Forgejo Docker Compose Installation

In this training video, I show how to install Forgejo as a Docker container and get a self-hosted Git repository and CI/CD platform running in the home lab. We walk through the Docker Compose configuration, persistent storage, port mappings, initial Forgejo setup, admin account creation, and the first look at the management interface.

We begin on one of my Docker hosts, where I show the directory structure I use for home lab services and the Docker Compose file used to deploy Forgejo. We look at the container image version, restart policy, user and group environment variables, persistent volume configuration, and the port mappings needed for the Forgejo web interface and SSH access.

I also explain why on my docker host I am using port 3001 instead of the default port 3000 in this particular environment. Since another service is already using port 3000, changing the host-side port avoids a conflict while still mapping traffic to Forgejo’s internal web port. So additional learning! We also configure port 2222 on the host for SSH access to the container.

From there, we start Forgejo with docker compose up -d and make sure the container is running correctly with docker compose ps. I show why I like to check the container status more than once after startup to make sure the service is stable and not falling into a restart loop. Once the container is running, we connect to the Forgejo web interface and work through the initial configuration wizard. We look at the available database options, including SQLite, MySQL, and PostgreSQL, along with persistent data paths, repository storage, update checking, email settings, third-party service options, and administrator account configuration.

I also point out some of the Gitea naming that you will see inside of Forgejo because Forgejo is a fork of Gitea. After finishing the setup, we look around a bit at the Forgejo interface and see areas for repositories, issues, pull requests, milestones, site administration, and other config options. By the end of the video, you will understand how to deploy Forgejo with Docker Compose. You will also learn how to configure persistent storage and networking, complete the initial installation, and get a self-hosted Git repository and CI/CD platform ready for use in your home lab.