How to install Gitlab on Debian 8

What is Gitlab?

As stated in official website, “GitLab is an application to code, test, and deploy code together. It provides Git repository management with fine grained access controls, code reviews, issue tracking, activity feeds, wikis, and continuous integration”.
Many big IT-companies, like IBM, Red Hat and StackExchange are using it every day for managing their projects, because it is probably the best solution for build your own git server.

Getting started – Install prerequisites

Suppose you want to install Gitlab Community Edition on your server running Debian 8, behind Nginx proxy. First of all, you have to login as root to your server. Then:

# apt-get -y install curl openssh-server ca-certificates postfix

During installation, you’ll have to configure Postfix.

Add the repository and install

After that, add the Gitlab repository using curl

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

Now, you can install Gitlab CE with apt

# apt-get -y install gitlab-ce

If everything went fine, you can go to next step, which is Gitlab configuration.

Configure

This is really easy. You have just to run one command.

# gitlab-ctl reconfigure

After that, you have to go to your server hostname (or IP address) with a web browser. You will be redirected to a page that will let you chang the Gitlab admin password.
That’s all. Now, after logging in, you will have access to the Gitlab dashboard, for creating and managing your projects.