OVHCloud VPS deploy
VPS name: vps-123c23bd.vps.ovh.net IPv4 address: 51.91.109.47 IPv6 address: 2001:41d0:42b:61::1 Username: ubuntu Password:
ssh ubuntu@vps-123c23bd.vps.ovh.net
# 1. Update the system repository
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y
# 2. Grab the required security certificates and curl
sudo apt install ca-certificates curl -y
sudo install -m 0755 -d /etc/apt/keyrings
# 3. Download Docker's official GPG keying for package verification
sudo curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg -o /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
sudo chmod a+r /etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc
# 4. Inject Docker's official repository into your system's source list
echo \
"deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/docker.asc] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu \
$(. /etc/os-release && echo "$VERSION_CODENAME") stable" | \
sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null
# 5. Update your system packages using the new official source
sudo apt update
# 6. Install the official Docker Engine and modern Compose Plugin
sudo apt install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-buildx-plugin docker-compose-plugin -y
# Give your 'ubuntu' user permission to use Docker without typing 'sudo' every time
sudo usermod -aG docker $USER
mkdir -p ~/giteacd ~/giteadocker compose up -ddocker compose logsscp -r /Users/jamestwose/Coding/jms-gitea/gcloud-version/gitea-dump/* ubuntu@vps-123c23bd.vps.ovh.net:~/gitea/gitea_data/
Rendering: Mermaid + Jupyter notebooks
-
Mermaid renders out of the box in any
.md/ issue / wiki — just use a fenced block:flowchart LR A[Notebook] --> B(Gitea) --> C[Rendered]No config needed (on by default,
markup.MERMAID_MAX_SOURCE_CHARACTERS = 50000). -
Jupyter (
.ipynb) renders via an externalnbconvertrenderer, built into the custom image (Dockerfileextendsgitea/gitea:1.26.4) and configured through env vars indocker-compose.yml(GITEA__markup.jupyter__*). The env vars are merged into the existingapp.inion container start — they do not overwrite the instance's secrets/INTERNAL_TOKEN.
Version upgrades
Gitea is pinned via the FROM line in Dockerfile (and the image: tag in
docker-compose.yml). Bumping versions is a two-file change, then a rebuild.
Pre-flight — check the target version is a stable release (not -rc):
- Latest stable list: https://github.com/go-gitea/gitea/releases (look for the non-“Pre-release” tag)
- Skim the release notes for BREAKING / SECURITY entries that affect this setup (SQLite, reverse-proxy/Caddy, no Actions/packages/OAuth in use here).
1. Bump the version in the repo (on your Mac):
# edit Dockerfile: FROM gitea/gitea:<NEW_VERSION>
# edit docker-compose.yml: image: gitea-jms:<NEW_VERSION> (the build tag, cosmetic)
2. Ship the two files to the VPS:
scp Dockerfile docker-compose.yml ubuntu@vps-123c23bd.vps.ovh.net:~/gitea/
3. On the VPS, from ~/gitea (where docker-compose.yml, Dockerfile, gitea_data/ live):
# 0. Back up the SQLite DB first — every version bump runs DB migrations
# db path = /data/gitea.db, bind-mounted to ./gitea_data/gitea.db
sudo cp -a gitea_data/gitea.db gitea_data/gitea.db.bak.$(date +%F)
# 1. Rebuild the custom image (nbconvert baked in) and recreate just the server
# --build forces a fresh image; Caddy is unchanged so it stays up
sudo docker compose up -d --build
sudo docker compose logs -f server
4. Sanity check in the web UI: push a test commit, open a .ipynb, view a
```mermaid block. Watch sudo docker compose logs server for migration output
or nbconvert/CSP errors.
Rollback (if the new version misbehaves):
# restore the previous DB, then revert the two files and rebuild
sudo cp -a gitea_data/gitea.db.bak.<DATE> gitea_data/gitea.db
# (re-edit Dockerfile / docker-compose.yml back to the old version, scp them over)
sudo docker compose up -d --build
Note: restoring an older DB onto a newer Gitea binary is not supported — always restore the DB backup that matches the version you’re rolling back to.
Gotchas
docker compose downis unnecessary —up -d --buildrecreates only theservercontainer; Caddy keeps serving.- Config is delivered via env vars (
GITEA__*), which the Docker entrypoint merges into the existingapp.inion start. YourSECRET_KEY/INTERNAL_TOKEN/ DB are not touched, so upgrades never log you out or re-trigger the installer. - The Mermaid size cap (
GITEA__markup__MERMAID_MAX_SOURCE_CHARACTERS=50000) and the Jupyter renderer env vars carry forward unchanged across versions. - Major Gitea versions occasionally change bundled git requirements; the official image ships its own git, so host git version is irrelevant here.
Actions runner, CORS & OAuth (for the ever-near site)
The ever-near site uses Sveltia CMS backed by this Gitea instance. That needs three
things Gitea didn't have before: Actions (to build + deploy on push), CORS
(so the CMS in the browser can call the Gitea API), and an OAuth2 app (so editors
sign in with PKCE instead of a personal token). docker-compose.yml now enables the
first two via env vars and adds a runner service behind a runner profile.
1. Ship the updated compose file and runner config to the VPS:
scp docker-compose.yml runner_config.yaml ubuntu@vps-123c23bd.vps.ovh.net:~/gitea/
2. Rebuild the server. The compose network is now pinned to the literal name gitea
(so job containers can join it — see runner_config.yaml), which is a one-time network
change, so do a clean down/up (~10s downtime; Caddy restarts too):
cd ~/gitea
sudo docker compose down
sudo docker compose up -d --build
sudo docker compose logs -f server # watch for actions/cors config lines on boot
3. Enable Actions on the repo (one-off, in the web UI):
gitea.jms.rocks/jameshtwose/ever-near → Settings → Actions → Enable Actions.
4. Get a runner registration token (pick one):
- Web UI: Site Administration → Actions → Runners → copy the Registration token.
- Or CLI:
sudo docker exec gitea_server gitea --config /data/gitea/conf/app.ini actions generate-runner-token
5. Put the token in ~/gitea/.env (gitignored, never committed):
printf 'GITEA_RUNNER_REGISTRATION_TOKEN=%s\n' '<TOKEN>' >> ~/gitea/.env
6. Start the runner (separate profile so it only runs once the token is set):
sudo docker compose --profile runner up -d runner
sudo docker compose logs -f runner # should log "Runner registered successfully"
The first workflow run pulls the job image docker.gitea.com/runner-images:ubuntu-latest
(Node, git, Docker CLI) — give it a minute. runner_config.yaml attaches each job
container to the gitea network so actions/checkout can resolve server:3000.
7. Register the OAuth2 app for Sveltia CMS (web UI, no server restart):
- Site Administration → OAuth2 Applications → Add a new OAuth2 application.
- Application name:
ever-near CMS - Redirect URI:
https://ever-near.web.app/admin/index.html - Uncheck "Confidential client" (PKCE needs a public client).
- Copy the Client ID into
ever-near/public/admin/config.ymlasapp_id, commit, and push — the Gitea Action rebuilds + redeploys the site with it.
Gotchas
- Job containers must join the
giteanetwork oractions/checkoutfails withCould not resolve host: server. That's whatrunner_config.yaml(container.network: gitea) does — don't remove it. The compose network is pinned to the literal namegiteavianetworks.gitea.nameso the config matches regardless of the compose project name. uses: actions/checkout@v4/actions/setup-node@v4resolve through Gitea's default actions mirror (gitea.com/actions/*). If a job can't find an action, setGITEA__actions__DEFAULT_ACTIONS_URL=https://gitea.com(already the default) or reference the action fully:uses: https://gitea.com/actions/checkout@v4.- CORS is scoped to
ever-near.web.apponly. Add more origins toGITEA__cors__ALLOW_DOMAINS(comma-separated) if you connect a custom domain later. - The runner is behind the
runnerprofile; a plaindocker compose up -dwon't start it. Usedocker compose --profile runner up -d runner.