The most repeatable way to self-host Gitea is to run the official Docker image with Docker Compose on a Linux VPS, keep /data on persistent storage, and place Gitea behind an HTTPS reverse proxy. SQLite is adequate for a small, single-node installation; PostgreSQL or MySQL is a better fit as users, repositories, automation jobs, and package artifacts grow. A binary installation managed by systemd is a sound alternative when you do not want Docker.
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What you need before installing Gitea
Gitea is a self-hosted Git service for repositories, pull requests, issues, releases, package artifacts, webhooks, and user administration. On a VPS, you are responsible for the operating system, firewall, storage, TLS certificates, upgrades, monitoring, and recoveries that a hosted service would normally handle.
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- A current 64-bit Linux VPS with a public IP address and persistent disk or volume.
- A DNS name such as
git.example.compointing to that address. - Firewall rules allowing only the services you intend to expose: normally HTTPS (443), optionally HTTP (80) for certificate redirects, and an SSH port for Git access.
- Enough CPU, memory, and storage for repositories, attachments, actions, package files, logs, database growth, and at least one local backup. Gitea’s cited documentation does not define a universal VPS size or repository-count limit, so size the machine from your workload and monitor it.
- Git 2.0 or newer on the server for a binary installation, as required by the current Gitea installation documentation.
Decide whether the VPS will run only Gitea or several services. A single-purpose host simplifies firewalling and upgrades. If you share the machine, reserve storage and memory for Gitea and make sure another service cannot consume the disk needed for repositories or backups.
Choose Docker Compose or a binary installation
| Decision | Small personal or low-write instance | Team or growing instance |
|---|---|---|
| Runtime | Docker Compose with SQLite | Docker Compose or a host-managed binary with PostgreSQL or MySQL |
| Data layout | One durable volume plus off-host backups | Separate database and repository backup strategy |
| Network exposure | Reverse proxy on the same VPS | Reverse proxy, stricter firewall, monitoring, and capacity planning |
| Upgrade method | Back up, pull the intended image, then recreate the container | Staged upgrade with database compatibility review and a tested rollback plan |
When Docker is the better default
Compose gives you a repeatable service definition, an isolated runtime, and a straightforward upgrade command. It is usually the easiest starting point when you are comfortable maintaining Docker Engine and Compose. The official Docker documentation warns that rootful and rootless Gitea images are not interchangeable. Select one model deliberately and keep its volume ownership and container settings consistent.
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When a binary is preferable
A binary installation fits operators who want Gitea to behave like a conventional Linux service, with files managed by the host and startup controlled by systemd. Gitea documents architecture-specific downloads, signature verification, a dedicated git account, /var/lib/gitea data directories, restrictive /etc/gitea permissions, and systemd startup.
Install Gitea with Docker Compose
1. Install Docker and create a project directory
Install Docker Engine and the Compose plugin using your Linux distribution’s supported method. Create a directory owned by an administrator, for example /opt/gitea, and keep the Compose file there. Do not put the only copy of repository data inside the writable container layer.
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The following minimal Compose service uses a named volume mounted at Gitea’s persistent /data path and publishes the web and SSH ports. Pin the Gitea image to the release you have approved rather than relying on an unreviewed floating tag. The example uses the official image’s major tag to illustrate the layout; replace it with the exact supported release tag selected from Gitea’s release documentation.
services:
gitea:
image: docker.gitea.com/gitea:1
container_name: gitea
restart: unless-stopped
ports:
- "3000:3000"
- "2222:22"
volumes:
- gitea_data:/data
volumes:
gitea_data:If you bind-mount a host directory instead of a named volume, create it first and apply the ownership required by the image variant. A rootful image and a rootless image use different expectations; mixing their documentation or reusing a volume between them can produce permission failures.
3. Start the container and complete initial setup
- From the project directory, run
docker compose up -d. - Open
http://server-ip:3000temporarily from a trusted network. - Choose SQLite for a simple single-node deployment, or select MySQL or PostgreSQL and enter the database host, database name, user, and password.
- Set the site title, administrator account, and a strong administrator password. Replace every example credential immediately.
- Set the public URL to the HTTPS address you will actually publish, then save the installation.
After setup, lock the installer with INSTALL_LOCK=true (or the equivalent setting in app.ini) and ensure SECRET_KEY and INTERNAL_TOKEN are present. Treat app.ini, database credentials, signing keys, and OAuth secrets as confidential.
SQLite, PostgreSQL, or MySQL?
SQLite keeps a small deployment simple because there is no separate database service. It is a reasonable choice for one node with modest write activity. PostgreSQL and MySQL provide a clearer growth path for teams and heavier concurrent activity. If you use PostgreSQL in Compose, pin the database image’s major version. PostgreSQL does not automatically migrate its data directory across major versions; a later major upgrade requires pg_upgrade or dump-and-restore.
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Install Gitea from a binary instead
1. Create the service account and directories
Create a dedicated non-root git user and group. Use the documented directory layout, including /var/lib/gitea for data and /etc/gitea for configuration. Keep the configuration directory writable only by the account or administrators who must edit it, and make app.ini restrictive because it can contain database passwords and secret tokens.
2. Download and verify the matching binary
Select the artifact for your VPS architecture. Starting with Gitea v1.27, Gitea says it signs all binaries with Sigstore to prevent unwanted modification; a successful cosign verify-blob check returns Verified OK. Follow the release’s published verification material rather than treating an unverified download as trusted. GPG verification is also documented for releases that provide the required signatures.
The current installation page gives a binary example using version 28.1.0. That number is an example from the cited documentation, not a recommendation to install it blindly; choose a release compatible with your migration and upgrade plan.
3. Configure systemd
Install the executable as /usr/local/bin/gitea and keep that generic filename so future upgrades can replace it without changing the service definition. Create a systemd unit that runs as the dedicated git user, points to the correct working and configuration directories, and restarts on failure. Enable and start the unit, then inspect its journal before exposing the service publicly.
Keep the binary, data, and configuration paths documented. A path change during a restore or migration requires ownership fixes and can require repository-hook regeneration.
Put Gitea behind nginx and HTTPS
Set the canonical URL
In Gitea’s configuration, set:
[server]
ROOT_URL = https://git.example.com/The URL must match the address users open and the address embedded in clone links and webhooks. A mismatch commonly causes redirects to an internal hostname, incorrect callback URLs, or mixed-content behavior.
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Configure the reverse proxy
Terminate TLS at nginx and proxy requests to Gitea’s local HTTP listener. Preserve the original host and scheme, and pass WebSocket upgrade headers so live notifications and other upgraded connections work.
server {
listen 443 ssl http2;
server_name git.example.com;
ssl_certificate /path/to/fullchain.pem;
ssl_certificate_key /path/to/private.key;
location / {
proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header Upgrade $http_upgrade;
proxy_set_header Connection "upgrade";
}
}Use the complete certificate chain, not only the leaf certificate. Keep the backend port inaccessible from the public internet if nginx is on the same VPS; expose only the proxy’s HTTPS port and the SSH port you deliberately selected.
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Gitea can use nginx, Apache, or Caddy for TLS termination, or its built-in ACME support. If you use built-in ACME with Docker, set ACME_DIRECTORY=/data/gitea/https. That directory must be on persistent storage. Recreating a container without it can discard the ACME account and certificate cache, causing repeated certificate requests and potentially hitting the documented Let’s Encrypt limit of five certificates per week for the same set of domains.
Validate the public path
- Open the HTTPS URL and confirm that HTTP redirects as intended.
- Check that clone URLs use the public hostname and correct SSH port.
- Test a browser login, repository creation, push and pull over HTTPS, and push and pull over SSH.
- Upload a large file within your configured limits and verify that the reverse proxy does not terminate the request prematurely.
- Confirm WebSocket notifications, email delivery if configured, and database connectivity.
SSH access, firewalling, and operational hardening
Git over SSH needs a reachable SSH listener. The Compose example maps host port 2222 to Gitea’s container port 22; publish a different host port if your VPS already uses 2222, and ensure the generated SSH clone URLs reflect that choice. Keep normal administrator SSH access separate from Gitea’s Git SSH service where possible.
- Allow inbound HTTPS and only the SSH ports you use; deny everything else by default.
- Run Gitea as a dedicated non-root account, whether in a binary installation or the image model you selected.
- Patch the Linux host, Docker Engine (if used), and Gitea on a planned schedule.
- Monitor disk space, memory, certificate expiry, database health, repository growth, and backup-job results.
- Set
INSTALL_LOCK=true, verifySECRET_KEYandINTERNAL_TOKEN, and remove example passwords. - Store backup credentials and encryption keys outside the VPS so a host compromise does not destroy both production and recovery material.
Back up Gitea consistently
Gitea’s backup documentation states: “To ensure the consistency of the Gitea instance, it must be shutdown during backup.” Plan a maintenance window, stop the service, and then capture both application files and the database.
Use the built-in dump
The gitea dump command creates a ZIP containing app.ini when applicable, custom/, the data directory, complete repositories, gitea-db.sql, and logs. Run it with the same installation paths and permissions used by the service, then copy the resulting archive off the VPS. A local archive alone is not a disaster-recovery plan.
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Use native database backups when appropriate
For MySQL or PostgreSQL, the documentation notes that administrators may prefer native mysqldump or pg_dump. Keep repository data, attachments, configuration, and the database backup together as one recovery set, and record the database version and credentials required to restore it.
Rehearse restoration
- Provision a clean test VPS or isolated instance with compatible Gitea and database versions.
- Unpack the archive and restore files to the documented locations.
- Restore the database and correct ownership for the service account.
- Start Gitea and inspect logs, users, repositories, attachments, hooks, and clone URLs.
- If installation paths changed, regenerate repository hooks as directed by Gitea’s restore documentation.
There is no promised one-command automated recovery procedure in the cited documentation, so write down file paths, database credentials, service commands, and the order of operations in your own runbook.
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Docker upgrades
Back up first, verify the archive, and confirm the target image and database compatibility. Pull the intended image and run docker compose up -d. Keep /data outside the disposable container layer. Watch the container logs and test login, repository browsing, clone, push, hooks, and package access after the migration completes.
Binary upgrades
Stop Gitea through systemd, verify the new release, replace /usr/local/bin/gitea without changing the generic filename, and start the service again. Review migration output and logs before allowing users back in. Retain the previous verified binary until the new release has passed your smoke tests.
Database version changes
Do not assume a new PostgreSQL container can open an old major-version data directory. Use the documented pg_upgrade path or dump-and-restore process, and test it separately from the Gitea application upgrade. The same discipline applies to MySQL: review the database engine’s supported upgrade path rather than replacing an image tag blindly.
Common failures and targeted fixes
Permission denied on startup or repositories
Check whether the volume was previously used by the other image model, rootful or rootless. Confirm the container’s expected UID/GID, correct ownership on the host mount, and ensure /data is writable by the service account.
Redirects to an internal URL
Correct [server] ROOT_URL, verify nginx sends Host and X-Forwarded-Proto, and restart Gitea after changing configuration.
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Ensure nginx forwards Upgrade and Connection headers and that an intermediate firewall or load balancer is not stripping them.
SSH clone URLs use the wrong port
Align the host-to-container port mapping with Gitea’s SSH settings and regenerate or recheck clone URLs after changing it.
Certificates are requested repeatedly
Persist the ACME directory, especially /data/gitea/https in Docker, and avoid repeatedly recreating a container with an empty volume. Check the five-certificates-per-week limit before retrying.
A restore starts but repositories are missing
Verify that the complete repository directory and database were restored, ownership matches the running account, and hooks were regenerated if paths changed. Inspect logs for the exact data and database paths Gitea opened.
A practical go-live checklist
- DNS resolves to the VPS and the firewall exposes only required ports.
- Gitea data is on persistent storage, not the container’s writable layer.
- The public
ROOT_URL, TLS certificate chain, proxy headers, and WebSocket path are correct. - Administrator credentials are unique, secrets are generated, and installation lock is enabled.
- HTTPS and SSH clone/push tests succeed, including a large-file upload.
- A shutdown-consistent backup has been copied off the VPS.
- A restoration rehearsal has confirmed users, repositories, attachments, hooks, and database recovery.
- Upgrade steps, rollback binary or image, database versions, and ownership commands are written in a runbook.
For a personal Gitea, Docker Compose with SQLite and one durable volume minimizes moving parts. For a team, choose PostgreSQL or MySQL, separate and monitor database and repository storage, and treat upgrades and restores as rehearsed operations rather than one-line deployments.
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