How to Install Secure GitLab Self-Managed on AWS Ubuntu with Docker Compose

Https Installation (https://varuncloud.shop/users/sign_in)

Introduction

GitLab is a popular DevOps platform that provides a complete CI/CD toolchain out of the box. In this guide, we will walk through the steps to install a self-managed GitLab instance on an AWS Ubuntu server using Docker Compose and secure it with HTTPS.

Prerequisites

• An AWS account
• A registered domain name (you can use free domain providers like Freenom)
• Basic knowledge of Docker and AWS

Step 1: Launch an Ubuntu EC2 Instance

1. Log in to your AWS Management Console.
2. Navigate to the EC2 Dashboard.
3. Click “Launch Instance”.
4. Select the Ubuntu Server 20.04 LTS (HVM), SSD Volume Type AMI.
5. Choose an instance type (e.g., t2.micro for testing purposes).
6. Configure the instance details and add storage as needed.
7. Add a security group with the following inbound rules:

• HTTP (port 80)
• HTTPS (port 443)
• SSH (port 22)

1. Review and launch the instance.
2. SSH into your instance using the key pair you selected during the launch.

Step 2: Install Docker and Docker Compose

1. Update the package list and install Docker:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install docker.io -y
sudo systemctl start docker
sudo systemctl enable docker

Install Docker Compose:

sudo curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/1.29.2/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose

Verify the installation:

docker --version
docker-compose --version

Step 3: Register a Free Domain

1. Go to Freenom and register a free domain (e.g., example.tk).
2. After registration, update the DNS settings to point to your EC2 instance’s public IP address.

Step 4: Set Up Route 53

Create a Hosted Zone in Route 53:

• Navigate to Route 53 in the AWS Management Console.
• Click “Create Hosted Zone” and enter your domain name.

Add DNS Records:

• Create an A record that points your domain to your EC2 instance’s public IP address.
• Optionally, create a CNAME record for subdomains if needed.

Step 5: Install and Configure GitLab with Docker Compose

1. Create a Docker Compose file for GitLab:

mkdir gitlab && cd gitlab
nano docker-compose.yml

Add the following configuration to docker-compose.yml:

version: '3.6'

services:
  web:
    image: 'gitlab/gitlab-ce:nightly'
    restart: always
    hostname: 'varuncloud.shop'
    environment:
      GITLAB_OMNIBUS_CONFIG: |
        external_url 'https://varuncloud.shop'
        nginx['redirect_http_to_https'] = true
        nginx['ssl_certificate'] = "/etc/letsencrypt/live/varuncloud.shop/fullchain.pem"
        nginx['ssl_certificate_key'] = "/etc/letsencrypt/live/varuncloud.shop/privkey.pem"
    ports:
      - '80:80'
      - '443:443'
    volumes:
      - '/srv/gitlab/config:/etc/gitlab'
      - '/srv/gitlab/logs:/var/log/gitlab'
      - '/srv/gitlab/data:/var/opt/gitlab'
      - '/etc/letsencrypt:/etc/letsencrypt'
    shm_size: '512m'

Step 6: Generate SSL Certificates with Certbot

1. Install Certbot:

sudo apt install certbot -y
sudo apt install python3-certbot-nginx -y

2. Obtain SSL Certificates:

sudo certbot certonly --standalone -d yourdomain.com
 
sudo certbot certonly --standalone -d varuncloud.shop

Step 7: Launch GitLab

1. Run Docker Compose to start GitLab:

docker-compose up -d

Step 7: Launch GitLab

1. Run Docker Compose to start GitLab:

docker exec -it <container_id_or_name> /bin/bash

Open the GitLab Rails console:

gitlab-rails console

Reset the root password:

user = User.where(id: 1).first
user.password = 'Str0ngP@ssw01rd!'
user.password_confirmation = 'Str0ngP@ssw01rd!'
user.save!

Exit the Rails console:

exit

URL Access :

Sign in · GitLab

Conclusion

By following these steps, you have successfully installed a self-managed GitLab instance on an AWS Ubuntu server using Docker Compose, secured with HTTPS. You can now start using GitLab to manage your code repositories and CI/CD pipelines.