Introduction
GitLab provides a robust system for managing user access and permissions within projects through various roles. This documentation outlines how to create a GitLab project, assign roles, and verify access permissions for team members.
Table of Contents
1. Overview of GitLab Roles
GitLab uses a role-based access control system to define user permissions within a project. The available roles are:
Guest:
- Access Level: Limited to viewing public information and creating issues.
Reporter:
- Access Level: Can view and clone repositories but cannot push code.
Developer:
- Access Level: Can push code, create merge requests, and contribute to the repository.
Maintainer:
- Access Level: Can manage repository settings, merge branches, and push to protected branches.
Owner:
- Access Level: Full control over the project, including administrative settings (only available at the group level).
Understanding and assigning the appropriate roles ensures that team members have the access needed to perform their duties while keeping sensitive actions restricted.
2. Creating a GitLab Project
To begin managing roles, you first need to create a GitLab project.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Log in to GitLab:
- Visit GitLab and enter your credentials.
Create a New Project:
Click on the New Project button on the dashboard.
Select Create blank project.
Fill in the project details:
Project name: Enter a descriptive name (e.g., Team Collaboration).
Visibility level: Choose from Private, Internal, or Public based on your needs.
Click Create project to finalize.
Navigate to Project Members:
- Once the project is created, go to Project information > Members in the left sidebar.
3. Adding Users and Assigning Roles
Now that your project is created, you can add users and assign them different roles.
Adding Team Members
Invite Member:
- In the Invite member field, enter the email address or GitLab username of the user you want to add.
Select Role:
- From the Select a role permission dropdown, choose the role you want to assign (e.g., Developer, Maintainer).
Send Invitation:
- Click Invite to send the invitation.
Repeat:
- Repeat the process for additional users, assigning them the appropriate roles as needed.
4. Verifying Role-Based Permissions
After assigning roles, it is essential to verify that users have the correct permissions.
Developer Permissions
Clone the Repository:
As a Developer, clone the repository using:
git clone https://gitlab.com/username/team-collaboration.git
Push Changes:
Developers can push changes with:
git add . git commit -m "Developer changes" git push origin main
Create Merge Requests:
- Developers can create merge requests but are not allowed to merge them.
Maintainer Permissions
Merge Requests:
- Maintainers can review and merge merge requests created by Developers.
Push to Protected Branches:
- Maintainers can push directly to protected branches, change repository settings, and invite additional members.
Testing Role Restrictions
Guests and Reporters:
- Should not be able to push code or merge requests. They can view the repository and create issues but will encounter permission errors if attempting to push code.
5. Example Workflow
To illustrate role functionality, follow this workflow:
Developer Pushes a Feature Branch:
The Developer creates a new feature branch:
git checkout -b new-feature git add . git commit -m "New feature by Developer" git push origin new-feature
Developer Creates a Merge Request for the feature.
Maintainer Reviews and Merges the Request into the main branch after evaluation.
6. Conclusion
In this documentation, we have outlined the steps to create a GitLab project, assign roles, and verify user permissions. Understanding GitLab roles and permissions is crucial for managing projects securely and efficiently, ensuring that team members have appropriate access to perform their tasks.