qsgen3 - A Static Site Generator Born from Frustration

The Problem We All Know Too Well

You've been there. You want to start a blog, build a portfolio, or create documentation. You research static site generators and find yourself drowning in choices, each promising to be "the one." You pick one, spend hours configuring it, wrestling with themes that almost work, and fighting build systems that break when you breathe on them wrong.

Three months later, you're spending more time maintaining your site generator than writing content.

There had to be a better way.

The Story Behind qsgen3

qsgen3 was born from a simple realization: most static site generators have forgotten their primary job—turning your words into websites. Instead, they've become complex platforms that impose their opinions on everything from your CSS framework to your folder structure.

We asked ourselves: What if a static site generator just... generated static sites?

What if it didn't care whether you prefer Bootstrap or write your own CSS? What if it didn't force you to learn a new templating language or adopt someone else's idea of how a blog should work? What if it was fast, reliable, and got out of your way?

That's qsgen3.

How qsgen3 is Different

It Respects Your Choices

Unlike generators that come with strong opinions about design, qsgen3 is completely design-agnostic. It doesn't ship with CSS frameworks, doesn't impose HTML structures, and doesn't make assumptions about how your site should look. Your content, your design, your rules.

It Values Your Time

Built in Zsh with minimal dependencies, qsgen3 builds sites in seconds, not minutes. No waiting for Ruby gems to compile, no Node.js dependency hell, no Python virtual environments to manage. Just Pandoc, standard Unix tools, and your content.

It Speaks Standard Languages

Your content is written in pure Markdown with YAML frontmatter—the same format used by GitHub, GitLab, and most modern documentation systems. No proprietary tags to learn, no custom syntax to remember. Your content works everywhere, not just with qsgen3.

It Grows With You

Start with the included minimal theme, then customize it however you want. Themes are just HTML templates and CSS files—no complex build systems or framework lock-in. When you outgrow a theme, you can switch or build your own without rewriting a single blog post.

What You Actually Get

When you use qsgen3, you get a tool that handles the boring stuff so you can focus on what matters—your content.

For Your Writing:

• Clean Markdown processing with full Pandoc power
• Automatic RSS feeds that just work
• SEO-friendly sitemaps
• Smart permalinks for blog posts (/blog/2024/01/15/my-post/)
• Draft support for work-in-progress content

For Your Workflow:

• Git-friendly (no generated files cluttering your repo)
• One command builds everything: ./bin/qsgen3
• Migration tools for converting legacy content
• Static asset handling that preserves your file organization

For Your Peace of Mind:

• Minimal dependencies that won't break
• Standard formats that will outlive any framework
• Complete control over your site's appearance and behavior
• No vendor lock-in—your content is always portable

Who This is For

You're a blogger who wants to write, not wrestle with technology. You need something that handles the technical details while giving you complete creative control.

You're a developer who appreciates tools that do one thing well. You want the power of Pandoc without the complexity of enterprise-grade site generators.

You're migrating from WordPress, Jekyll, Hugo, or a custom solution. You're tired of fighting your tools and want something that just works.

You value simplicity over features. You'd rather have a tool that does the essentials perfectly than one that does everything poorly.

Getting Started is Actually Simple

Unlike other generators that require extensive setup, qsgen3 works out of the box:

# Get qsgen3
git clone https://git.kekepower.com/kekePower/qsgen3.git
cd qsgen3

# Configure your site
cp site.conf.example site.conf
# Edit site.conf with your details

# Write your first post
echo "---
title: Hello World
date: 2024-01-15
---
# My First Post
Welcome to my new site!" > content/posts/hello-world.md

# Build your site
./bin/qsgen3

# Deploy anywhere
rsync -av output/ user@yourserver:/var/www/yoursite/

That's it. No package managers, no build tools, no configuration files to debug.

The Technical Details (For Those Who Care)

Structure:

qsgen3/
├── bin/qsgen3           # The build script (one file, ~500 lines)
├── site.conf            # Your site configuration
├── content/             # Your Markdown content
├── layouts/             # HTML templates (yours to customize)
├── themes/              # Optional themes (just templates + CSS)
├── static/              # Your assets (copied as-is)
├── output/              # Generated site
└── scripts/             # Migration utilities

Dependencies:

• Zsh (already on your system)
• Pandoc (for Markdown processing)
• Standard Unix tools (grep, sed, find)

No Ruby. No Node.js. No Python virtual environments. No dependency management nightmares.

The Philosophy

We believe your static site generator should be like a good editor—powerful when you need it, invisible when you don't. It should turn your words into websites without imposing its personality on your content.

qsgen3 doesn't try to be everything to everyone. It's a focused tool for people who want to publish content on the web without fighting their tools.

Your content deserves better than being locked into someone else's vision of how the web should work.

Ready to Take Back Control?

If you're tired of complex site generators that do everything except what you actually need, qsgen3 might be exactly what you're looking for.

Get started with qsgen3 and see what it feels like to have a site generator that actually gets out of your way.