Anonymous Git Server VPS: Self-Host Gitea/Forgejo with No KYC

1 GB RAM runs Gitea/Forgejo. Nano is 2 GB ECC from $5.49/mo, no KYC. Token-only SSH, no personal email. Deploy →

Полный текст статьи на английском. Шапка, каталог и оплата переведены.

Why self-host the forge

Gitea and Forgejo are small HTTP+SSH forges you run on a KVM you control. The catalog floor is Nano (1 vCPU / 2 GB ECC / 40 GB NVMe / unmetered 1 Gbps / $5.49/mo) in thirteen locations — more RAM than a 1 GB instance needs. Signup is 32-character token-only (no inbox) or email + password; invoices are crypto. No passport, selfie, or phone.

Specs: 1 GB RAM is enough

A quiet personal or small-team Gitea/Forgejo process sits around 1 GB RAM. NovaVPS has no 1 GB SKU; map that need to the cheapest plan in data.py:

L3/L4 DDoS is included. Editable PTR is in the panel. Nested virt is on if you wrap the forge in Docker from Forgejo docs.

SSH without a personal email

Keep the forge off your legal mailbox. Panel account and git transport are separate:

1. Token-only NovaVPS account. Register with the 32-character hex token; do not attach an email. Save the token like a seed. Sign in with it. Same Nano SKU and crypto invoice as the email path.
2. SSH to the VPS with a key, not a mailbox. In the panel, paste a public key. Generate it with an empty comment: ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "" -f ~/.ssh/nvps_gitea. Connect as root (or the user you create) using that key only.
3. Forge users without required email. Create the first admin locally. Disable open registration. Leave the account email empty or use a non-personal placeholder. TODO: exact Gitea/Forgejo app.ini keys for “email not required” (do not invent).
4. Git over SSH, not HTTPS+password. Add a deploy/user key on the forge with no identity string. Remote: git@YOUR_IP:org/repo.git. The key comment must not be your name or inbox.

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "" -f ~/.ssh/nvps_gitea
ssh -i ~/.ssh/nvps_gitea root@YOUR_IP

apt-get update
apt-get install -y git sqlite3
# Install Gitea or Forgejo from project docs (binary or distro package).
# Do not clone from a public git-hosting marketplace.
install -d /var/lib/gitea /etc/gitea
# After first boot: disable open registration. TODO: exact app.ini keys for optional email.

Threat model (IP, payment, logs) is on how anonymous NovaVPS is. Token-only vs inbox: best no-email VPS. Floor price: cheap VPS from $5.49.

Recommended setup

Plan: Nano — 1 vCPU, 2 GB ECC, 40 GB NVMe, $5.49/mo (1 GB RAM need mapped to catalog floor). Location: pick latency, not a privacy slogan — same SKU in all thirteen cities.