Gentoo Linux Migrates to Codeberg in Response to GitHub's AI Training Practices

The Gentoo Linux project has initiated a significant migration away from GitHub, announcing it now accepts code contributions through Codeberg – a non-profit, Forgejo-based platform that prioritizes user privacy and ethical open-source hosting.

This strategic move directly responds to Microsoft's Copilot scanning practices on GitHub. Gentoo developers expressed concerns about proprietary AI systems training on their codebase without explicit permission. "Gentoo now has a presence on Codeberg, and contributions can be submitted for the Gentoo repository mirror at codeberg.org/gentoo/gentoo as an alternative to GitHub," states the project's official announcement. This migration was foreshadowed in Gentoo's 2025 end-of-year review.

Codeberg operates fundamentally differently from GitHub. As a European non-profit organization, it runs on Forgejo – an open-source Git hosting solution that emerged as a community fork of Gitea. The platform explicitly prohibits AI training on user content without consent and maintains strict privacy standards compliant with GDPR.

During the transition period, GitHub remains operational as a Gentoo mirror. Developers can continue using it temporarily, but all new submissions flow through Codeberg. The migration will gradually extend beyond the main Gentoo repository to include all project sub-repositories under the Codeberg Gentoo organization. Once complete, Gentoo will fully decommission its GitHub presence.

This migration reflects growing concerns within the open-source ecosystem about AI training practices. As Gentoo developer and migration coordinator noted: "We value the principles of free software and want to ensure our contributors' work isn't exploited by proprietary AI systems without their consent."

The move aligns with broader shifts in Linux development circles. Recently, KaOS Linux announced it would abandon KDE Plasma after 12 years in favor of the Niri window manager. Gentoo's migration to an ethically-aligned platform demonstrates how foundational projects are reevaluating dependencies on corporate-controlled infrastructure.

Developers can track migration progress through Gentoo's Infrastructure Status page. The project maintains documentation to assist contributors with the Codeberg transition, including workflow differences between the platforms.

This migration represents more than a technical shift – it's a statement about control over open-source contributions. As AI training becomes increasingly contentious, other privacy-conscious projects may follow Gentoo's lead toward platforms explicitly designed to protect contributor rights.