Gitea Mirror

Product Introduction

1. Gitea Mirror is an open-source tool designed to automatically synchronize and backup GitHub repositories to a self-hosted Gitea instance. It ensures continuous code availability through scheduled syncing, bulk operations, and real-time monitoring while preserving repository structures. The solution is free to use and deploy on user-controlled infrastructure.
2. The core value lies in providing developers and organizations with a reliable, self-hosted backup solution that mitigates risks of code loss or platform dependency. By maintaining mirrored repositories with identical structures, it guarantees seamless access to codebases even if GitHub becomes unavailable or repositories are altered.

Main Features

1. Automated Mirroring enables scheduled synchronization of GitHub repositories to Gitea without manual intervention, supporting daily, weekly, or custom intervals. Users configure sync rules once, and the system handles incremental updates to reflect changes in branches, tags, and commits.
2. Bulk Operations allow mirroring entire GitHub organizations or user accounts through a single configuration, eliminating the need to set up individual repositories. This feature supports large-scale migrations or backups while maintaining metadata like issue tracking and pull requests.
3. Real-Time Monitoring provides live updates on synchronization status through a dashboard, including progress bars, error logs, and success/failure notifications. Detailed activity logs track historical sync attempts, enabling quick troubleshooting for failed mirroring tasks.

Problems Solved

1. The tool addresses the risk of code loss or inaccessibility due to GitHub outages, account suspensions, or accidental deletions. By maintaining an up-to-date self-hosted mirror, users retain full control over their codebase independent of third-party platforms.
2. Target users include development teams, open-source maintainers, and enterprises requiring compliant code storage solutions. It particularly benefits organizations with strict data sovereignty requirements or those transitioning from GitHub to self-hosted platforms.
3. Typical use cases involve creating disaster recovery backups for critical repositories, migrating large organizations to Gitea without manual effort, and maintaining parallel codebases for auditing or compliance purposes.

Unique Advantages

1. Unlike cloud-based backup services, Gitea Mirror operates entirely within user-controlled infrastructure, ensuring no third-party access to code. This contrasts with SaaS solutions that store backups on external servers.
2. The combination of bulk organization mirroring and structure preservation is unique, allowing seamless migration of GitHub teams, permissions, and repository hierarchies to Gitea. Competitors typically require manual reorganization after migration.
3. Competitive advantages include zero licensing costs, native integration with Gitea's API for metadata synchronization, and support for Proxmox LXC containers for enterprise-grade deployment. The open-source model enables customization of sync rules and authentication workflows.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How does Gitea Mirror handle authentication with GitHub and Gitea? It uses OAuth2 tokens for GitHub access and Gitea API keys, stored encrypted in its database. Users configure these credentials once through the web interface during initial setup.
2. Can it mirror private GitHub repositories? Yes, the tool supports both public and private repositories when configured with valid GitHub access tokens. Mirrored repositories retain their visibility settings in Gitea by default.
3. What synchronization schedules are available? Users can configure intervals ranging from 15-minute increments to weekly syncs, with optional event-driven triggers via GitHub webhooks for immediate updates after repository changes.
4. Is Proxmox LXC deployment required? No, while Proxmox offers a one-click install option, standard Docker deployments are recommended for most users. The Proxmox template is optimized for resource allocation in virtualized environments.
5. How are conflicts handled during synchronization? The tool performs force pushes to Gitea by default, overwriting any manual changes to mirrored repositories. Users can enable "safe sync" mode to abort synchronization if divergence is detected.