gitGK Git Appliance

gitGK is a completely self-contained git server with no cloud dependency. It's also private and secure... your code never leaves your system. Whether you're developing software, maintaining configs, or tracking changes to any file-based workflow, gitGK is the cleanest, most efficient way to bring Git versioning in-house.

Based on Gitea and pre-configured to run on Debian Linux, gitGK was created by Robbie Ferguson at Category5 TV Network to provide a fast, open-source alternative to GitHub and GitLab with full control and zero vendor lock-in.

---

🚀 Features

• Fully automated install in minutes
• Secure-by-default configuration
• Gitea web UI (GitHub-style)
• MariaDB database backend
• NGINX reverse proxy
• Optional HTTPS via Let's Encrypt
• Automatic security updates enabled

---

🛠️ Installation

Step 1: Download the Installer

wget  https://gitgk.com/baldnerd/git-server-appliance/raw/branch/main/install-gitgk.sh
chmod +x install-gitgk.sh

Step 2: Run it

With a domain name:

sudo ./install-gitgk.sh git.example.com

Or just use your server's IP:

sudo ./install-gitgk.sh

This will install:

• Git
• Gitea (latest release)
• MariaDB
• NGINX (preconfigured for secure web UI access)
• Automatic security updates

It will also:

• Create system users
• Set up services with systemd
• Launch the Gitea web UI (default port: 3000 or as configured)

---

📂 Post-Install Info

• Web UI: Visit http://yourdomain or http://your-server-ip
• Admin account setup is completed via the browser
• MariaDB password saved to: /root/gitea-db-password.txt
• Repo data stored in: /var/lib/gitea
• Configuration in: /etc/gitea/

---

🔀 Step 3 (Optional): Move gitGK Data to External Disk

You can move all persistent gitGK data (repos + database) to a mounted external volume, such as a second VHD.

This step is for advanced users only, and the following commands are only examples.

Step-by-step:

1. Mount your external storage to a path like /mnt/gitgk-data:

sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/gitgk-data

2. Run the migration script:

wget https://gitgk.com/baldnerd/git-server-appliance/raw/branch/main/gitgk-datamove.sh
chmod +x gitgk-datamove.sh
sudo ./gitgk-datamove.sh /mnt/gitgk-data

This will:

• Stop services
• Move Gitea data and MariaDB data to the mounted volume
• Update the MariaDB config
• Replace original data folders with symlinks
• Restart services

⚠️ IMPORTANT
You must add the mount to /etc/fstab to ensure it is mounted again after reboot.
Failing to do so will prevent gitGK from starting after a reboot.

Example /etc/fstab entry:

/dev/sdb1  /mnt/gitgk-data  ext4  defaults  0  2

---

🛡️ Security

• Unattended security updates are enabled
• MariaDB runs with a strong root password (generated during install)
• Gitea runs under a limited system user
• All services are managed with systemd
• A firewall is recommended (not configured by default)
• Automatic security updates are enabled

---

🔄 Backups

You can include this server in your existing rdiff-backup or snapshot routines.

Make sure to include:

• /var/lib/gitea (or your mounted data location)
• /var/lib/mysql (or your mounted data location)
• /etc/gitea/ and /etc/mysql/

---

---

🌐 Update Host IP or Use a Domain

If you're deploying a pre-built image, or the IP of your gitGK server otherwise changes (such as when cloning a VM), or if you want to use a domain instead of an IP address, use the included utility script:

wget https://gitgk.com/baldnerd/git-server-appliance/raw/branch/main/gitgk-host.sh
chmod +x gitgk-host.sh
sudo ./gitgk-host.sh

This script:

• Detects and replaces the old IP or hostname in both:
  • /etc/gitea/app.ini
  • /etc/nginx/sites-available/gitea
• Allows you to enter a domain name instead of using an IP
• Automatically restarts Gitea and reloads NGINX

This is especially useful if your VM gets a new IP or if you bind your gitGK appliance to DNS.

📜 License

Licensed under the Apache License 2.0
(c) 2025 Robbie Ferguson
Category5 TV Network