How to Install GitLab on NetBSD

GitLab is a web-based Git repository manager that provides source code management (SCM), continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) features, and many other essential tools for software development. In this tutorial, we will go through the steps to install GitLab on NetBSD, a Unix-like operating system.

Requirements or Prerequisites

Before you start installing GitLab, you need to ensure that your system meets the following requirements or prerequisites:

• A running NetBSD installation with root access or privileged user access
• At least 2GB of RAM
• At least 2 CPU cores
• Recommended storage of SSD or faster storage
• A static IP address

Installation Process

The installation process comprises the following steps:

1. Update your system
2. Install the dependencies
3. Install GitLab

Step 1: Update your system

Before proceeding, it is recommended to update your system packages to their latest versions. Use the following command to perform the update:

# pkgin update

Step 2: Install the dependencies

GitLab has several dependencies that need to be installed before GitLab could be installed. Run the following commands to install them:

# pkgin update
# pkgin install curl nodejs postgresql95-server redis nginx letsencrypt acme-client

The command will install the following packages:

• curl: A command-line tool for getting or sending files using URL syntax.
• nodejs: JavaScript runtime built on Chrome's V8 JavaScript engine.
• postgresql95-server: A relational database server.
• redis: An in-memory data structure store used as a database, cache, and message broker.
• nginx: A high-performance web server, used as a reverse proxy.
• letsencrypt: A free, automated, and open certificate authority (CA).
• acme-client: A minimalist Let's Encrypt client, suitable for automated use.

Step 3: Install GitLab

Once all the dependencies are installed, proceed to install GitLab by running the following commands:

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

The first command downloads and runs the package installation script followed by the GitLab installation command.

Upon a successful GitLab installation, you can access the web interface by visiting the IP address or domain name of the server on which GitLab is installed. The GitLab instance is accessed over HTTPS; however, the setup process does not come with a default SSL certificate.

Configuring HTTPS for GitLab

To configure HTTPS for your GitLab installation, you need to generate an SSL certificate. You can utilize certain tools like Lets Encrypt to generate a free SSL for your GitLab installation.

You will need to update the configuration with the SSL certificate before retiring GitLab. The configuration file for GitLab is /usr/pkg/gitlab-ce/config/gitlab.rb.

You can configure GitLab to only listen to HTTPS requests by setting the following configuration:

external_url "https://example.com"

And adding the following SSL settings:

## GitLab HTTPS configuration
nginx['ssl_certificate'] = "/etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/fullchain.pem"
nginx['ssl_certificate_key'] = "/etc/letsencrypt/live/example.com/privkey.pem"

Note: Replace example.com with your own domain name.

Restarting GitLab Services

After making changes to the GitLab configuration, restart the GitLab service using the following commands:

# gitlab-ctl reconfigure
# gitlab-ctl restart

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully installed GitLab on NetBSD. You can now use GitLab to manage your source code, build CI/CD pipelines, store files, and much more. You can further customize its settings to meet the demands of your business or organization.

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