Deploy GitLab on RamNode

GitLab is a comprehensive DevOps platform that provides source code management, CI/CD pipelines, issue tracking, container registry, and much more in a single application. By self-hosting GitLab on RamNode, you benefit from full data ownership, customizable configurations, and the performance of dedicated VPS resources without recurring per-user licensing fees.

GitLab is a resource-intensive application. Selecting the appropriate RamNode VPS plan is crucial for optimal performance.

Before beginning the installation, ensure you have:

• A RamNode VPS with Ubuntu 22.04 LTS or 24.04 LTS installed
• Root or sudo access to your server
• A registered domain name pointing to your VPS IP address
• SSH access configured for secure remote management
• Basic familiarity with Linux command line operations

Update System Packages

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Install Required Dependencies

sudo apt install -y curl openssh-server ca-certificates tzdata perl

Configure Firewall

sudo ufw allow OpenSSH
sudo ufw allow http
sudo ufw allow https
sudo ufw enable

Configure Swap Space (Recommended)

If your VPS has limited RAM, add swap space to prevent out-of-memory issues:

sudo fallocate -l 4G /swapfile
sudo chmod 600 /swapfile
sudo mkswap /swapfile
sudo swapon /swapfile
echo '/swapfile none swap sw 0 0' | sudo tee -a /etc/fstab

Add GitLab Repository

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

Install GitLab CE

Install GitLab Community Edition, replacing the URL with your domain:

sudo EXTERNAL_URL="https://gitlab.yourdomain.com" apt install gitlab-ce

Retrieve Initial Root Password

sudo cat /etc/gitlab/initial_root_password

Access GitLab Web Interface

1. Open your browser and navigate to your GitLab URL (https://gitlab.yourdomain.com)
2. Log in with username "root" and the password from the previous step
3. Navigate to User Settings → Password to set a new secure password
4. Configure two-factor authentication for enhanced security

Edit the GitLab configuration file to set up email:

sudo nano /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb

Add or modify the following SMTP settings (example using Gmail):

gitlab_rails['smtp_enable'] = true
gitlab_rails['smtp_address'] = "smtp.gmail.com"
gitlab_rails['smtp_port'] = 587
gitlab_rails['smtp_user_name'] = "your-email@gmail.com"
gitlab_rails['smtp_password'] = "your-app-password"
gitlab_rails['smtp_domain'] = "smtp.gmail.com"
gitlab_rails['smtp_authentication'] = "login"
gitlab_rails['smtp_enable_starttls_auto'] = true
gitlab_rails['gitlab_email_from'] = "gitlab@yourdomain.com"

Apply the configuration changes:

sudo gitlab-ctl reconfigure

GitLab automatically configures Let's Encrypt SSL when installed with an HTTPS external URL. Ensure these settings are in /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb:

letsencrypt['enable'] = true
letsencrypt['contact_emails'] = ['admin@yourdomain.com']
letsencrypt['auto_renew'] = true

Manual Certificate Renewal

sudo gitlab-ctl renew-le-certs

Manual Backup

Create a full backup of your GitLab instance:

sudo gitlab-backup create

Backups are stored in /var/opt/gitlab/backups by default.

Automated Backups with Cron

Set up daily automated backups:

sudo crontab -e

Add the following line for daily 2 AM backups:

0 2 * * * /opt/gitlab/bin/gitlab-backup create CRON=1

Backup Configuration Files

sudo cp /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb /var/opt/gitlab/backups/
sudo cp /etc/gitlab/gitlab-secrets.json /var/opt/gitlab/backups/

Optimize GitLab for your VPS resources by adjusting these settings in /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb:

Reduce Memory Usage (4-8 GB RAM)

# Reduce Puma workers
puma['worker_processes'] = 2

# Reduce Sidekiq concurrency
sidekiq['concurrency'] = 10

# Reduce PostgreSQL shared buffers
postgresql['shared_buffers'] = "256MB"

# Disable monitoring if not needed
prometheus_monitoring['enable'] = false

Apply changes after editing:

sudo gitlab-ctl reconfigure