4.1 KiB
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://raw.githubusercontent.com/Cat5TV/gitGK/refs/heads/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://yourdomainorhttp://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:
- Mount your external storage to a path like
/mnt/gitgk-data:
sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/gitgk-data
- Run the migration script:
wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Cat5TV/gitGK/refs/heads/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://raw.githubusercontent.com/Cat5TV/gitGK/refs/heads/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