Gitea, a lightweight, open-source platform for hosting Git repositories, similar in purpose to GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket but designed to be simple, fast, and easy to self-host, has just released version 1.25.
One of the most notable improvements is the introduction of streamed repository archives. Archives in formats such as ZIP, TAR.GZ, or bundles are now streamed by default, which significantly improves performance and reduces memory usage when downloading large repositories.
At the same time, Gitea adds built-in previews for 3D and CAD file formats, such as STL and OBJ, enabling users to view these files directly in the web interface without the need for external tools.
Contributing to projects has also become more efficient. When editing a file without write access, Gitea now automatically offers to create a fork and open a pull request, streamlining collaboration for external contributors. Additionally, Gitea Actions now supports email notifications for workflow success or failure, enabling teams to track pipeline results without manually checking build logs.
Security enhancements are another key focus of this release. Instance-wide SSH commit signing has been enhanced, providing administrators with greater control over signature enforcement and verification. Furthermore, OpenID Connect integration has been updated to synchronize SSH keys and full names from identity providers, simplifying user management in organizations that rely on single sign-on.
Developers working with automation will notice improvements in the repository contents API. The new contents-ext endpoint allows more flexible data retrieval, while the addition of a has_code field helps identify repositories containing source code. Git commands now also support configurable remote names, improving compatibility with custom workflows.
On the user experience side, Gitea 1.25 introduces a more responsive interface. The markdown editor now supports additional paste formatting, the time tracker UI has been redesigned for better clarity, and the notifications list updates partially for faster page loads. Pull request pages display alerts for recently pushed branches, while command-line instructions now use a monospace font for easier reading.
System administrators gain several practical benefits as well. The gitea dump command no longer includes pre-generated repository archives, which makes backups smaller and faster. Plus, emoji configuration has been refined, allowing only specific sets to be enabled and avoiding mismatches between default and custom emojis.
However, users should note that deprecated authentication sources have been removed in this version. Before upgrading, it is essential to review and update existing authentication configurations to prevent compatibility issues.
In addition to these major updates, the release includes numerous bug fixes that enhance stability and reliability. These cover areas such as LFS handling, webhook behavior, workflow reruns, pull request creation, and rendering in the user interface.
For more information, see the announcement. As always, users should back up their data before upgrading by replacing the binary or Docker container and restarting the service.
