does Stygian need plugins?

No. The search index, SEO tags and interactive components are all generated by the theme itself: a Liquid-processed asset, static files and one vanilla JavaScript file. GitHub Pages builds it without any plugin whitelist.

How is Stygian different from just-the-docs?

Stygian covers the same docs-engine surface with a different design language: dark mode by default with an animated circular reveal, a terminal-flavored type system, and extras just-the-docs does not ship: prev/next paging, breadcrumbs, code copy buttons, lazy theme-aware Mermaid, and automatic SEO. Config keys, front matter and component class names are compatible, so migrating is mostly a config change. See Migration from just-the-docs.

Can I use just-the-docs front matter as-is?

Yes for the common cases: title, nav_order (numbers or strings), parent (matched by page title), nav_exclude, search_exclude, has_children, has_toc. Legacy stygian parent: <filename> also still works.

Can I use just-the-docs config keys?

Mostly: aux_links (hash), aux_links_new_tab, color_scheme, search_enabled, heading_anchors, nav_sort, nav_external_links, nav_enabled, footer_content, last_edit_timestamp, gh_edit_link, logo, favicon_ico, mermaid.version and callouts config keys are all honored as aliases of the native stygian: block.

Does the theme support light mode?

Yes, and visitors can switch at runtime with a saved preference. The default scheme is configurable via stygian.theme.default or the color_scheme alias.

Is search free of external services?

Yes. The index is a static JSON file generated at build time; ranking and highlighting run entirely in the browser. No Algolia, no Lunr bundle, no network calls.

Can I use the theme on a site that is not on GitHub Pages?

Yes. Install the gem and build with Jekyll anywhere. The only GitHub-specific feature is remote_theme itself.

How do I report a bug or contribute?

See Contributing in the Developer guide, plus the issue templates in the repository.

Why is the default dark?

Stygian is a terminal-adjacent design system; dark is its native palette. Light mode is a designed companion scheme, not an inversion. Sites that prefer light can set color_scheme: light (or stygian.theme.default: light) and visitors can still switch.