Install

Kitfly requires Bun as its runtime.

# Install Bun (if you don't have it)
curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash

# Install Kitfly globally (from npm)
bun add -g kitfly

# Verify
kitfly --version

Alternative: npm install -g kitfly (still requires Bun, because the CLI runs with Bun).

No global install: bunx kitfly --version

Note: bun/npm installs the latest published release. If you're reading main before a release is cut, clone this repo for the newest features.

Don't need the CLI? kitfly init creates a standalone site that runs with just Bun — no kitfly binary required after setup.

For contributor/development setup, see docs/development.md.

What's a Kitsite?

Any site created or managed by kitfly is a kitsite — a self-contained workspace with your content, configuration, and (optionally) build scripts. A kitsite can operate in different modes:

| Mode | What it produces | Created with | | -------- | --------------------------------- | ------------------------------------- | | docs | Documentation site (default) | kitfly init my-docs | | slides | Fixed-aspect slide deck (v0.2.0+) | kitfly init my-deck --template deck |

Every kitsite has the same structure: a content/ directory with your markdown, a site.yaml for configuration, and static output you can host anywhere or bundle into a single HTML file. Standalone kitsites (created with kitfly init) include their own build scripts and run with just Bun — no kitfly CLI required after setup.

Three Ways to Use Kitfly

| Approach | Best For | What You Get | | ------------------------- | ------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | | kitfly init | New projects | Standalone kitsite with your own copy of the code | | kitfly dev ./folder | Existing docs | Quick preview without changing anything | | Clone this repo | Contributors | The kitfly engine itself |

Create a Standalone Kitsite (Recommended)

kitfly init my-docs
cd my-docs
bun install
bun run dev

Or start a slide deck:

kitfly init my-deck --template deck
cd my-deck
bun install
bun run dev

You get a complete, self-contained kitsite: rendering code, template, styles, config. It's yours — modify it, version it, own it. No kitfly CLI required after setup.

Preview Existing Docs

kitfly dev ./path/to/markdown
kitfly build ./docs --out ./dist
kitfly bundle ./docs --name docs.html

Render any folder of markdown instantly. Great for docs that live in another repo.

Clone for Development

git clone https://github.com/3leaps/kitfly
cd kitfly
bun install
bun run dev

The content/ folder is the actual kitfly documentation. What you see is what you get.

For full contributor setup (toolchain, bootstrap, local CLI), see docs/development.md. For the product overview, see Kitfly Overview.

Two Ways to Share

Send it — Single HTML file you can email, Slack, or drop in a shared drive. Works offline.

Host it — Static site you deploy to GitHub Pages, Netlify, S3, anywhere.

What You Get

| Feature | How | | ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | Hot reload | Edit markdown, see changes instantly | | Navigation | Auto-generated from folder structure | | Table of contents | Extracted from headings | | Dark mode | System preference + toggle | | Slides mode | mode: slides for fixed-aspect decks (v0.2.0+) | | Gantt charts | Wave-based planning with max-depth filtering — one dataset, summary and detail views (v0.2.4+) | | Plugins | Optional add-ons via kitfly.plugins.yaml (pinned + integrity-checked) | | Diagrams | Mermaid via CDN | | Syntax highlighting | Prism.js via CDN | | Embedded docs | kitfly docs list and kitfly docs show <slug> — offline CLI reference (v0.2.4+) | | Offline-ready | Static HTML, no server required |

What You Don't Get

• Component libraries
• Client-side routing
• Build pipelines to learn
• Framework lock-in
• Subscription fees

If you need those features, use Astro, VitePress, or Docusaurus. They're excellent. Kitfly is for when you don't.

Configuration

Create site.yaml (optional):

docroot: "content"
title: "My Documentation"
home: "index.md"
mode: "docs" # or "slides" (v0.2.0+)

brand:
  name: "My Project"
  url: "/"

sections:
  - name: "Guide"
    path: "guide"
  - name: "Reference"
    path: "reference"

Or just drop markdown files in content/ — sections auto-discover.

Plugins

Plugins are optional CSS/JS add-ons (kept out of core) that you enable per-kitsite.

• Config: kitfly.plugins.yaml
• Versions are pinned ([email protected])
• Assets are integrity-checked (sha256)

See content/reference/plugins.md for the contract and examples.

Philosophy

Rule of thumb: If it can't be done with CSS, vanilla JS under 50 lines, or a marked plugin, it doesn't belong here.

Kitfly is intentionally limited. The goal is a kitsite that stays simple and maintainable. When you outgrow it, migrate — your content is just markdown.

Name

Kit + Fly

• Kit: Your handbook, runbook, notebook — a collection of docs
• Fly: Fast, instant, launching to the web

Pack your docs. Watch them fly.

License: MIT

Made by 3 Leaps