In this tutorial, we'll learn how to install and configure Forgejo on Ubunut 24.04 server.
What is Forgejo?
Forgejo is a lightweight, open-source, self-hosted Git service designed to help teams manage their code, repositories, issues, and collaboration in one place. It offers a fast and user-friendly interface, making it easy for developers and businesses to maintain full control of their projects without relying on external platforms. Forgejo is community-driven, privacy-focused, and ideal for personal use, small teams, or organisations that value data ownership and flexible customization.
Prerequisites
Before we begin, ensure we have the following:
- An Ubuntu 24.04 dedicate server or KVM VPS.
- Basic Linux Command Line Knowledge.
- A domain name, pointing A record to server IP.
Install and Configure Forgejo on Ubunut 24.04
Step 1: Update the Server
We first make sure our server is up to date.
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
sudo apt install -y git curl wget ufw ca-certificates
Step 2: Create a System User for Forgejo
We run Forgejo under a separate user for security and clean management.
sudo adduser \
--system --shell /bin/bash \
--gecos 'Forgejo' \
--group --disabled-password \
--home /var/lib/forgejo forgejo
sudo mkdir -p /var/lib/forgejo/{data,custom}
sudo mkdir -p /var/log/forgejo /etc/forgejo
sudo chown -R forgejo:forgejo /var/lib/forgejo /var/log/forgejo /etc/forgejo
Step 3: Download Forgejo
We download the latest stable Forgejo binary.
Replace the version number with the latest release if needed.
cd /tmp
wget -O forgejo https://codeberg.org/forgejo/forgejo/releases/download/v13.0.2/forgejo-13.0.2-linux-amd64
chmod +x forgejo
sudo mv forgejo /usr/local/bin/forgejo
Step 4: Create Forgejo Configuration
sudo tee /etc/forgejo/app.ini >/dev/null <<EOF
[server]
DOMAIN = git.example.com
HTTP_ADDR = 127.0.0.1
HTTP_PORT = 3000
ROOT_URL = https://git.example.com/
APP_DATA_PATH = /var/lib/forgejo/data
[database]
DB_TYPE = sqlite3
PATH = /var/lib/forgejo/data/forgejo.db
[repository]
ROOT = /var/lib/forgejo/data/repositories
[log]
MODE = file
LEVEL = info
ROOT_PATH = /var/log/forgejo
EOF
Change permission:
sudo chown forgejo:forgejo /etc/forgejo/app.ini
Step 5: Create Systemd Service
This allows Forgejo to run as a service and start at boot.
sudo tee /etc/systemd/system/forgejo.service >/dev/null <<EOF
[Unit]
Description=Forgejo Git Service
After=network.target
[Service]
User=forgejo
Group=forgejo
WorkingDirectory=/var/lib/forgejo
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/forgejo web --config /etc/forgejo/app.ini
Restart=always
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF
Reload and start service:
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now forgejo
Check status:
sudo systemctl status forgejo
Step 6: Configure Firewall
We need to add HTTP and HTTPS ports in the firewall.
sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow 80,443/tcp
sudo ufw enable
Step 7: Install and Configure Nginx
Forgejo runs on port 3000, so we use Nginx as a reverse proxy.
sudo apt install -y nginx
Create site config:
sudo tee /etc/nginx/sites-available/forgejo >/dev/null <<EOF
server {
listen 80;
server_name git.example.com;
location / {
proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:3000;
proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;
proxy_set_header Host $host;
}
}
EOF
Enable the conf file:
sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/forgejo /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/
Test and restart Nginx service:
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl restart nginx
Step 8: Enable HTTPS (Recommended)
We're install Certbot to obtain free Let's encrypt SSL certitificate.
sudo apt install -y certbot python3-certbot-nginx
sudo certbot --nginx -d git.example.com
Step 9: Complete Web Setup
Open your browser and visit:
https://git.example.com
Follow on-screen instructions to create admin account and finalize setup.
Troubleshooting
If you get 500 error in browser or any error, check status of forgejo.service
systemctl status forgejo.service
Look why it is failing.
You can also login using
su - forgejo
Execute following command:
/usr/local/bin/forgejo web --config /etc/forgejo/app.ini
You will get exact error.
Conclusion
We now have a fully functional Forgejo server running on Ubuntu 24.04, ready to host repositories, manage code, and support team collaboration securely. This setup gives us a dependable self-hosted Git environment with a clean configuration, proper service management, and strong foundations for future growth.
With Forgejo installed, we can start creating repositories, adding team members, enabling SSH access, and integrating CI/CD tools to enhance our development workflow. This setup provides a stable and efficient platform for managing projects while keeping full control of our data.
