---
title: gitea
description: self hosted git / devops platform
author: wompmacho
date: 2026-04-02
showHero: false
tags: [git, docker, devops]
---

## What is Gitea?

Gitea is an open-source, lightweight software package for hosting **Git** repositories. It is designed to be a self-hosted alternative to platforms like GitHub or GitLab, providing a web interface for managing code, tracking issues, and collaborating with others.

One of its most defining characteristics is its efficiency; it is written in **Go** and can run on very low-powered hardware, including a Raspberry Pi or a basic NAS.

---

### Core Features

- **Repository Management**: Gitea provides a familiar interface for managing your code. You can create public or private repositories, manage branches, and view commit histories. It supports **Git LFS** (Large File Storage) for handling big binary files.

- **Collaboration Tools**: 
  * **Pull Requests:** Facilitate code reviews and discussions before merging changes.
  * **Issue Tracking:** A built-in system to report bugs, suggest features, and organize tasks with labels and milestones.
  * **Wikis:** Every repository can have its own dedicated wiki for documentation.
  * **Kanban Boards:** Visual project management tools to track the progress of issues.

- **Gitea Actions (CI/CD)**: Recent versions of Gitea include **Actions**, a built-in continuous integration and delivery system. It is designed to be compatible with GitHub Actions syntax, allowing you to automate testing and deployment workflows directly within your instance.

- **User and Organization Management**: You can manage multiple users, organize them into teams, and set granular permissions for different repositories. It also supports various authentication methods, including OAuth2, LDAP, and PAM.

---

### Technical Advantages

| Feature                | Description                                                                                             |
| :--------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Low Resource Usage** | Runs comfortably with minimal RAM and CPU overhead.                                                     |
| **Cross-Platform**     | Can be installed on Linux, macOS, Windows, and ARM architectures.                                       |
| **Simple Deployment**  | Usually distributed as a single binary or a **Docker** image, making setup and updates straightforward. |
| **Database Support**   | Compatible with PostgreSQL, MySQL, MSSQL, and SQLite.                                                   |

---

### Why Choose Gitea?

Gitea is often the preferred choice for developers who want **full control** over their source code without the resource heavy-lifting required by GitLab. It is ideal for:

* **Home Labs:** Perfect for personal projects and self-hosting enthusiasts.
* **Small Teams:** Provides all the professional tools needed for collaboration without expensive licensing.
* **Internal Corporate Use:** Keeps sensitive codebases behind a private firewall.

If you are looking for a "no-nonsense" Git hosting solution that feels like GitHub but lives on your own hardware, Gitea is generally the top recommendation.

---

## Docker Compose Example

```sh
################################################################################
# gitea -- https://docs.gitea.com/installation/install-with-docker
################################################################################

networks:
  gitea_net:
    driver: bridge

services:
# --- Gitea ---
  server:
    image: docker.gitea.com/gitea:1.25.4
    container_name: gitea
    environment:
      - USER_UID=1000
      - USER_GID=1000
      - GITEA__database__DB_TYPE=postgres
      - GITEA__database__HOST=db:5432
      - GITEA__database__NAME=gitea
      - GITEA__database__USER=gitea
      - GITEA__database__PASSWD=gitea
    restart: always
    networks:
      - gitea_net
    volumes:
      - "${GITEA_HOME}/data:/data"
      - "/etc/timezone:/etc/timezone:ro"
      - "/etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro"
    ports:
      - "3001:3000"
      - "222:22"
    depends_on:
      - db

# --- Gitea postgres db ---
  db:
    image: docker.io/library/postgres:14
    restart: always
    environment:
      - POSTGRES_USER=gitea
      - POSTGRES_PASSWORD=gitea
      - POSTGRES_DB=gitea
    networks:
      - gitea_net
    volumes:
      - "${GITEA_HOME}/postgres:/var/lib/postgresql/data"
      
# --- Gitea Actions Runner ---
  runner:
    image: gitea/act_runner:latest
    container_name: gitea_runner
    restart: always
    environment:
      - GITEA_INSTANCE_URL=https://git.wompmacho.com
      - GITEA_RUNNER_REGISTRATION_TOKEN=${GITEA_RUNNER_TOKEN}
      - GITEA_RUNNER_NAME=gitea-runner-01
      - CONFIG_FILE=/data/config.yaml
    volumes:
      - "${GITEA_HOME}/runner:/data"
      - "/srv/www:/deploy"
      - "/srv/configs:/assets"
      - "/var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock"
    networks:
      - gitea_net
    depends_on:
      - server

# --- Nginx Web Server (Public) ---
  docs-public:
    image: nginx:alpine
    container_name: docs-public
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "9895:80"
    volumes:
      - "/srv/www/docs-public:/usr/share/nginx/html:ro"
    networks:
      - gitea_net

# --- Nginx Web Server (Private) ---
  docs-private:
    image: nginx:alpine
    container_name: docs-private
    restart: always
    ports:
      - "9897:80"
    volumes:
      - "/srv/www/docs-private:/usr/share/nginx/html:ro"
    networks:
      - gitea_net
```

## setup

todo

## runners / gitea actions

todo