Gentoo Linux has started migrating its repositories away from GitHub toward Codeberg, allowing contributors to submit pull requests via the new platform. This move follows plans outlined in the project's 2025 end-of-year review and addresses concerns over Microsoft's ownership of GitHub. The initial repository mirror for ebuilds is now live, with more infrastructure to follow.
Gentoo Linux, known for its complex and customizable distribution, has taken its first steps to reduce reliance on GitHub. As of February 17, 2026, contributors can submit pull requests through Codeberg using the AGit workflow, which eliminates the need for personal forks of the repository. The project has published detailed instructions on its wiki to guide the transition.
This migration aligns with commitments made in Gentoo's 2025 end-of-year review, where the team announced plans to move repository mirrors away from GitHub. Currently, only the ebuild repository mirror is live on Codeberg, but the project intends to transfer more of its Git infrastructure in the coming months.
The decision stems from ongoing concerns about GitHub, which Microsoft acquired in 2018 for $7.5 billion—a deal that remains controversial in open-source communities. Gentoo has historically used GitHub mirrors to facilitate external contributions, duplicating content from its independent primary infrastructure. Recent integrations, such as Microsoft Copilot AI on GitHub, have prompted this shift, as noted in coverage highlighting Microsoft's influence.
Codeberg offers an alternative hosted on Forgejo software and maintained by a German nonprofit based in Berlin. Unlike GitHub, it promises no user tracking or third-party cookies, appealing to developers wary of Big Tech oversight. This change provides contributors with options while Gentoo continues its gradual departure from the platform.
Version control systems like Git enable collaborative development by tracking code changes and supporting features such as pull requests and issue tracking. GitHub dominates this space, hosting millions of repositories, but alternatives like Codeberg emphasize privacy and community governance.
