The Mysterious Case of the Empty Page: Solving 404 Errors When Deploying Vite + Vue App to gh-pages

If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve encountered the frustrating phenomenon of an empty page with 404 errors when deploying your Vite + Vue app to gh-pages. Fear not, dear developer, for we’re about to embark on a thrilling adventure to solve this enigmatic issue once and for all!

The Setup: A Perfect Storm of Confusion

Before we dive into the solution, let’s set the scene. You’ve created a shiny new Vue app using Vite, and everything works like a charm in your local development environment. You’ve set up your `vite.config.js` file, tweaked your `vue.config.js` to your heart’s content, and even added some sweet GitHub Pages (gh-pages) magic to deploy your app.

But, when you deploy your app to gh-pages, you’re greeted with an eerie silence – an empty page with a haunting 404 error. What sorcery is this?! Fear not, dear reader, for we’re about to unravel the mystery.

The Culprits: Config Files and gh-pages

As it turns out, the culprits behind this enigmatic issue are none other than your configuration files and the gh-pages deployment process itself. But don’t worry, we’ll tackle each of these suspects one by one.

Suspect #1: Vite Config (vite.config.js)

Let’s start with the `vite.config.js` file. This sneaky file is responsible for defining the build configuration for your Vite app. Here’s a common culprit that can cause 404 errors:

export default {
  build: {
    // Watch out for this culprit!
    base: '/'
  }
}

The `base` property in your `vite.config.js` file might be set to `/`, which tells Vite to serve your app from the root directory. However, when you deploy to gh-pages, your app is served from a subdirectory (e.g., `.github.io//`). This mismatch can cause the 404 error.

To fix this, simply update your `vite.config.js` file to:

export default {
  build: {
    base: './'
  }
}

By setting `base` to `./`, you’re telling Vite to serve your app from the current directory, which will be correctly translated to the gh-pages subdirectory.

Suspect #2: Vue Config (vue.config.js)

Next up, let’s examine the `vue.config.js` file. This file is responsible for defining the Vue-specific configuration for your app. One common issue that can cause 404 errors is the `publicPath` property:

module.exports = {
  publicPath: '/'
}

Similar to the `base` property in `vite.config.js`, the `publicPath` property in `vue.config.js` might be set to `/`, which can cause issues when deploying to gh-pages. Update your `vue.config.js` file to:

module.exports = {
  publicPath: './'
}

By setting `publicPath` to `./`, you’re telling Vue to serve your app from the current directory, which will be correctly translated to the gh-pages subdirectory.

The Accomplices: GitHub Pages and Deployment

Now that we’ve addressed the configuration file culprits, let’s turn our attention to the gh-pages deployment process itself.

GitHub Pages: The Silent Partner

When you deploy your app to gh-pages, GitHub creates a new branch called `gh-pages` and serves your app from there. However, this branch is not the same as your main branch (e.g., `main` or `master`). This can cause issues with your app’s routing and asset loading.

To fix this, you need to ensure that your app is configured to work with the `gh-pages` branch. Update your `package.json` file to include a `deploy` script:

"scripts": {
  "deploy": " vue build && gh-pages -d dist"
}

This script will build your app using Vue and deploy it to the `gh-pages` branch using `gh-pages`.

Deployment: The Final Piece of the Puzzle

The final piece of the puzzle is to ensure that your app is correctly deployed to the `gh-pages` branch. Run the following command to deploy your app:

npm run deploy

This will build your app, deploy it to the `gh-pages` branch, and configure GitHub Pages to serve your app from the correct subdirectory.

The Grand Finale: Solving the 404 Error Mystery

With all the culprits and accomplices addressed, it’s time to put it all together. Here’s a summary of the steps to solve the 404 error mystery:

1. Update your `vite.config.js` file to set `base` to `./`.
2. Update your `vue.config.js` file to set `publicPath` to `./`.
3. Add a `deploy` script to your `package.json` file.
4. Run `npm run deploy` to deploy your app to the `gh-pages` branch.

By following these steps, you should now have a successfully deployed Vite + Vue app on gh-pages, free from the haunting 404 errors.

Conclusion: The Empty Page No More

In conclusion, the mysterious case of the empty page with 404 errors when deploying a Vite + Vue app to gh-pages has been solved! By understanding the culprits and accomplices behind this issue, we’ve taken a comprehensive approach to solving the problem.

Remember, dear developer, that debugging is all about eliminating the suspects one by one until you find the solution. With this article, you should now have the tools to tackle the 404 error mystery and deploy your Vite + Vue app to gh-pages with confidence.

Happy coding, and may the debugging forces be with you!

Frequently Asked Question

Deploying a Vite + Vue app to gh-pages can be a real headache, especially when you’re left staring at an empty page with 404 errors. Don’t worry, we’ve got the solutions to your most pressing questions!