Using ed(1) as a site generator

Published on 2025-06-02 by Mark VandeWettering

After literally decades of struggling through using Wordpress, I decided to shift over and generate my website as a collection of static files using a short(ish) Python script to do everything. As I tidy this up, I'm sure I'll get it on github or something, but I've been wanting to write up a manifesto of sorts, describing why someone would do this when WSYWIG, scaleable, complicated web site generators are available.

As I was closing out my reading this evening, I found Artyom Bologov's slightly crazy webpage Using ed(1) as My Static Site Generator. I can't decide if he's brilliant or crazy. I suspect that it's closer to the second, although even he admits he's probably not to be taken seriously.

But it does have one interesting feature: he builds five separate text formats from a common input, all from a common input that is totally under his control. There is a nugget of beauty inside this lunacy.

I'll have to spend some more time reading his blog which has some more writings which appear to be thought provoking, if a bit crazy.

Good night all.