Install GitLab

GitLab is a powerful open-source platform for managing Git repositories, providing version control, issue tracking, and CI/CD capabilities.

Prerequisites

Installation Steps

Update system packages

sudo apt update

Install dependencies

sudo apt install curl openssh-server ca-certificates postfix

When configuring postfix, select “Internet Site” for general use.

Add GitLab repository

curl https://packages.gitlab.com/install/repositories/gitlab/gitlab-ee/script.deb.sh | sudo bash

Install GitLab

sudo apt install gitlab-ee

Configure external URL

Edit the GitLab configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb

Find and update the external_url setting:

external_url 'https://gitlab.yourdomain.com'

Reconfigure GitLab

sudo gitlab-ctl reconfigure

This may take several minutes.

Access GitLab

Navigate to your configured URL. On first visit, you’ll be prompted to set up the administrator account.

Keep your GitLab instance up to date:

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade gitlab-ee
sudo gitlab-ctl reconfigure

Create a backup of your GitLab data:

sudo gitlab-backup create

Schedule regular backups to prevent data loss. GitLab backups include repositories, database, and attachments.

Enable HTTPS

GitLab can automatically obtain SSL certificates via Let’s Encrypt. Ensure your external_url uses https:// and run gitlab-ctl reconfigure.

Configure SMTP

Edit /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb to configure email notifications via SMTP. This enables GitLab to send notification emails.

Resource Optimization

For VPS with limited RAM, you can reduce GitLab’s memory usage by disabling unused features in /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb.

For detailed configuration options, refer to the GitLab documentation.