GitLab is among the main CI/CD and supply management options for contemporary software program supply groups. It gives a complete set of options to plan, construct, and ship your software program initiatives.

Sometimes, GitLab interacts with the usage of its internet UI or API. Neither of those choices is especially interesting to endpoint-centric builders. Thankfully, GitLab additionally has a CLI that gives direct entry to your points, merge requests, pipelines, and different sources, alongside along with your code and different shell instructions. This text will present you the fundamentals.

What’s glab?

The glab Clement Sam began GitLab CLI as a community-led undertaking. It has since been adopted by GitLab and acquired its first official GitLab-led launch in December 2022. Going ahead, GitLab and the broader neighborhood will proceed to take care of it as an open supply device.

Glab presently helps interactions with the next GitLab options:

• points
• merge requests
• Pipelines
• Releases
• repositories
• tags
• fragments

You’ll be able to retrieve current knowledge out of your GitLab account, create new gadgets, and carry out actions akin to checking the standing of a pipeline and approving a merge request. It’s attainable to authenticate to a number of GitLab situations concurrently, together with GitLab.com and its self-hosted servers.

First steps with Glab

Earlier than you begin utilizing Glab, create a private entry token on your GitLab account that features the api Y write_repository Scopes Glab will use this token to carry out actions in your behalf.

Click on your profile icon on the prime proper of the GitLab UI, then select “Entry Tokens” from the menu on the left. Give your token a reputation and choose the api Y write_repository scopes of the record. Scroll down the web page and click on the “Create Private Entry Token” button. The token worth can be displayed; write it down now, as you will not be capable of retrieve it sooner or later.

Subsequent you’ll want to set up Glab. You’ll be able to obtain prebuilt binaries for Home windows, macOS, and Linux programs from the undertaking’s GitLab releases web page. Glab can be distributed for a number of well-liked bundle managers on all supported working programs.

As soon as Glab is put in, you’ll be able to authenticate to your GitLab occasion by working the auth login area. This may launch a collection of interactive prompts that may mean you can select between GitLab.com or a self-hosted occasion. After offering the occasion particulars, you can enter the non-public entry token you created earlier.

You’ll then be requested to substantiate the default protocol to make use of for Git operations. You’ll be able to often settle for the worth that’s routinely chosen. SSH is most popular, however some environments could require Git over HTTPS. The following message asks if Glab ought to authenticate Git operations utilizing the identical private entry token that you just offered earlier. That is often the specified conduct.

Lastly, in case you are utilizing a self-hosted GitLab occasion, you’ll be prompted to decide on between the HTTP and HTTPS protocols to entry the GitLab API. Select HTTPS until that your occasion solely helps HTTP.

On the finish of the sequence, it’s best to obtain a “Logged in” success message.

Register to a different GitLab occasion

You’ll be able to log in to a different GitLab occasion by repeating the auth login area. Rush auth standing will output a listing of all of the endpoints you could have configured.

Glab utilization

Glab is designed to be run out of your undertaking’s working listing. Begin by cd-ing on a listing that incorporates a Git repository. Glab instructions will now routinely choose the right GitLab occasion and auth token, primarily based on the undertaking’s default Git distant.

This mannequin permits steady use of initiatives from a number of GitLab situations. You’ll be able to run git Y glab instructions as you’re employed, just by getting into a undertaking listing. Nonetheless, it’s attainable to make use of Glab outdoors of a undertaking, by setting the GITLAB_TOKEN Y GITLAB_URI (both GITLAB_HOST) setting variables in your shell, then specifying the --repo mark along with your instructions to establish the goal undertaking (in OWNER/REPO Format). This lets you use Glab conveniently inside automated scripts, for instance.

points

Listing the issues in your undertaking with the points record area:

$ glab points record
Displaying 3 open points in ilmiont/ardeidae that match your search (Web page 1)

#376  ilmiont/ardeidae#376  Console Enter permit accessing full normal enter string    about 1 month in the past  
#374  ilmiont/ardeidae#374  Foundation help building by way of compound typehints           about 11 months in the past
#373  ilmiont/ardeidae#373  v3.1.0 unit exams                                           about 11 months in the past

Use the --page flag to modify to the subsequent pages within the end result set. 20 gadgets are displayed per web page by default; this may be modified with the --per-page flag.

Numerous filter flags are supported. The next command will get all closed points tagged P1, that are on the v3.1.0 milestone and have been assigned to it:

$ glab subject record --mine --milestone v3.1.0 --label P1 --closed

Rush glab subject record --help for all supported flags.

Get detailed details about a particular drawback with subject view:

$ glab points view 376
open • opened by ilmiont about 1 month in the past
Console Enter permit accessing full normal enter string #376

   php://enter                                                                



0 upvotes • 0 downvotes • 0 feedback
Milestone: v3.1.0

To get suggestions for a difficulty, add the --comments command flag. Feedback can be paginated, just like the subject record area.

You’ll be able to open the net UI web page for an issue in your default browser:

$ glab subject view 376 --web

Notes (feedback) might be created in opposition to issues with the be aware area. The -m markdown specifies the Markdown textual content for the be aware:

$ glab subject be aware 376 -m "That is not related"

Shut and reopen issues with the shut Y reopen instructions respectively:

$ glab subject shut 376
$ glab subject reopen 376

To create a brand new drawback, run the create command and cross the suitable flags:

$ glab subject create 
    --title "New Concern" 
    --description "Demo subject" 
    --milestone "v3.1.0"

You’ll be prompted to substantiate the creation of the difficulty. You’ll be able to bypass this by setting the -y both --yes flag. Many extra flags are supported to outline all of the properties of the issue. attempt to run glab subject create --help to discover the choices.

merge requests

The essential merge request interactions are much like the issues. Use the record Y view Instructions to retrieve particulars of current merge requests. The approve, shutY merge the instructions apply these respective actions to the MR:

$ glab mr merge 100

The merge request instructions settle for an ID or supply department as an argument. You’ll be able to merge the MR to demo-branch in your fundamental department utilizing the next command:

$ glab mr merge demo-branch

You’ll be able to view the adjustments contained in an MR with the diff area:

$ glab mr diff 100

The coloured diff output can be displayed in your terminal in Git format.

It’s also attainable to checkout domestically and swap to the supply department of a merge request, with out manually working the Git instructions:

$ glab mr checkout 100

CI pipelines

View the pipeline outcomes on your undertaking by working ci record:

$ glab ci record
Displaying 3 pipelines on ilmiont/ardeidae (Web page 1)

(success) • #734  3.1.0-rc42                                                     (about 9 days in the past) 
(success) • #733  grasp                                                         (about 9 days in the past) 
(success) • #732  Dbal-store-allow-upsert                                        (about 9 days in the past)

The view The command gives entry to the job outcomes for the newest pipeline on the default department or on a particular department. A brand new terminal display will show the phases within the pipeline:

$ glab ci view
$ glab ci view -b demo-branch

To set off a brand new pipeline run, run the glab run area:

$ glab ci run

You’ll be able to specify the department to get the pipeline from:

$ glab ci run -b demo-branch

It’s also attainable to set CI variables for execution:

$ glab ci run --variables demo-var:demo-val,another-var:another-val

You’ll be able to entry the logs of a job by working the ci hint command and utilizing the interactive immediate to pick the goal job. Artifacts are additionally obtainable: the ci artifact The command downloads the artifacts from the newest pipeline, both for the default department or for a specified one recognized by the -b flag.

Lastly, Glab features a built-in linter for the .gitlab-ci.yml file in your working listing. This lets you conveniently verify the validity of your pipeline, with out copying and pasting the file into the GitLab internet UI.

$ glab ci lint
Getting contents in .gitlab-ci.yml
Validating...
✓ CI yml is Legitimate!

Arbitrary API requests

Glab instructions are wrappers round current GitLab API endpoints. Whereas a number of APIs are natively supported, many extra have but to be carried out as instructions. Calling the API immediately might be tedious as a result of it’s a must to present your private entry token by manually setting the request headers.

Glab features a utility command to make arbitrary authenticated requests in opposition to the API. The glab api The command accepts a relative URI to request within the context of your lively GitLab occasion. The next instance will get the Git tags related to the undertaking with the ID of 1:

$ glab api initiatives/1/repository/tags

The uncooked API response knowledge can be output to your terminal in JSON format.

Set the HTTP methodology for the request utilizing the -X both --method flag. You’ll be able to present the request physique knowledge with the -F both --field flag:

$ glab api initiatives/1/repository/tags -X POST --field tag_name=demo --field ref=fundamental

You’ll be able to embody customized request headers by configuring the -H both --header flag.

Aliase Use

Glab helps customized command aliases so you’ll be able to shortly entry generally used performance.

Create a brand new alias by working the alias set area:

$ glab alias set points "subject record"
- Including alias for points: subject record
✓ Added alias.

Now you’ll be able to record the issues in your undertaking by working glab points:

$ glab points
Displaying 3 open points in ilmiont/ardeidae that match your search (Web page 1)

#376  ilmiont/ardeidae#376  Console Enter permit accessing full normal enter string    about 1 month in the past  
#374  ilmiont/ardeidae#374  Foundation help building by way of compound typehints           about 11 months in the past
#373  ilmiont/ardeidae#373  v3.1.0 unit exams                                           about 11 months in the past

Listing all of the aliases you could have created with alias record:

$ glab alias record
ci      pipeline ci
co      mr checkout
points  subject record

Delete an alias by working alias delete and passing his title:

$ glab alias delete points

Utilizing Glab to handle DevOps

Glab is the official CLI of GitLab. It lets you handle your entire DevOps course of out of your endpoint. You’ll be able to create points, assign duties, evaluation merge requests, activate CI pipelines, and tag releases, with out having to modify between instruments or be taught the GitLab API. This reduces context switching and makes it straightforward to automate your most typical workflows.

Getting access to GitLab knowledge alongside along with your code and Git operations retains you targeted on the duty at hand. The CLI can be sooner to make use of than the net consumer interface, when you’re comfy working in a terminal. It is a worthwhile third interface to your GitLab occasion, along with the UI and API.

Whereas this text has lined the fundamentals of utilizing Glab for frequent duties, there may be additionally far more you’ll be able to discover. Examine the documentation or attempt working glab assist Y glab <COMMAND> --help to discover all obtainable capabilities.

Now that Glab is absolutely integrated as a local GitLab undertaking, additional growth is promised to help extra workflows and implement neighborhood requests. You’ll be able to ship suggestions to GitLab by opening a difficulty within the undertaking’s repository.