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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 outside the container, and place Gitea behind an HTTPS reverse proxy. SQLite is adequate for a small, single-node installation; PostgreSQL or MySQL is the safer choice as users, writes, and integrations grow. A binary installation managed by systemd is a sound alternative when you want the host—not Docker—to own the service lifecycle.
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This guide covers provisioning, Docker and binary deployments, nginx TLS termination, database selection, backups, restores, upgrades, and hardening. The examples assume a current Linux VPS, a DNS name such as git.example.com, and administrative access with sudo.
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Plan the VPS before installing Gitea
Gitea stores repositories, attachments, packages, actions data, configuration, logs, and database state. Treat the VPS as a stateful server, not a disposable application host. Choose a Linux distribution you can patch regularly, a public IP or DNS record, and persistent disk capacity that includes room for repository growth and backups.
Minimum prerequisites
- A current 64-bit Linux VPS with a persistent disk or volume.
- A DNS record pointing your chosen hostname to the VPS public IP.
- Firewall access for HTTP/HTTPS and the Git transport you intend to expose. Keep the administrative SSH port restricted to trusted networks where practical.
- Git version 2.0 or newer on the server; Gitea documents this as a requirement.
- Either Docker Engine with Docker Compose or a Gitea binary matching the VPS architecture.
- An off-host location for backups. A second disk on the same VPS does not protect against VPS loss, deletion, or account compromise.
Choose a deployment shape
| 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 rules, monitoring, and capacity planning |
| Upgrade method | Back up, then pull the pinned image and recreate the container | Stage the upgrade and review database compatibility before production |
SQLite keeps the first deployment simple because the database is a file in the Gitea data directory. It is most appropriate when one node handles modest write activity. PostgreSQL or MySQL separates database operations from the application and gives a better foundation for a busier team installation. Whichever database you choose, include it in the backup and restore runbook.
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Deploy Gitea with Docker Compose
Docker is usually the fastest path to a repeatable deployment. The important details are persistent storage, a deliberate image tag, correct ownership, and choosing one image mode. Gitea’s rootful and rootless images are not interchangeable; do not switch between them by changing only the image name while keeping an old data volume.
1. Install Docker and create the project directory
- Install Docker Engine and the Compose plugin using your Linux distribution’s supported method.
- Create a directory owned by the administrator for the Compose file and a separate persistent directory for Gitea data:
sudo mkdir -p /opt/gitea /srv/gitea/data sudo chown -R root:root /opt/gitea /srv/gitea - Decide whether the data directory is a local disk, attached volume, or another persistent filesystem. Verify that it is mounted at boot before putting repositories into service.
2. Create a minimal Compose definition
The following layout publishes the web service on port 3000 and Git-over-SSH on port 2222 while keeping all application state in a host-mounted directory. The version shown is an example release tag; pin the exact Gitea image version you have approved rather than relying on an unchanging latest tag.
services:
gitea:
image: docker.gitea.com/gitea:28.1.0
container_name: gitea
restart: unless-stopped
ports:
- "3000:3000"
- "2222:22"
volumes:
- /srv/gitea/data:/dataIf nginx will run on the same VPS, bind the web port to loopback instead of making it public:
ports:
- "127.0.0.1:3000:3000"
- "2222:22"Use the published SSH port in clone URLs when it is not port 22. For example, an SSH URL may need the host’s port 2222 configured in an SSH client alias. Do not place the Compose file or database inside the container’s writable layer; recreating the container must not delete application data.
3. Start the container and complete the installer
- From
/opt/gitea, save the Compose file and start it:cd /opt/gitea docker compose up -d - Inspect startup output and confirm the container is healthy:
docker compose ps docker compose logs --tail=100 gitea - For a first setup with the port temporarily reachable, open
http://server-ip:3000. If the web port is bound to loopback, use an SSH tunnel or configure nginx first. - Select SQLite for a small single-node service, or enter the credentials and hostname for MySQL or PostgreSQL. If you use PostgreSQL, pin its major-version image in Compose. PostgreSQL does not automatically upgrade an existing data directory across major versions; a later major upgrade requires
pg_upgradeor dump-and-restore. - Set the site name, administrator account, and public URL. Replace every example credential, generate strong secrets, and finish the installation.
- After the installer writes the configuration, enable the installation lock and review the generated settings before opening the service to other users.
4. Correct ownership before troubleshooting permissions
A host-mounted /data directory must be writable by the UID and GID used by the selected image. If logs show permission denied errors, stop the service, identify the image’s service account, and correct ownership on the mounted directory rather than making the entire VPS filesystem world-writable. Do not change from rootful to rootless mode without following the migration procedure for that image family.
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Install Gitea as a host-managed binary
A binary installation avoids a container runtime and lets systemd, the host filesystem, and the operating system package process own the service. It requires more deliberate file permissions and upgrade work.
1. Select and verify the binary
- Identify the VPS CPU architecture and download the matching Gitea release binary.
- Verify the release using the supplied checksums and signature material. Starting with Gitea v1.27, Gitea signs binaries with Sigstore. A successful
cosign verify-blobcheck reportsVerified OK. GPG verification is also documented as an option. - Keep the executable at a stable path such as
/usr/local/bin/gitea. During an upgrade, replace that file rather than changing the generic filename referenced by systemd.
2. Create the service account and directories
sudo useradd --system --shell /bin/bash --home /var/lib/gitea --create-home git
sudo mkdir -p /var/lib/gitea/{custom,data,log,repositories}
sudo mkdir -p /etc/gitea
sudo chown -R git:git /var/lib/gitea
sudo chown -R root:git /etc/gitea
sudo chmod 750 /etc/giteaUse the exact directory arrangement required by your release, but keep repository data under /var/lib/gitea and configuration under /etc/gitea. Restrict /etc/gitea and especially app.ini; it can contain database credentials and signing secrets.
3. Register a systemd service
Create a unit that runs Gitea as the dedicated git user, points to the configuration file, and starts after the network is available. Then reload systemd, enable the unit at boot, and start it. Confirm that the process is listening only on the intended local web and SSH ports before putting nginx in front of it.
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now gitea
sudo systemctl status gitea
sudo journalctl -u gitea -n 100 --no-pagerKeep the service account non-root. A dedicated account limits the damage from a compromised application or repository hook.
Put Gitea behind nginx and HTTPS
Terminate TLS at nginx (or another supported reverse proxy) and keep Gitea’s application listener private. In Gitea’s configuration, set the canonical URL exactly:
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[server]
ROOT_URL = https://git.example.com/The trailing slash matters for generated links and redirects. The proxy must preserve encoded paths, pass the original host and protocol, and support WebSocket upgrades.
Example nginx proxy block
server {
listen 80;
server_name git.example.com;
return 301 https://$host$request_uri;
}
server {
listen 443 ssl http2;
server_name git.example.com;
ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/git.example.com/fullchain.pem;
ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/git.example.com/privkey.pem;
location / {
proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
proxy_set_header Host $http_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";
proxy_http_version 1.1;
}
}Use the complete certificate chain, reload nginx after validation, and test both a browser login and a repository operation. A missing X-Forwarded-Proto header commonly causes HTTPS redirect loops; missing upgrade headers break live notifications and other WebSocket-dependent features. If large repositories or release assets are uploaded, check nginx’s request-size and timeout settings rather than assuming the defaults are sufficient.
Use ACME without losing its state
Gitea can terminate TLS itself through built-in ACME, and it also supports nginx, Apache, and Caddy for TLS termination. With Docker, set ACME_DIRECTORY=/data/gitea/https and ensure that path is on the persistent /data mount. Recreating a container without the ACME account and certificate cache can cause repeated certificate requests. Let’s Encrypt limits certificates to five per week for the same set of domains, so test against a staging endpoint or preserve the cache when changing containers.
Back up Gitea so a restore is possible
Gitea explicitly states: “To ensure the consistency of the Gitea instance, it must be shutdown during backup.” Plan a maintenance window, stop the application, capture the files and database, then restart it. A snapshot taken while Gitea is writing can leave repositories and database records out of sync.
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Run the command as the account that owns the installation, using the correct configuration path. In a binary installation the pattern is:
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sudo systemctl stop gitea
sudo -u git /usr/local/bin/gitea dump -c /etc/gitea/app.ini
sudo systemctl start giteaIn a container deployment, run the equivalent command inside the container while the service is stopped, or use the image’s documented command invocation. The resulting ZIP contains app.ini when applicable, custom/, the data directory, complete repositories, gitea-db.sql, and logs.
Prefer native database dumps for external databases
For MySQL or PostgreSQL, administrators may prefer mysqldump or pg_dump. Record the database name, user, host, port, and credentials needed to restore it. Back up repository storage, attachments, packages, configuration, and secret material alongside the database; a database dump alone cannot reconstruct Git objects.
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- Copy at least one backup off the VPS and protect it with access controls and encryption appropriate to your organization.
- Keep a dated inventory of the Gitea version, image or binary, database version, mount points, and configuration paths used for each backup.
- Periodically perform a restore rehearsal on an isolated VPS. Verify that users can log in, repositories clone and push, SSH keys work, hooks run, and attachments open.
Restore after data loss
Restoration is manual rather than a single guaranteed recovery command. Provision a compatible Linux host, install the same deployment type, and stop Gitea before replacing data.
- Install the matching Gitea release and create the expected
gitaccount, directories, and database engine. - Unpack the dump and restore the database with the documented credentials. For native dumps, use the corresponding
mysqlorpsqlrestore workflow. - Copy repositories,
custom/, attachments, packages, andapp.iniinto their original locations. - Fix ownership and restrictive permissions. Configuration should not be readable by unrelated users.
- Start Gitea and inspect logs for missing paths, migrations, or database connection errors.
- If installation paths changed, regenerate repository hooks as part of the restore. Test clone, push, web login, SSH access, and WebSockets before declaring recovery complete.
Upgrade without breaking repositories
Docker upgrades
- Read the release notes and check database compatibility, especially when a PostgreSQL major image changes.
- Take and verify a backup while Gitea is stopped.
- Change the Compose image to the intended pinned version, pull it, and recreate the service:
docker compose pull gitea docker compose up -d - Watch logs for migrations and test browser access, HTTPS and SSH cloning, pushes, WebSocket notifications, large uploads, email, and database connectivity.
Keep the previous image tag available until the new instance passes these checks. Do not delete the persistent data directory as part of a routine container upgrade.
Binary upgrades
- Back up the instance and confirm the restore procedure.
- Download the architecture-matched release and verify its Sigstore or GPG signature.
- Stop Gitea, replace
/usr/local/bin/giteawithout changing the generic filename, and start the systemd unit again. - Review
journalctl -u gitea, allow migrations to finish, and run the same functional tests as a Docker upgrade.
Harden and operate the VPS
- Set
INSTALL_LOCK=trueafter the initial setup so the installer cannot be reopened. - Confirm that
SECRET_KEYandINTERNAL_TOKENare present and protected in the configuration. - Run Gitea as the dedicated non-root
gitaccount, whether it is inside a container or managed by systemd. - Expose only the ports you need: normally 80 and 443 for the reverse proxy and the selected SSH port for Git access. Keep Gitea’s internal web port private when nginx is local.
- Patch the operating system, Docker Engine or binary, reverse proxy, and database on a planned schedule.
- Monitor disk usage, memory, certificate expiry, container or systemd health, database availability, and backup job results.
- Use a separate capacity plan when repositories, package artifacts, actions workloads, or attachments begin consuming significant storage or write throughput.
Troubleshoot the failures that matter most
The container starts but Gitea cannot write
Check whether the mounted directory is owned by the UID/GID expected by the selected rootful or rootless image. Correct ownership, confirm the filesystem is mounted read-write, and inspect container logs. Do not solve this by running the application as root or by making /data writable to everyone.
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HTTPS redirects loop or links use HTTP
Verify ROOT_URL, ensure nginx sends X-Forwarded-Proto https, and confirm that the proxy passes the original host. Reload both services after changing configuration.
Live notifications do not update
Check that nginx uses HTTP/1.1 and forwards both Upgrade and Connection headers. A normal page load can succeed even when WebSocket forwarding is wrong.
SSH clone fails while the web UI works
Confirm the VPS firewall, the published container port, and the SSH URL’s port. If Gitea listens on container port 22 but the host publishes 2222, clients must use 2222 or an SSH configuration alias.
A restore shows repositories but hooks fail
Check ownership and installation paths, then regenerate repository hooks. Hooks contain paths that can become invalid when moving from a container to a binary installation or to a different filesystem layout.
Which approach should you choose?
- Choose Docker Compose with SQLite when you want the shortest path to a personal or low-write service and can keep
/dataon durable storage. - Choose Docker Compose with PostgreSQL or MySQL when you need a database service that can be managed, monitored, and scaled separately from Gitea.
- Choose a binary with systemd when you prefer host-native process management, explicit filesystem permissions, and no container runtime.
In every case, the durable design is the same: private application listener, HTTPS reverse proxy, verified releases, non-root execution, tested backups, and a documented restore path.
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Self-hosted Gitea is straightforward on a VPS when storage and recovery are designed first. Use Docker Compose for repeatability or a verified binary for host-native control, keep /data and database state persistent, terminate TLS correctly, and never treat an untested backup as a recovery plan.
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