|
| 1 | +--- |
| 2 | +id: intro-gitlab |
| 3 | +title: Introduction of GitLab |
| 4 | +sidebar_label: Introduction of GitLab #displays in sidebar |
| 5 | +sidebar_position: 2 |
| 6 | +tags: |
| 7 | + [ |
| 8 | + GitLab, |
| 9 | + Introduction of GitLab, |
| 10 | + Why learn GitLab, |
| 11 | + How to use GitLab, |
| 12 | + GitLab Prerequisites, |
| 13 | + ] |
| 14 | +description: In this tutorial, you will learn about GitLab, its importance, why learn GitLab, how to use GitLab, prerequisites to get started, and more. |
| 15 | +--- |
| 16 | + |
| 17 | +GitLab is a web-based DevOps lifecycle tool that provides a **Git repository manager**, issue tracking, continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, and more. It is similar to GitHub but focuses heavily on providing an **all-in-one platform** for software development and DevOps. |
| 18 | + |
| 19 | +:::note |
| 20 | +Key Features of GitLab: |
| 21 | +- GitLab is not only a Git-based repository management tool but also provides **built-in CI/CD pipelines**. |
| 22 | +- Unlike GitHub, GitLab can be **self-hosted** as well as used on the cloud (GitLab.com). |
| 23 | +- GitLab offers <a href="https://about.gitlab.com/pricing/">Premium Plans</a> with advanced CI/CD, security, compliance, and scalability features. |
| 24 | +::: |
| 25 | + |
| 26 | +--- |
| 27 | + |
| 28 | +## How to start with GitLab? |
| 29 | + |
| 30 | +When developers create new projects or collaborate on existing ones, they need a place to host, version, and automate their workflows. GitLab provides this with the **additional advantage of integrated DevOps tools** such as issue boards, pipelines, and monitoring. |
| 31 | + |
| 32 | +Other alternatives include GitHub, Bitbucket, and Azure Repos. GitLab is often preferred in organizations where **self-hosting** and **end-to-end DevOps** automation are critical. |
| 33 | + |
| 34 | +:::info |
| 35 | +In the picture below, you can see multiple developers working on the same project. For example, Developer 1 handles the backend APIs, Developer 2 builds the frontend interface, and Developer 3 manages CI/CD pipeline setup. |
| 36 | + |
| 37 | +Each developer works on their local copy of the repository and pushes their changes to the **remote GitLab repository**. After a merge request (MR) review, the maintainer merges the changes into the main branch. GitLab can then automatically trigger a **pipeline** to build, test, and deploy the new version of the project. |
| 38 | +::: |
| 39 | + |
| 40 | +<BrowserWindow url="https://gitlab.com/" bodyStyle={{padding: 0}}> |
| 41 | + [](https://about.gitlab.com/) |
| 42 | +</BrowserWindow> |
| 43 | + |
| 44 | +--- |
| 45 | + |
| 46 | +## Why Learn GitLab? |
| 47 | + |
| 48 | +GitLab is more than just version control—it provides a complete DevOps platform. |
| 49 | +Here’s why you should learn it: |
| 50 | + |
| 51 | +1. **Integrated DevOps** – GitLab includes planning, coding, testing, security, deployment, and monitoring in one place. |
| 52 | +2. **Self-hosting option** – Unlike GitHub, GitLab allows organizations to run GitLab on their own servers. |
| 53 | +3. **Automation with CI/CD** – GitLab’s pipelines make testing and deployment faster and less error-prone. |
| 54 | +4. **Collaboration** – Teams can manage issues, boards, milestones, and code reviews easily. |
| 55 | +5. **Industry demand** – Many companies prefer GitLab for its **security compliance** and DevOps workflows. |
| 56 | + |
| 57 | +--- |
| 58 | + |
| 59 | +## How to Learn GitLab? |
| 60 | + |
| 61 | +To get started with GitLab, here are the recommended steps and prerequisites: |
| 62 | + |
| 63 | +:::info |
| 64 | +### 🔑 Prerequisites: |
| 65 | +- **Basic Git Knowledge**: Understand commands like `git clone`, `git add`, `git commit`, `git push`. |
| 66 | +- **Programming Knowledge**: Any language is fine (Python, JavaScript, Java, etc.). |
| 67 | +- **Command Line Basics**: Comfortable using a terminal (Linux, macOS, or Windows PowerShell). |
| 68 | +- **Optional (for CI/CD)**: Docker basics, YAML syntax (for writing pipeline configs). |
| 69 | + |
| 70 | +--- |
| 71 | + |
| 72 | +### 📝 Learning Path: |
| 73 | +1. **Create an account** on [GitLab.com](https://gitlab.com/). |
| 74 | +2. **Install Git** on your system to interact with GitLab repositories. |
| 75 | +3. **Start a new project** or fork an existing repository. |
| 76 | +4. **Explore GitLab features**: issues, merge requests, labels, and boards. |
| 77 | +5. **Learn GitLab CI/CD** by creating `.gitlab-ci.yml` for automating builds/tests. |
| 78 | +6. **Advance**: Learn GitLab Runners, environment variables, and deployment. |
| 79 | + |
| 80 | + |
| 81 | +::: |
| 82 | + |
| 83 | +--- |
| 84 | + |
| 85 | +### Watch the video Tutorial |
| 86 | +<iframe width="880" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HSV-Kky9N5E" title="GitLab Beginner Tutorial | How to start with GitLab in 2024" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> |
| 87 | + |
| 88 | +--- |
| 89 | + |
| 90 | +## Conclusion |
| 91 | + |
| 92 | +GitLab is not just a code hosting tool—it’s a **complete DevOps ecosystem**. By learning GitLab, you gain both Git skills and practical experience with **automation pipelines, deployments, and project management tools**. |
| 93 | + |
| 94 | +In the next tutorial, we will explore how to create your first GitLab project, push code to it, and set up a CI/CD pipeline. |
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