Blogging from command line using b.py

Since it took me some time to figure out how to set up b.py to start blogging from command line, I thought I'd post it out here.

pip install b.py

pip install markdown

pip install google-api-python-client

pip install python-gflags

pip install docutils

brew install source-highlight

Then make a directory where you'll keep your blogs. This directory needs to have a configuration file called brc.py

Mine looks like this(I use blogger, blogid jumbled):

brc.py

service = "b"
service_options = {
  'blog': 3865076449691263698
}

Save the above in a file called brc.py in the same folder where you want to keep your blogs.

To get your blog id run the following:

b.py blogs

This does two things:

1. It would ask you login to blogger in the browser and then save the creds in a file called b.dat. Make sure you doe this in the blog directory, the one that has brc.py
2. It lists your blogs along with the blog id. You should update the blog id in the brc.py file

Now create blog post in markdown e.g. like this:

blogpost.md

!b
service: blogger
title: My First Post
labels: blogging

My first blog from command line

The first four lines are special. !b tells b.py that headers follow. The three headers provide info about the blog post.

Make sure the following files are in the blog directory:

1. brc.py
2. b.dat
3. blogpost.md

Now publish the post: b.py post blogpost.md

This should have published the blog. b.py would have changed your blog file, don't be surprised. It inserts some metadata in the file, perhaps to keep track of it to update it later, I haven't tried.

If you need speed nothing beats command line. Thank the creator of b.py and enjoy!!