Host Jenkins on VeloxaHost
Jenkins is a free, self-hosted automation server for continuous integration and delivery, driven by pipelines written in a Jenkinsfile and extended by a large plugin catalogue. Teams self-host it when they want full control over build machines, plugins, credentials and where their build logs and artifacts are kept.
Jenkins installs from the project's own Debian repository and runs as a systemd service on port 8080, with all of its state in /var/lib/jenkins.
Install it yourself
Install Java first. Current Jenkins LTS releases need Java 21 or 25; Java 17 is no longer supported.
apt update && apt install -y fontconfig openjdk-21-jreAdd the Jenkins LTS signing key. Jenkins switched to this 2026 key in December 2025, so older keys no longer verify the repository.
mkdir -p /etc/apt/keyrings wget -O /etc/apt/keyrings/jenkins-keyring.asc https://pkg.jenkins.io/debian-stable/jenkins.io-2026.keyAdd the LTS (
debian-stable) repository.echo "deb [signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/jenkins-keyring.asc] https://pkg.jenkins.io/debian-stable binary/" | tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jenkins.list > /dev/nullInstall Jenkins and make sure the service is running.
apt update && apt install -y jenkins systemctl enable --now jenkinsRead the one-time unlock password.
cat /var/lib/jenkins/secrets/initialAdminPasswordForward a port in the server's block on the shared IPv4 to port 8080 from the server's page in the console, open
http://<shared-ip>:<public-port>, paste the password, install the suggested plugins and create your admin user.Put HTTPS in front of it before using it over the internet, for example a reverse proxy such as Caddy or nginx on port 443 forwarding to
localhost:8080, and set the Jenkins URL under Manage Jenkins > System to match.
FAQ
What licence is Jenkins under?
Jenkins core is released under the MIT licence. Plugins are separate projects and carry their own licences, so check them if licensing matters to you.
Which Java version does Jenkins need?
Jenkins LTS 2.555.1, released in April 2026, and later versions require Java 21 or Java 25. LTS 2.541.x was the last line that ran on Java 17. Install Java before Jenkins, or the service fails to start after the package installs.
Where does Jenkins keep its data?
Everything is in JENKINS_HOME, which is /var/lib/jenkins for the Debian package: configuration, job definitions, build history, plugins and stored credentials. Old builds and artifacts are what fills the disk, so set "Discard old builds" on busy jobs.
How do I upgrade Jenkins and its plugins?
Jenkins core comes from the APT repository, so apt update && apt upgrade moves you to the newest LTS; plugins are updated from Manage Jenkins > Plugins. Take a VeloxaHost snapshot first. If an upgrade breaks a plugin, restore the snapshot and the whole server, JENKINS_HOME included, returns to its earlier state.
What happens when builds need more CPU or memory?
On VeloxaHost you can raise CPU and memory of a running container from the server page, and the change applies without a restart. Java sizes its heap when it starts, so restart Jenkins to let it use the extra memory. Heavy or parallel builds are better moved to separate agent servers, which Jenkins recommends over building on the controller.
Which VeloxaHost plan fits?
The recommended 2 vCPU, 4 GB of RAM and 50 GB of disk fit the Veloxa 2 VPS size: 2 vCPU, 4 GB RAM and 80 GB disk for $20 a month, billed hourly and capped at that price. The console will not deploy Jenkins below its minimum of 2 vCPU, 2 GB of RAM and 20 GB of disk.