LAB 1 — GitLab CI + Pages From Scratch

Source: Dev.to

PART 1 — Register GitLab Account

1. Create a GitLab account

   • Go to and click Register.
   • Fill in Email, Username, and Password, then verify your email.

2. Create a new project

   • After logging in, click New project → Create blank project.
   • Project name: gitlab-lab
   • Visibility: Public (easier for Pages)
   • (Optional) Check Initialize repository with a README.
   • Click Create project.

3. Add an SSH key

   # Generate a new SSH key (replace with your email)
   ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your_email"
   # Press Enter for all prompts
   cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub   # copy the output

   • In GitLab: Top right → Profile → Preferences → SSH Keys → Add new key → paste the key → Add key.
   • Test the connection:

   ssh -T git@gitlab.com
   # Expected output: "Welcome to GitLab, @yourusername!"

4. Clone the repository

   • On the project page, go to Code → Clone → SSH and copy the URL (e.g., git@gitlab.com:username/gitlab-lab.git).

   git clone git@gitlab.com:username/gitlab-lab.git
   cd gitlab-lab
   ls -la   # you should see a .git folder

5. Create the site structure

   mkdir public
   cat > public/index.html 
   
   
     My First GitLab CI Site
   
   
     

Hello DevOps World 🚀

EOF

6. **Add a CI configuration**  
```bash
touch .gitlab-ci.yml
nano .gitlab-ci.yml   # paste the following

image: busybox

pages:
  stage: deploy
  script:
    - echo "Deploying to GitLab Pages"
  artifacts:
    paths:
      - public
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH

• Save and exit the editor.

7. Commit and push

   git add .
   git commit -m "Setup GitLab Pages site"
   git push origin master   # use `main` if your default branch is named main

8. Run the pipeline

   • Navigate to Build → Pipelines in GitLab.
   • The pipeline should start, then turn green once completed.
   • Click the pipeline to view job logs – this is your first CI job.

9. View the deployed site

   • After the pipeline succeeds, go to Deploy → Pages.
   • Open the provided URL, e.g., https://username.gitlab.io/gitlab-lab/.
   • You should see Hello DevOps World 🚀.

---

What you’ve accomplished

• Registered on GitLab and created a project.
• Set up SSH authentication.
• Added a simple static site (public/ folder).
• Configured a CI/CD pipeline with .gitlab-ci.yml.
• Deployed the site using GitLab Pages.

The pipeline runs automatically on pushes to the default branch, turning your repository into a fully automated deployment workflow.