How to Configure GitLab in Windows

by Devop · 22/12/2023

This article provides a step-by-step guide on how to configure GitLab in Windows. It covers the installation process, setting up the GitLab server, working with GitLab repositories, integrating GitLab with CI/CD, and securing GitLab. By following this guide, you will be able to effectively use GitLab for version control and collaboration in your Windows environment.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

Install GitLab on Windows by following the provided steps.
Create a new project, manage users and permissions, and configure webhooks in GitLab.
Learn how to clone a repository, push and pull changes, and perform branching and merging in GitLab.
Configure CI/CD pipelines, run tests and deployments, and monitor and log activities in GitLab.
Implement security measures such as enabling two-factor authentication, setting up SSL/TLS, and implementing access controls in GitLab.

Installing GitLab on Windows

Prerequisites

Before you can configure GitLab, there are a few things you need to have in place. First, make sure you have all the necessary requirements to use this module. For more details, check out the Requirements section. Once you have everything set up, follow these steps to create a configuration source provider from GitLab:

Open the navigation menu and click on Developer Services.
Under Resource Manager, click on Configuration Source Providers.
On the Configuration source providers page, select a compartment.
Click on Create configuration source provider.
In the Create configuration source provider panel, enter a name and optional description for the configuration source provider. Avoid entering confidential information.
Select the compartment where you want to create the configuration source provider.

That’s it! Once you have completed these steps, you will be ready to move on to the next section and start configuring GitLab.

Downloading GitLab

To download GitLab, follow these steps:

Go to the GitLab website.
Click on the ‘Download’ button.
Select the appropriate version for your operating system.
Choose the installation method that suits your needs.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Once GitLab is downloaded and installed, you can start configuring it to meet your requirements.

Configuring GitLab

To configure GitLab, follow these steps:

Open the GitLab settings page.
Navigate to the ‘Server URL’ section and enter the service endpoint. Examples include:
- GitLab.com product: https://gitlab.com/
- GitLab installation (relative URL): https://example.com/gitlab
- GitLab installation (subdomain): https://gitlab.example.com/
Provide the personal access token (PAT) in the designated field.
(Optional) Click ‘Show advanced options’ to assign tags to the configuration source provider. You can add a defined tag by selecting an existing namespace or add a free-form tag by leaving the value blank.

Remember to save your changes after configuring GitLab.

Setting up GitLab Server

Creating a New Project

To create a new project in GitLab, follow these steps:

Open GitLab and click on ‘Create a project’ to start the project creation process.
Select the ‘Blank Project’ option and provide a name and slug for your project.
For better security, it is recommended to set the visibility level of the repository to private.
Once you have configured the project settings, click on ‘Create project’ to proceed.

If you are importing an existing project, you can also associate it with a Git repository. Simply go to ‘VCS’ and select ‘Create Git Repository’. Specify the directory where the repository will be created and follow the prompts.

Remember to regularly commit and push your changes to ensure continuous delivery of your project.

Managing Users and Permissions

To manage users and permissions in GitLab, you must have the Owner role for the project. This role gives you full control over the project and its settings. To access the project settings, go to the left sidebar and select Search or find your project. Then, navigate to Settings > General. In the Visibility, project features, permissions section, you can enable or disable various features by toggling the corresponding options. Make sure to save your changes.

It is important to note that GitLab Premium offers additional features and capabilities for managing users and permissions. With GitLab Premium, you can take advantage of advanced access controls, group-level permissions, and more. If you’re looking for enhanced user management capabilities, consider upgrading to GitLab Premium.

For more information on managing users and permissions in GitLab, refer to the GitLab documentation or reach out to the GitLab support team for assistance.

Configuring Webhooks

To configure webhooks in GitLab, follow these steps:

Go to the project’s settings in GitLab.
Navigate to the ‘Webhooks’ section.
Click on ‘Add webhook’ to create a new webhook.
Enter the webhook URL and choose the events you want to trigger the webhook.
Optionally, you can add a secret token for added security.
Save the webhook configuration.

Once the webhook is set up, GitLab will send HTTP POST requests to the specified URL whenever the selected events occur. This allows you to integrate GitLab with other tools and services for automated actions and notifications.

Working with GitLab Repositories

Cloning a Repository

When cloning a repository, you have a few options depending on your specific situation. If you have already logged in to the selected hosting service, completion will suggest the list of available repositories that you can clone. Simply click on the Clone button to initiate the cloning process. If you want to create a project based on the sources you have cloned, click Yes in the confirmation dialog. Git root mapping will be automatically set to the project root directory. If your project contains submodules, they will also be cloned and automatically registered as project roots.

Pushing and Pulling Changes

When you are ready to push your commits, you can do so by selecting Git | Push from the main menu or pressing Control+Shift+K. If you haven’t added any remotes yet, you can click the Define remote link to add a remote. In the dialog that opens, specify the remote name and the URL where it will be hosted, and click OK. Once you have added a remote, you can push your commits by selecting Git | Push from the main menu or pressing Control+Shift+K. GitLab provides a direct link to create a merge request in response to the git push. Simply copy the link and paste it in your browser to create the merge request.

Branching and Merging

To create a merge request in GitLab, there are several methods you can use. Here are a few options:

From the merge request list: Go to your project and select Code > Merge requests. Click on New merge request in the upper-right corner. Choose the source and target branches, then click on Compare branches and continue. Fill out the required fields on the New merge request page and click on Create merge request.
When adding, editing, or uploading a file: If you’re making changes to a file in the repository, you can create a merge request directly from there. After making your changes, enter a commit message and select the target branch or create a new branch. Make sure to check the ‘Start a new merge request with these changes’ checkbox. Click on Commit changes to create the merge request.
When creating a new branch: If you’re creating a new branch, you can also create a merge request at the same time. Go to your project and select Code > Branches. Enter a branch name and click on New branch. On the right side, click on ‘Create merge request’ to open the merge request page. Fill out the necessary details and click on Create merge request.

Remember to provide a clear and concise description of the changes you’re proposing in the merge request. This will help reviewers understand the purpose and impact of your changes.

Integrating GitLab with CI/CD

Configuring CI/CD Pipelines

In GitLab, CI/CD Pipelines are a powerful tool for automating the build, test, and deployment processes of your software projects. With CI/CD Pipelines, you can ensure that your code is continuously integrated, tested, and delivered to production with ease. Here are some key points to keep in mind when configuring CI/CD Pipelines in GitLab:

Use components to create modular and reusable pipeline configurations. Components can be listed in the CI/CD Catalog and released with specific versions, allowing for better organization and versioning of your pipeline configurations.
Tag pipelines can be used to test components before running the release job. By configuring the tag pipeline, you can ensure that your components are thoroughly tested before being released.
Take advantage of GitLab’s extensive documentation and resources to learn more about CI/CD Pipelines and how to configure them effectively. GitLab provides a wealth of resources, including videos, ebooks, and webcasts, to help you get started and optimize your CI/CD workflows.

Implementing CI/CD Pipelines in GitLab can greatly streamline your software development process and improve the quality and reliability of your code. By automating the build, test, and deployment processes, you can ensure that your software is always ready for production.

Running Tests and Deployments

In this section, we will cover the process of running tests and deployments in GitLab. Running tests and deployments is a crucial step in ensuring the quality and reliability of your code. It allows you to test your code changes and deploy them to your live environment.

To run tests and deployments in GitLab, follow these steps:

Configure your CI/CD pipelines to include the necessary tests for your project.
Once your pipelines are set up, GitLab will automatically run the tests whenever a new commit is pushed to the relevant branch.
Monitor the test results in the CI/CD pipelines dashboard.
If the tests pass, you can proceed with the deployment process.
Configure your deployment settings in GitLab to specify the target environment and any additional configurations.
GitLab will automatically deploy the code changes to your live environment based on your configuration.

Remember to regularly monitor the test results and ensure that your deployments are successful. This will help you catch any issues early and maintain the stability of your application.

Monitoring and Logging

Monitoring and logging are crucial aspects of managing a GitLab server. They provide valuable insights into the performance and security of your system. Separate machines should be dedicated to monitoring and logging to ensure accurate and reliable data. Here are some key points to consider:

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Use a bulleted or numbered list for less structured content, like steps, qualitative points, or a series of related items.

Additionally, it’s important to regularly review the monitoring and logging data to identify any issues or anomalies. This can help in troubleshooting server errors, debugging performance problems, and ensuring the overall health of your GitLab environment.

Tip: Make sure to configure alerts and notifications based on specific metrics or events to proactively address any potential issues.

By following these best practices, you can effectively monitor and log activities in your GitLab server.

Securing GitLab

Enabling Two-Factor Authentication

To enable two-factor authentication for your GitLab account, follow these steps:

Go to your GitLab account settings.
Select the ‘Security’ tab.
Under the ‘Two-Factor Authentication’ section, click on the ‘Enable’ button.
Follow the prompts to set up two-factor authentication using an authentication app on your mobile device.
Once set up, you will be required to enter a verification code from your authentication app every time you log in to GitLab.

By enabling two-factor authentication, you add an extra layer of security to your GitLab account, protecting it from unauthorized access even if your password is compromised.

Setting up SSL/TLS

To set up SSL/TLS for your GitLab server, follow these steps:

Get the certificate information for your private Git server.
Install the OpenSSL command line application.
Get the certificate chain.
Get the server certificate.

To get the certificate information, you can select the certificate in the Certificates service when creating the configuration source provider. For Linux, run the command sudo yum install openssl. For MacOS, run brew install openssl. For Windows, download the openssl binary from Win32/Win64 OpenSSL and configure the environment. To get the certificate chain, run the command openssl s_client -connect $SERVERNAME:$PORT -servername $SERVERNAME -showcerts 2>&1 < /dev/null | sed -n '/-----BEGIN/,/-----END/p' > certChain.pem. Finally, to get the server certificate, run the command openssl s_client -connect $SERVERNAME:$PORT -servername $SERVERNAME -showcerts 2>&1 < /dev/null | sed -n '/-----BEGIN/,/-----END/p' > serverCert.pem.

Implementing Access Controls

To implement access controls for your project, you must have the Owner role. On the left sidebar, select Search or go to and find your project. Select Settings > General. Expand Visibility, project features, permissions. From the Project visibility dropdown list, select an option. The visibility setting for a project must be at least as restrictive as the visibility of its parent group. Select Save changes.

You can also change the visibility of individual features in a project. Prerequisites: You must have the Owner role for the project. On the left sidebar, select Search or go to and find your project. Select Settings > General. Expand Visibility, project features, permissions. To enable or disable a feature, turn on or turn off the feature toggle. Select Save changes.

Additionally, you have the ability to change the visibility of all groups. On the left sidebar, select Search or go to and find your group. Select Settings > General. Expand Naming, visibility. For Visibility level, select an option. The visibility setting for a project must be at least as restrictive as the visibility of its parent group. Select Save changes.

Administrators can also restrict the use of public or internal projects. This setting helps prevent users from publicly exposing their projects. Public projects and groups have certain access permissions for unauthenticated users, including users with the Guest role. Public groups can have public, internal, or private subgroups.

Remember, to implement access controls, you must have the Owner role for the project or group. Make sure to save your changes and consider the visibility settings of your parent group.

Securing GitLab is crucial for maintaining the security of your codebase. With the increasing number of cyber threats, it is important to implement robust security measures to protect your GitLab instance. At Home Page – DevSecOps, we specialize in providing comprehensive security solutions for GitLab. Our team of experts can help you secure your GitLab environment by implementing best practices, conducting security audits, and providing ongoing support. Don’t wait until it’s too late, take action now and ensure the security of your GitLab instance. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you secure your GitLab environment.

Conclusion

Configuring GitLab on Windows is a straightforward process that allows you to take advantage of powerful version control and collaboration features. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily install GitLab, set up a GitLab server, work with repositories, integrate with CI/CD, and secure your GitLab environment. Whether you’re a developer, project manager, or system administrator, GitLab provides a robust platform for managing your code and streamlining your development workflow. So, get started with GitLab on Windows and unlock the full potential of your software projects!

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the prerequisites for installing GitLab on Windows?

The prerequisites for installing GitLab on Windows include a compatible version of Windows, a supported version of Git, and a server with sufficient resources.

How do I download GitLab on Windows?

To download GitLab on Windows, you can visit the official GitLab website and download the installer for Windows. Follow the installation instructions to complete the installation process.

What are the steps to configure GitLab on Windows?

The steps to configure GitLab on Windows include setting up the server, creating a new project, managing users and permissions, and configuring webhooks.

How do I clone a repository in GitLab?

To clone a repository in GitLab, you can use the ‘git clone’ command followed by the repository URL. This will create a local copy of the repository on your machine.

How do I push and pull changes in GitLab?

To push changes to GitLab, you can use the ‘git push’ command. To pull changes from GitLab, you can use the ‘git pull’ command. Make sure you are in the correct branch before executing these commands.

How do I create a new project in GitLab?

To create a new project in GitLab, you can navigate to the GitLab interface and click on the ‘New Project’ button. Follow the prompts to set up the project and configure its settings.

How do I configure the GitLab CI/CD pipeline?

To configure the GitLab CI/CD pipeline, you can create a ‘.gitlab-ci.yml’ file in your project repository and define the stages, jobs, and scripts for your pipeline. GitLab will automatically run the pipeline based on the configuration.

How do I enable two-factor authentication in GitLab?

To enable two-factor authentication in GitLab, you can navigate to your account settings and enable the option for two-factor authentication. Follow the prompts to set up and verify your authentication method.