GitLab CE Docker Compose - Quickstart

Cleanup and Reset

If you need to start fresh or reset your GitLab installation:

./cleanup.sh

This script will:

• Stop all GitLab containers
• Remove all GitLab data
• Remove all logs
• Remove SSL certificates
• Give you a clean slate to start over

Initial Setup

1. Copy the example configuration file:

   cp config.env.example .env

2. Edit your settings in .env

3. Start everything with:

   chmod +x setup.sh
   ./setup.sh

4. Important: The initial root password will be displayed after setup. You can also retrieve it manually within the first 24 hours using:

   docker exec gitlab-docker-gitlab-1 cat /etc/gitlab/initial_root_password

   Make sure to change this password immediately after your first login!

5. Het setup script maakt automatisch een self-signed SSL-certificaat aan voor je GitLab-domein. Dit certificaat wordt gegenereerd met een Subject Alternative Name (SAN) voor zowel je GitLab domein als je Container Registry domein ($REGISTRY).

6. Register the runner:

   1. Log in to GitLab as root user
   2. Go to Admin Area > Overview > Runners (or navigate to https://gitlab.example.com/admin/runners)
   3. Note down the registration token shown at the top of the page
   4. Edit register-runner.sh and update:
      • GITLAB_URL: Your GitLab URL (e.g., "https://gitlab.example.com/")
      • REGISTRATION_TOKEN: The token you copied in step 3
   5. Make the script executable and run it:

   chmod +x register-runner.sh
   ./register-runner.sh

   6. The runner should now appear in your GitLab Runners overview page
   7. Optional: Configure additional runner settings in the GitLab UI:
      • Tags
      • Run untagged jobs
      • Lock to project
      • Maximum timeout

   Note: The runner registration uses the same SSL certificate as GitLab. Make sure your SSL certificate is properly set up in the ./ssl directory before registering the runner.

7. Add your Ansible code to a GitLab project and include .gitlab-ci.yml

8. Add the following GitLab CI/CD variables:

   • SSH_PRIVATE_KEY (your private key)
   • KNOWN_HOSTS (optional)

Done! Your GitLab environment is ready to use.

Additional Information

• The folders data/, logs/, ssl/, and config/ are used for persistent storage and configuration.
• Only .gitkeep files and explicitly listed files are tracked in version control.
• See .gitignore for details.
• Note: Docker Compose automatically loads variables from a file named .env in the project root.

For detailed instructions on configuring CI/CD variables for SSH keys and other necessary settings, refer to the documentation provided in the project.

Starting

Start the environment with Docker Compose (example):

docker compose up

Test Your Runner

1. Create a new project in GitLab
2. Create a new file .gitlab-ci.yml with this content:

   test-job:
     script:
       - echo "My first job"
       - echo "Runner is working!"
       - echo "Current date is $(date)"

3. Commit and push the file
4. Go to your project's CI/CD > Pipelines to see the job running

You should see your job execute successfully with the output messages. If this works, your runner is correctly configured!

For a more complete test that uses Docker:

test-docker:
  image: alpine:latest
  script:
    - echo "Testing from Alpine container"
    - uname -a
    - cat /etc/os-release