Prerequisites

• Operating System: RHEL 7+ or CentOS 7+ (64-bit)
• System Requirements:
• CPU: 2 cores minimum
• RAM: 4 GB minimum (8 GB recommended)
• Disk Space: At least 10 GB free
• Root Access: Ensure you have root or sudo privileges
• Domain Name: A fully qualified domain name (FQDN) pointing to your server’s IP address is recommended for production environments

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Step-by-Step Installation

1. Update Your System

sudo yum update -y

2. Install Required Dependencies

sudo yum install -y curl policycoreutils-python openssh-server openssh-clients postfix

3. Enable and Start Services

sudo systemctl enable sshd
sudo systemctl start sshd

sudo systemctl enable postfix
sudo systemctl start postfix

4. Configure Firewall

sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=http
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=https
sudo firewall-cmd --permanent --add-service=ssh
sudo firewall-cmd --reload

5. Add GitLab Repository

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

6. Install GitLab CE

sudo yum install -y gitlab-ce

7. Configure GitLab

Set the external URL for GitLab:

sudo nano /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb

Locate the line:

external_url 'http://gitlab.example.com'

Replace 'http://gitlab.example.com' with your server’s FQDN or IP address, e.g., 'http://yourdomain.com'. Save and exit the editor.

8. Reconfigure GitLab

Apply the configuration changes:

sudo gitlab-ctl reconfigure

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Optional: Enable HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt

To secure your GitLab instance with HTTPS:

1. Edit GitLab Configuration:

   sudo nano /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb

2. Modify the External URL:

   external_url 'https://yourdomain.com'

3. Enable Let’s Encrypt:

   letsencrypt['enable'] = true
   letsencrypt['contact_emails'] = ['[email protected]'] # Replace with your email

4. Reconfigure GitLab:

   sudo gitlab-ctl reconfigure

Note: Ensure that ports 80 and 443 are open and that your domain’s DNS records point to your server’s IP address.

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Accessing GitLab

Open your web browser and navigate to your GitLab instance:

• Without HTTPS: http://yourdomain.com
• With HTTPS: https://yourdomain.com

On first access:

1. Set the Password: You’ll be prompted to set a password for the root user.
2. Login: Use the username root and the password you just set.([docs.gitlab.com][3])

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Post-Installation Tips

• Change the Default Username: After logging in, consider changing the root username for security purposes.
• Add SSH Keys: To interact with repositories via SSH, add your public SSH key to your GitLab profile.
• Configure Backups: Set up regular backups to prevent data loss.
• Monitor Performance: Utilize GitLab’s built-in monitoring tools to keep an eye on system performance.

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For more detailed information and advanced configurations, refer to the official GitLab documentation

If you need assistance with setting up GitLab Runner, integrating CI/CD pipelines, or configuring email notifications, reach out to us for support.

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