[WIP] Fix deployment issues for volttron.org and volttron.net

[Copilot]

Fix Custom Domain Deployment Issue

Root Cause Identified ✅

The deployment to volttron.org (and consequently volttron.net which redirects to it) stopped working after commit dc72acc on November 20th, which removed the --baseURL parameter from the Hugo build command.

• Clone and explore repository structure
• Review commit history since September 3rd, 2025
• Identify key changes made on October 3rd and November 20th, 2025
• Build site locally to verify configuration
• Identify root cause: Missing baseURL parameter in workflow
• Fix workflow to restore baseURL parameter
• Update documentation with GitHub Pages configuration requirements
• Address code review feedback (remove trailing spaces)
• Verify GitHub Pages custom domain settings after merge
• Test deployment after merge

Changes Made

1. Fixed .github/workflows/hugo.yaml

• Restored --baseURL "${{ steps.pages.outputs.base_url }}/" parameter to the Hugo build command
• This ensures the site uses the custom domain configured in GitHub Pages repository settings
• The September 3rd working deployment had this parameter; it was incorrectly removed on November 20th
• Removed trailing spaces for clean formatting

2. Updated DEPLOYMENT.md

• Added section explaining GitHub Pages custom domain configuration requirements
• Added troubleshooting section for custom domain issues
• Documented that the workflow dynamically gets the base URL from GitHub Pages settings
• Clarified that volttron.net redirects to volttron.org at DNS level

How It Works

1. GitHub Pages Settings: The custom domain volttron.org must be configured in repository Settings → Pages
2. Workflow: The actions/configure-pages@v4 action outputs the configured custom domain
3. Build: Hugo builds the site with --baseURL using the custom domain from GitHub Pages
4. CNAME: The static/CNAME file is copied to public/CNAME during build
5. Deployment: GitHub Pages serves the site at the custom domain

Why This Fixes the Issue

The workflow now matches the September 3rd working deployment configuration. The key difference:

• Working (Sept 3): --baseURL "${{ steps.pages.outputs.base_url }}/"
• Broken (Nov 20-21): No --baseURL flag (used hugo.toml hardcoded value instead)
• Fixed (Now): Restored --baseURL "${{ steps.pages.outputs.base_url }}/"

Next Steps

After this PR is merged:

1. Verify GitHub Pages repository settings have volttron.org configured as custom domain
2. Check DNS validation shows green checkmark in GitHub Pages settings
3. Test site accessibility at https://volttron.org
4. Verify volttron.net redirects properly to volttron.org

Original prompt

---

This section details on the original issue you should resolve

<issue_title>Debug deployment difference</issue_title>
<issue_description>The main branch today has https://eclipse-volttron.github.io/ working, however the https://volttron.org and https://volttron.net sites that are hosted for the domain don't work any longer.

Please verify every commit since September 3rd. This is the last known working deployment.</issue_description>

Comments on the Issue (you are @copilot in this section)

• Fixes Debug deployment difference #30

---

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[github-actions]

🔍 Preview Build Complete

The site has been built successfully for this PR!

How to preview:

1. Download the preview artifact from the workflow run
2. Extract the zip file
3. Open index.html in your browser to preview the site

Alternative preview methods:

• Use a local HTTP server: python -m http.server 8000 or npx serve
• Or use VS Code's Live Server extension

Note: The preview uses the GitHub Pages URL (https://eclipse-volttron.github.io/) as the base URL. Links will work correctly when viewing locally.

Build Details:

• PR: [WIP] Fix deployment issues for volttron.org and volttron.net #31
• Commit: 637dd5e
• Artifact: pr-preview-31

[github-actions]

🔍 Preview Build Complete

The site has been built successfully for this PR!

How to preview:

1. Download the preview artifact from the workflow run
2. Extract the zip file
3. Open index.html in your browser to preview the site

Alternative preview methods:

• Use a local HTTP server: python -m http.server 8000 or npx serve
• Or use VS Code's Live Server extension

Note: The preview uses the GitHub Pages URL (https://eclipse-volttron.github.io/) as the base URL. Links will work correctly when viewing locally.

Build Details:

• PR: [WIP] Fix deployment issues for volttron.org and volttron.net #31
• Commit: ad1f322
• Artifact: pr-preview-31

[github-actions]

🔍 Preview Build Complete

The site has been built successfully for this PR!

How to preview:

1. Download the preview artifact from the workflow run
2. Extract the zip file
3. Open index.html in your browser to preview the site

Alternative preview methods:

• Use a local HTTP server: python -m http.server 8000 or npx serve
• Or use VS Code's Live Server extension

Note: The preview uses the GitHub Pages URL (https://eclipse-volttron.github.io/) as the base URL. Links will work correctly when viewing locally.

Build Details:

• PR: [WIP] Fix deployment issues for volttron.org and volttron.net #31
• Commit: ad1f322
• Artifact: pr-preview-31