Gitea

How to Install and Configure Gitea from Binary on Ubuntu 24.04 VPS for Self-Hosting Git Repositories

Philip Jensen

— 3 min read

Introduction

At ByteHosting, we understand the importance of having a reliable and self-hosted Git platform for your development workflows. Gitea is a lightweight, open-source Git service that’s perfect for small teams or individual developers who want full control over their repositories. In this tutorial, we’ll guide you through the process of installing Gitea from binary on Ubuntu 24.04 VPS, ensuring a quick and straightforward setup.

Prerequisites: VPS Setup and Required Packages

Before we begin, ensure you have a fresh Ubuntu 24.04 VPS. We recommend choosing one of our cost-effective KVM VPS plans in Frankfurt am Main, which provides excellent performance and reliability. You’ll need root or sudo privileges to install and configure Gitea.

Next, update your system packages to ensure everything is current:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Install essential packages needed for the setup:

sudo apt install -y git sqlite3 wget ca-certificates

We’ll use wget to download the Gitea binary, and git for repository management. SQLite is used as the default database, suitable for small to medium setups.

Download Gitea Binary from Official Source

Visit the official Gitea downloads page to find the latest binary release compatible with Linux. As of now, the latest version is 1.20.0, but always check for the newest release.

Use wget to download the binary:

wget -O /usr/local/bin/gitea https://dl.gitea.io/gitea/1.20.0/gitea-1.20.0-linux-amd64

Make the binary executable:

sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/gitea

This approach allows us to install Gitea quickly without compiling from source, making it ideal for a fresh Ubuntu 24.04 VPS deployment.

Configure Gitea Service and Environment Variables

To run Gitea as a service, create a dedicated user:

sudo adduser --system --group --disabled-login --gecos "Gitea" gitea

Next, create directories for Gitea’s data and configuration:

sudo mkdir -p /var/lib/gitea/{custom,data,log} /etc/gitea

Set ownership:

sudo chown -R gitea:gitea /var/lib/gitea /etc/gitea

Now, create a systemd service file to manage Gitea:

sudo nano /etc/systemd/system/gitea.service

Insert the following configuration:

[Unit]
Description=Gitea
After=network.target

[Service]
User=gitea
Group=gitea
Type=simple
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/gitea web --config /etc/gitea/app.ini
Restart=always
Environment=USER=gitea HOME=/home/gitea GITEA_WORK_DIR=/var/lib/gitea

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Save and close the file. Reload systemd and enable Gitea:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable gitea

Start Gitea and Access the Web Interface

Start the Gitea service:

sudo systemctl start gitea

Check if it’s running:

sudo systemctl status gitea

Open your browser and navigate to http://your-server-ip:3000. You should see the Gitea setup page. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the initial configuration, including database setup and admin user creation.

Secure Gitea with SSL and Firewall Rules

For production, securing your Gitea instance is crucial. Use Certbot to obtain an SSL certificate:

sudo apt install certbot python3-certbot-nginx
sudo certbot --nginx -d yourdomain.com

Configure your firewall to allow HTTP, HTTPS, and Gitea’s port (default 3000):

sudo ufw allow 22/tcp
sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp
sudo ufw allow 3000/tcp
sudo ufw enable

Redirect Gitea to use HTTPS by configuring your web server accordingly.

Verify Installation and Create a Test Repository

Once secured, log into your Gitea web interface. Create a new repository to verify everything works smoothly. Clone it locally to test:

git clone http://yourdomain.com/yourusername/test-repo.git

This confirms your self-hosted Gitea setup is operational and ready for use.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

  • Permissions errors: Ensure the gitea user owns all relevant directories.
  • Service not starting: Check logs with journalctl -u gitea and verify the binary path and environment variables.
  • Web interface not accessible: Confirm firewall rules and SSL configuration are correct.

Conclusion

Installing Gitea from binary on Ubuntu 24.04 is a straightforward process that allows you to quickly set up a self-hosted Git platform. At ByteHosting, we provide reliable VPS hosting in Frankfurt am Main, making it easy to deploy and manage your own Gitea server. Whether you’re a developer or a team leader, hosting your repositories gives you full control and enhances your development workflow. Follow our guide, and you’ll have Gitea up and running in no time!

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