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.