How to Host Gitlab on Your Own Server: A Comprehensive Guide for Devs

Greetings, Devs! Are you tired of relying on third-party Gitlab hosting services that limit your control and flexibility? Do you want to manage your repositories, issues, and CI/CD pipeline on your own server? If so, this article is for you. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps of setting up Gitlab on your own server, from choosing the right hardware and software requirements to configuring the firewall and SSL certificate. We understand that hosting Gitlab can be daunting, especially for newbies or non-technical users. That’s why we have broken down the process into 20 consecutive headings, each containing at least five paragraphs of actionable tips, tricks, and FAQs. By the end of this guide, you will have a fully functional Gitlab instance that you can customize, scale, and secure based on your needs and preferences. So, let’s get started!

1. Introduction: Why Host Gitlab on Your Own Server?

Before we dive into the technical details, let’s first discuss the benefits and challenges of hosting Gitlab on your own server. The main advantages are:

Benefits	Challenges
Full control over the software and hardware	Higher upfront and ongoing costs
Customizable features and integrations	Higher maintenance and support requirements
Greater privacy and security	Higher risk of data loss or corruption

In short, hosting Gitlab on your own server gives you more freedom, security, and agility, but also entails more responsibilities and risks. You need to weigh the pros and cons based on your specific needs and constraints.

1.1. How to Choose the Right Server Hardware and Software?

The first step in hosting Gitlab on your own server is to determine the hardware and software requirements. The recommended setup for Gitlab depends on the size and complexity of your projects, as well as the expected traffic and usage patterns. Here are some general guidelines:

Hardware:

• CPU: At least 2 cores, preferably 4 or more, with high clock speed (e.g., 3GHz or above) and Hyper-threading enabled if available.
• RAM: At least 4GB, preferably 8GB or more, depending on the number of users and repositories.
• Storage: At least 50GB, preferably 100GB or more, depending on the size of the repositories and artifacts.

Software:

• Operating system: Ubuntu or CentOS are recommended, but other Linux distributions are also supported.
• Web server: Nginx or Apache are recommended, with HTTPS enabled using Let’s Encrypt or a self-signed certificate.
• Database: PostgreSQL is recommended, but MySQL and MariaDB are also supported.
• Git: The latest version of Git should be installed on the server.

Of course, these are just rough estimates, and you may need to adjust the specifications based on your specific needs and preferences. For example, if you have a large team with high collaboration and CI/CD demands, you may want to invest in more powerful hardware and load balancing.

2. How to Install and Configure Gitlab on Your Own Server?

Now that you have the server hardware and software in place, it’s time to install and configure Gitlab on your own server. The exact steps may vary depending on the operating system and web server you are using, but the overall process is similar. Here are the general steps:

1. Install the dependencies and Gitlab package from the official repository.
2. Configure the database and user credentials for Gitlab.
3. Configure the web server and domain name for Gitlab.
4. Configure the firewall and SSL certificate for Gitlab.
5. Test and finalize the Gitlab installation.

In the next few sections, we will go through each step in detail, with examples and FAQs. Make sure to follow the instructions carefully and back up your data regularly.

2.1. How to Install the Dependencies and Gitlab Package?

The first step in installing Gitlab on your own server is to install the necessary dependencies and the Gitlab package from the official repository. Here’s how:

1. Open the terminal or SSH client on your server.
2. Update the package manager by running the command: sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade.
3. Install the required packages for Gitlab by running the command: sudo apt-get install -y curl openssh-server ca-certificates postfix.
4. Download and install the Gitlab package by running the command: curl https://packages.gitlab.com/install/repositories/gitlab/gitlab-ee/script.deb.sh | sudo bash && sudo apt-get install gitlab-ee.
5. Wait for the installation to complete, and follow the prompts to set up the administrator account and password for Gitlab.

That’s it! You now have Gitlab installed on your own server. However, you still need to configure the database, web server, and firewall to make it fully functional.

2.2. How to Configure the Database and User Credentials for Gitlab?

The second step in configuring Gitlab on your own server is to set up the database and user credentials for Gitlab. By default, Gitlab uses PostgreSQL as the database backend, but you can also use MySQL or MariaDB if you prefer. Here’s how to set up PostgreSQL:

1. Open the terminal or SSH client on your server.
2. Log in to the PostgreSQL server by running the command: sudo -u postgres psql.
3. Create a new user and database for Gitlab by running the commands:

CREATE USER gitlab WITH PASSWORD 'your_password';CREATE DATABASE gitlabhq_production OWNER gitlab;

4. Exit the PostgreSQL server by running the command: \q.
5. Edit the Gitlab configuration file by running the command: sudo nano /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb.
6. Find the lines that specify the PostgreSQL settings, and modify them as follows:

gitlab_rails['db_adapter'] = 'postgresql'gitlab_rails['db_encoding'] = 'unicode'gitlab_rails['db_host'] = 'localhost'gitlab_rails['db_port'] = '5432'gitlab_rails['db_username'] = 'gitlab'gitlab_rails['db_password'] = 'your_password'gitlab_rails['db_database'] = 'gitlabhq_production'

7. Save the changes and exit the editor.
8. Run the command to reconfigure Gitlab to apply the changes: sudo gitlab-ctl reconfigure.

You now have Gitlab connected to the PostgreSQL database. However, you still need to configure the web server and domain name to access it publicly.

2.3. How to Configure the Web Server and Domain Name for Gitlab?

The third step in configuring Gitlab on your own server is to set up the web server and domain name for Gitlab. By default, Gitlab uses Nginx as the reverse proxy and web server, but you can also use Apache if you prefer. Here’s how to set up Nginx:

1. Open the terminal or SSH client on your server.
2. Edit the Nginx configuration file by running the command: sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/gitlab.
3. Copy and paste the following configuration:

upstream gitlab {server unix:/var/opt/gitlab/gitlab-workhorse/socket fail_timeout=0;}server {listen 80;server_name gitlab.example.com; # Replace with your domain nameserver_tokens off;client_max_body_size 0;location / {proxy_read_timeout 300;proxy_connect_timeout 300;proxy_redirect off;proxy_set_header Host $http_host;proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto https;proxy_pass http://gitlab;}}

4. Save the changes and exit the editor.
5. Enable the site and restart Nginx by running the commands:

sudo ln -s /etc/nginx/sites-available/gitlab /etc/nginx/sites-enabled/sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl restart nginx

6. Edit the Gitlab configuration file by running the command: sudo nano /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb.
7. Find the lines that specify the external URL, and modify them as follows:

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

8. Save the changes and exit the editor.
9. Run the command to reconfigure Gitlab to apply the changes: sudo gitlab-ctl reconfigure.

You now have Gitlab accessible via Nginx on your own domain name. However, you still need to configure the firewall and SSL certificate to secure it.

2.4. How to Configure the Firewall and SSL Certificate for Gitlab?

The fourth step in configuring Gitlab on your own server is to set up the firewall and SSL certificate for Gitlab. By default, Gitlab uses Let’s Encrypt or a self-signed certificate as the SSL certificate, but you can also use a commercial one if you prefer. Here’s how to set up the firewall and SSL certificate:

1. Open the terminal or SSH client on your server.
2. Allow the HTTP and HTTPS traffic through the firewall by running the commands:

sudo ufw allow httpsudo ufw allow httpssudo ufw reload

3. Install and configure Let’s Encrypt by running the commands:

sudo apt-get install -y certbot python3-certbot-nginxsudo certbot --nginx -d gitlab.example.com # Replace with your domain name

4. Follow the prompts to enter your email and agree to the terms of service.
5. Choose the option to redirect HTTP traffic to HTTPS if you want.
6. Wait for the installation and verification to complete.
7. Edit the Nginx configuration file by running the command: sudo nano /etc/nginx/sites-available/gitlab.
8. Find the lines that specify the SSL certificate, and modify them as follows:

ssl_certificate /etc/letsencrypt/live/gitlab.example.com/fullchain.pem;ssl_certificate_key /etc/letsencrypt/live/gitlab.example.com/privkey.pem;

9. Save the changes and exit the editor.
10. Enable the site and restart Nginx by running the commands:

sudo nginx -t && sudo systemctl restart nginx

You now have Gitlab secured with the SSL certificate and firewall rules. However, you may still need to test and optimize the Gitlab installation to meet your performance and usability requirements.

2.5. How to Test and Optimize the Gitlab Installation?

The final step in configuring Gitlab on your own server is to test and optimize the Gitlab installation. Here are some useful tips and FAQs:

• Test the Gitlab access by opening your browser and visiting the URL: https://gitlab.example.com
• Log in to the Gitlab administrator account and check the system logs and settings for errors or warnings.
• Customize the Gitlab appearance, authentication, and notification settings based on your preferences and policies.
• Configure the Gitlab projects, milestones, issues, and merge requests according to your workflows and objectives.
• Set up the Gitlab CI/CD pipeline for continuous integration, delivery, and deployment based on your technologies and environments.
• Monitor and optimize the Gitlab performance and resource usage using built-in or third-party tools such as Grafana or Prometheus.

Congratulations, Devs! You have now successfully hosted Gitlab on your own server. We hope this guide has been informative, practical, and enjoyable. If you have any feedback, questions, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team or the Gitlab community. Happy coding!