7.1 KiB
Gitea Multi-Instance for Ubuntu 24.04 Server
Automated Bash installer script for deploying multiple isolated Gitea instances on Ubuntu 24.04 Server.
This is a production-focused installer, not a demo.
It assumes Nginx and MariaDB are already installed and running.
Related Installers
If you don’t have the required components, you can use these compatible installers:
Important
Always complete one installation fully (including the
/etc/gitea*/gitea-postinstallstep) before running another.
Download the Script
Clone this repository to your server:
git clone https://git.x-files.dk/web-application/gitea-ubuntu-multi.git
cd gitea-ubuntu-multi
Usage
Run the script using:
sudo ./giteainstall -n <domain name> -p <gitea database password> [options]
Examples
The installer automatically detects if socket authentication is active.
Only include -a and -m if your MariaDB setup does not use socket authentication.
sudo ./giteainstall -n git.example.com -p giteadbpass
sudo ./giteainstall -n git.example.com -p giteadbpass -m rootpwd
sudo ./giteainstall -n git.example.com -p giteadbpass -a admin -m adminpwd
Options
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
-p <password> |
Gitea database user password |
-a <username> |
Optional MariaDB admin username (defaults to root if not specified) |
-m <password> |
MariaDB root or admin password — required only if socket authentication is disabled |
-h, --help |
Show the help screen (reflects detected socket status) |
Logic
When you run this script:
- Each Gitea instance created by this script is fully self-contained.
- Every instance has:
- Its own Linux system user (e.g.,
gitea1,gitea2,gitea3, …) - Its own database (e.g.,
gitea1db,gitea2db,gitea3db, …) - Its own service (e.g.,
gitea1.service,gitea2.service, …) - Its own home directory (e.g.,
/home/gitea1/,/home/gitea2/, …) - Its own configuration directory (e.g.,
/etc/gitea1/,/etc/gitea2/, …) - Its own data path (e.g.,
/var/lib/gitea1/,/var/lib/gitea2/, …) - A unique HTTP port automatically assigned during post-install
- Its own Linux system user (e.g.,
All instances share the same Gitea binary (/usr/local/bin/gitea),
so upgrading Gitea is simply replacing that binary once.
| Instance | System User | Database | Config Dir | Service | Port |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | gitea1 |
gitea1db |
/etc/gitea1/ |
gitea1.service |
3001 |
| 2nd | gitea2 |
gitea2db |
/etc/gitea2/ |
gitea2.service |
3002 |
| 3rd | gitea3 |
gitea3db |
/etc/gitea3/ |
gitea3.service |
3003 |
Each instance is assigned the next available ID automatically.
Customization
Each instance has its own configuration and customization paths:
| Type | Path |
|---|---|
| Configuration | /etc/giteaX/app.ini |
| Custom assets (favicon, logo, etc.) | /etc/giteaX/custom/public/assets/img/ |
| Custom templates | /etc/giteaX/custom/templates/ |
| Data & repositories | /var/lib/giteaX/ |
Configuration
Once the script finishes, open your browser and visit:
http://<domain>
and complete the Gitea setup through the web installer form.
Post-install
After the web installer is done run:
sudo /etc/gitea*/gitea-postinstall
This adjusts ports, log levels, upload limits, disables SSH access and other tweaks.
Note
The web installer always uses temporary port 3000.
The postinstall script automatically reconfigures each instance to its permanent port.
SSH is disabled by default after post-install (modify
/etc/gitea*/app.iniif needed).
Nginx Integration
The generated Gitea configuration file listens on port 80.
To enable HTTPS (port 443), use the example provided here.
Important
If you enable HTTPS, update
/etc/giteaX/app.ini(ROOT_URLsetting)
fromhttptohttps, then restart both Nginx and Gitea.
Note
The file also includes optional caching directives (commented out by default). You can enable them to improve load times and performance if needed. The lines you are looking for are at the bottom of the generated config file and look like this:
##### Cache js css static content and open files start ##################### # include /etc/nginx/nginxsnippets/cache-open-files.conf; # include /etc/nginx/nginxsnippets/cache-statics.conf; # include /etc/nginx/nginxsnippets/cache-js-css.conf; ##### Cache js css static content and open files stop ######################
Version Handling
This installer automatically checks the latest Gitea version from https://dl.gitea.com/gitea/version.json
If it fails, it falls back to the version number stored in the fallback file. That file contains one line, for example:
1.24.6
Why a separate file?
Keeping the fallback version outside the script avoids polluting the code with constants.
This keeps updates clean and ensures the installer logic never changes just because a version bump is needed.
Troubleshooting
Nginx fails to restart
Run nginx -t and review any syntax errors reported in /etc/nginx/conf.d/<domain>.conf.
Gitea front-end not loading
Run systemctl status gitea nginx and ensure both Gitea and Nginx services are active.
Access denied during database creation
Your MariaDB setup likely does not use socket authentication.
Re-run the installer with the -m flag (and optionally -a) to provide credentials.
FAQ
Q: Why doesn’t the script ask for a MariaDB password by default?
A: Ubuntu 24.04’s MariaDB installation defaults to socket authentication,
allowing the local root user to connect without a password.
The installer detects this automatically and skips password prompts when applicable.
Q: Can I run the installer multiple times?
A: Yes. Database and user creation use IF NOT EXISTS, making them safe to re-run.
Existing configuration files are replaced, but no data is deleted.
Q: Does this modify existing Nginx settings?
A: No. It adds a standalone host file in /etc/nginx/conf.d/
and validates configuration changes before applying them.
More Information
More guides and documentation can be found on wiki.x-files.dk
License
Licensed under the MIT License