Show HN: Using GitHub Pages as zero-cost APT repository with global CDN

3 points

7 months ago

I discovered an interesting approach to software distribution while solving a packaging problem: using GitHub Pages infrastructure to host a production APT repository.

*The setup:* - GitHub Actions builds .deb packages for multiple distributions - GitHub Releases stores the binary packages - GitHub Pages serves APT repository metadata (Packages, Release files) - Custom domain provides professional presentation - GPG signing ensures package authenticity

*What makes this compelling:* - *Zero costs:* No hosting fees, unlimited bandwidth via Cloudflare CDN - *Global distribution:* Better performance than most personal servers - *Zero maintenance:* No servers to patch, backup, or monitor - *Enterprise reliability:* 99.9%+ uptime backed by GitHub SLA - *Automatic HTTPS:* Security by default

*Real-world results:* - Users report faster downloads than official mirrors - Repository accessible globally with <100ms response times - Completely automated updates via CI/CD

*The broader implication:* This democratizes software distribution infrastructure. Small projects and individual developers can now provide enterprise-grade package distribution without the traditional barriers of cost and complexity.

Previously, running a proper APT repository required: - Dedicated servers ($10-50/month minimum) - Bandwidth costs (expensive at scale) - Maintenance overhead (security updates, monitoring) - Global CDN setup (complex and costly)

Now: Push to git, everything else is automated and free.

*Technical implementation:* https://github.com/vejeta/stremio-debian *Live repository:* https://debian.vejeta.com *Architecture details:* https://vejeta.com/from-documentation-to-distribution-the-co...

This pattern could be valuable for any project needing to distribute Linux packages at scale without infrastructure investment.