Install MkDocs

This covers how to get MkDocs installed, set up and ready to use on your computer.

Requirements

To use MkDocs, you need two things:

Python 3.x: A programming language that MkDocs uses.
pip: A tool that helps install Python programs. It usually comes with Python.

Open your computer's Terminal on Mac/Linux or Command Prompt on Windows.

Type this:

python3 --version

If you see a version number like Python 3.9.x, you're good.

Otherwise, you'll need to install Python. You can download and install python from the official Python website.

Once Python is ready, use pip to install MkDocs. In your Terminal/Command Prompt, type:

pip install mkdocs

Confirm it has installed and works by checking the version with:

mkdocs --version

This should show you the MkDocs version number.

To create your first docs site, type this (you can change My-New-Doc to any name you like):

mkdocs new My-New-Doc

This command creates a new folder called My-New-Doc.

Inside, you'll find a basic setup with a file named mkdocs.yml which is used for settings and a docs folder where your pages are created.

Navigate into your new project folder in your terminal:

cd my-new-docs

You can also open this project folder in your VS Code or preffered IDE by:

code .

Then, start the preview server:

mkdocs serve

You can then follow the link, http://127.0.0.1:8000 to your web browser and you should see a simple webpage.

This server updates automatically as you make changes.

You've just: