Using GitLab repository manager to manage your projects

Reviewed on 21 February 2024 • Published on 07 May 2015

compute
git
apps
GitLab
instance
InstantApp

This guide explains the usage of the GitLab repository manager InstantApp, on a Scaleway Instance. GitLab is a web-based platform designed for managing Git repositories and provides a wide range of features, including code reviews, wikis, and issue tracking.

Scaleway provides a GitLab image that is built on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish) and includes GitLab version 16.3.3. By default, this image includes support for routed IPs.

Before you start

To complete the actions presented below, you must have:

A Scaleway account logged into the console
Owner status or IAM permissions allowing you to perform actions in the intended Organization
An SSH key

Creating a GitLab Instance

Click Instances in the Compute section of the side menu. The Instances page displays.
Click Create Instance. The Instance creation wizard displays.
Choose the Availability Zone for your Instance.
Select the Instance type you want to create.
Select the GitLab image in the InstantApps tab.
Add storage volumes to your Instance.
Enter a name and optional tags for your Instance.
Click Create Instance to launch your GitLab Instance.

Tip

For detailed information about Instance creation, refer to the create an Instance documentation.

Configuring GitLab

Log in to your Instance using SSH.

You find your GitLab password in the MOTD when you login to your Instance.

#################### GITLAB ####################
Gitlab version 16.3.3 is installed.
Getting started with: https://www.scaleway.com/docs/how-to-use-the-gitlab-instant-apps.
By default, the Gitlab administrator user is created with a random password.
If the username and the password haven't been changed manually, either via UI or via command line,
the default credentials are:
- user: root
- password: Fh8cD+xJkgrCYXeXaLdx5SsjpJv5nrPxG5CIbONELJA=
To access the GitLab web interface, open http://fe8495d0-29c9-4c63-a5bb-38f524d07b1d.pub.instances.scw.cloud in your browser.
Once connected, we strongly advise you to change your password by going in user settings page: http://fe8495d0-29c9-4c63-a5bb-38f524d07b1d.pub.instances.scw.cloud/-/profile/password/edit
You can hide this message for the next connections by deleting the /etc/update-motd.d/70-gitlab file.
################################################

Access GitLab’s web interface by copy/pasting the URL from the MOTD or the Instance’s IP address into your browser’s navigation bar. GitLab’s login screen displays.
Log in using the user root and the password shown in the MOTD of your Instance.
Change your password by accessing the URL shown in the MOTD above for security reasons.

Remove the MOTD file from your Instance

rm /etc/update-motd.d/70-gitlab

Configuring Let’s Encrypt

GitLab can automatically fetch and renew let’s encrypt certificates. Follow this tutorial from the official GitLab documentation.

Opening the mail ports to send emails

Note

To prevent spam, our infrastructure does not allow access to remote mail ports by default. However, since GitLab requires the ability to send emails, you must enable access to these ports. Your account needs to undergo a validation process before you can enable the SMTP ports. Learn more about identity verification.

Click the Security groups tab on the Instances overview page.
Click Create a new security group and input the security group name and description.
Check the Enable SMTP box to unblock the mail ports.
Return to the overview tab and select the security group you created in step 2.

The new security group configuration will be applied automatically on Instances.