Gitea: A Friendly Alternative to GitHub Actions

Gitea is a simple, self-hosted service for managing your code, much like GitHub or GitLab, but you can run it on your own computer or server. One of its best features is the ability to automate tasks—like building your website or running tests—using something called Gitea Actions. These actions work a lot like GitHub Actions, so if you’ve used those before, you’ll feel right at home. You write instructions in easy-to-read files, and Gitea follows them to help you keep your project running smoothly, even if you’re not a programmer.

Running Ruby Programs in Gitea

If you want to use Ruby (a popular programming language) with Gitea, you have two main choices:

  1. Use Docker: This is like putting your Ruby setup in a special box, so it always works the same way, no matter where you run it. Gitea Actions can use these boxes to make sure everything is just right.
  2. Install Ruby Directly: You can also put Ruby right on your computer or server. This is sometimes easier for beginners, but it can cause problems if your setup is different from what your project expects.

For most people, using Docker is safer and more reliable, but if you’re just experimenting or have a simple project, installing Ruby directly can work too.

A Bit of History: Gitea and Ruby

Gitea started in 2016 as a way for people to run their own code hosting service. It’s written in a language called Go, and it’s designed to be fast and easy to use, even on older computers.

Ruby has been around since the 1990s. It’s known for being easy to read and write, which is why many people love it for building websites and automating tasks. Ruby’s most famous tool is Ruby on Rails, which powers many websites you use every day.

My Experience: Ruby on Raspberry Pi and CI Challenges

I wanted to run Ruby on a Raspberry Pi (a tiny, affordable computer). I tried using tools like rbenv and rvm to install Ruby, but I kept running into problems—Ruby and its add-ons (called gems) were hard to get working just right. I learned that GitHub Actions uses a special Docker image to make Ruby work smoothly, so I tried building Ruby from scratch on my Raspberry Pi instead.

At first, I tried the newest Ruby version (3.4.5), but it didn’t work with Jekyll (the tool I use for my website), which needed an older version. So, I built Ruby 3.3.9, and that finally worked! The only catch: the Raspberry Pi is not very powerful, so some of my tests took too long and failed. This is normal for small computers, but it’s something to keep in mind if you want to do everything locally.

Final Thoughts: Saving Power and Working Offline

One of my main goals is to make my website and tools work well even on older or less powerful computers, and to avoid needing the internet just to build or test my site. By carefully choosing the right Ruby version and setting up everything to run locally, I can keep my system fast and reliable. This also means I’m not dependent on cloud services—everything works right on my own hardware, which is great for privacy, cost, and long-term sustainability.

If you’re working with limited resources or want to be able to build and test your site without an internet connection, I recommend:

  • Using lightweight tools like Gitea
  • Choosing software versions that work well together
  • Running as much as possible on your own computer
  • Being patient with slower hardware, and adjusting test settings if needed

Bibliography

Gitea Official Website

Ruby Programming Language

GitHub Actions Documentation

Continuous Integration (CI/CD) Concepts

Jekyll Static Site Generator