We are beginning the process of moving RakuOS development and container image distribution from GitHub to GitLab.
This change is being made because RakuOS has received support through GitLab’s Open Source / FOSS sponsorship program, which gives the project access to GitLab’s full platform and helps provide a stronger foundation for future development, CI/CD, issue tracking, and release operations.
Why We’re Moving
Over the past months, RakuOS has grown quickly. With that growth, the project needs better infrastructure for:
- image builds and pipeline scheduling
- branch and staging workflows
- long-term project management
- issue tracking and collaboration
- container registry hosting for system images
GitLab sponsorship gives RakuOS access to tooling that will help us scale the project more cleanly as development continues.
What This Means for Users
RakuOS system images are being moved from GitHub Container Registry (ghcr.io) to the GitLab Container Registry.
Updates will be going out soon that will transition existing RakuOS installations so they begin receiving image updates from GitLab instead of GitHub. This migration is being handled through the normal update path so users do not need to manually reinstall to make the switch.
In short:
- current systems will continue to work
- update support for existing installs will be transitioned to GitLab
- future image publishing will increasingly center around GitLab
During the Transition
There may be a short period where both GitHub and GitLab infrastructure are in use while we complete the migration and make sure existing users move over safely.
Our goal is to make this transition as smooth as possible without disrupting updates for current users.
Looking Ahead
This move will help RakuOS improve:
- release automation
- branch-based testing workflows
- staging and future Rawhide-style development lanes
- bug tracking and project organization
- long-term infrastructure sustainability
More updates will be posted as the migration progresses.
Thank you to everyone who has downloaded, tested, and supported RakuOS. The project has grown quickly, and this move is part of building the infrastructure needed for the next stage of that growth.