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XOR — Web hosting on Blockstack
Host static websites or single page apps on Blockstack's Gaia storage. Browse hosted websites using Blockstack name.
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Hi @muneeb_majeed great work. Few things:
1. Can we host static sites created using Static site generators like Hugo, Jekyll, Gatsby etc... and then map it normal world TLDs like ( muneeb.com ) so that it can be accessed through normal browser like chrome and don't need my users to download blockstack browser?
2. Also, will these sites be indexed and discoverable by Google and other search engine?
3. I checked on sample site - wildrydes.id.blockstack but it appeared slow to surf. Can we add Cloudflare or other CDN services to make it faster?
4. Can you publish a guide on how to use or map custom domains with sites created using thing technology?
Thank you.
@niteshmanav
Hi Nitesh, thank you!
1. Can we host static sites created using Static site generators like Hugo, Jekyll, Gatsby etc... and then map it normal world TLDs like ( muneeb.com ) so that it can be accessed through a normal browser like chrome and don't need my users to download blockstack browser?
Static generators: we tested with Jekyll and it was working as expected. We are planning to test out the other static generators soon.
DNS mapping: currently, when you save your hosting settings and files, you will get an entry point URL which can be mapped to your custom DNS domain. We also have plans to integrate zeit.co now domains to make it easier to map custom DNS domains.
Users don't have to download or install Blockstack to browse a website, but if the website is not mapped to a DNS domain, they have to use XOR (by entering the Blockstack name in the top search bar) to access the website.
2. Also, will these sites be indexed and discoverable by Google and other search engine?
No, the sites will not be indexed in our current setup. We will research on this further to see what we can do about this. Thank you for bringing this up.
3. I checked on sample site - wildrydes.id.blockstack but it appeared slow to surf. Can we add Cloudflare or other CDN services to make it faster?
The example website is served from the default Gaia hub provided by Blockstack. We didn't think much about the CDN services as we are focusing mostly on making it work using Blockstack Naming Service. But thanks for the feedback, we will for sure consider ways to make the sites faster.
4. Can you publish a guide on how to use or map custom domains with sites created using thing technology?
Yes, we already started working on this. We also have plans to integrate zeit.co now domains to make it easier to map custom DNS domains.
Thanks again for the feedback, Nitesh!
@muneeb_majeed Thank you so much for the detailed feedback. I will be following this project for sure.
Thanks.
Thanks for hunting @amrith!
Hello PH!
We created XOR as a platform for hosting and browsing static websites or single page apps (SPA) on Blockstack's Gaia storage.
But why host your website on Blockstack?
1. Censorship resistant
You don't have to rely on centralized hosting providers to host your site. Blockstack's decentralized storage system gives the user control over where they store their data. XOR or Blockstack don't have any say over what you host or which Gaia hub you use. So you don't have to worry about a centralized service provider shutting your website down.
2. Difficult to hijack
When you use XOR to host your site, your Blockstack name is used to authenticate the access to your Gaia storage. A private key controls the Blockstack name, and the authentication process doesn't involve any remote servers. So as long as the private key is not compromised, only you can control what you host on Blockstack. No centralized servers to hack or take over.
3. Blockstack Naming Service
When you browse a website using the associated Blockstack name, XOR uses Blockstack Naming Service (BNS) to resolve the site related to that Blockstack name. This ensures that the content you are seeing is the same content hosted by the Blockstack name's owner.
4. Custom DNS domains
If you want to make your website available outside XOR, you can still make use of the decentralization and high-performance Gaia provides by hosting your site using XOR and mapping the entry point URL to your custom DNS domain.
Hosting is free if you are using the default Gaia hub provided by Blockstack PBC.
We are planning to publish a list of Blockstack hosted websites on the homepage soon to facilitate easy discovery.
The current version is only the first step in using Blockstack Naming Service to host and access websites. We have a lot in the pipeline to move the internet closer to its decentralized future.
We'd love to hear your feedback and feel free to DM us on @xorbrowser if you have any questions.
Thank you all!
- XOR team
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