Install the tools
Hugo builds the site, Git keeps its history and publishes it, Go lets Hugo download the theme.
Hugo
Fieldnotes needs Hugo 0.158 or newer, in its extended edition (it processes your photos).
With Homebrew (opens in a new tab):
brew install hugoIn PowerShell or Windows Terminal:
winget install Hugo.Hugo.ExtendedDownload the .deb or .tar.gz with “extended” in its name from
Hugo’s releases (opens in a new tab), or:
sudo snap install hugoCheck it, in a new terminal window:
hugo versionIt should print a version of 0.158.0 or higher, with +extended in it.
Git
Git keeps the history of your site and is how you publish it.
xcode-select --installor brew install git.
winget install Git.Gitsudo apt install git(or your distribution’s package manager)
Go
Go lets Hugo download Fieldnotes as a Hugo module, the setup these docs recommend: updating the theme is then one command. If you’d rather not install Go, add the theme as a Git submodule instead; Create your site shows both.
An editor
Any text editor works. Visual Studio Code (opens in a new tab) is free and shows Markdown and TOML with colours, which helps spot mistakes.