Convert a self-compiled installation to a Linux package installation

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  • Tier: Free, Premium, Ultimate
  • Offering: GitLab Self-Managed

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If you installed GitLab by using the self-compiled installation method, you can convert your instance to a Linux package instance.

When converting a self-compiled installation:

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Converting from self-compiled installations has not been tested by GitLab.

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To convert your self-compiled installation to a Linux package installation:

  1. Create a backup from your current self-compiled installation: 

    cd /home/git/gitlab
sudo -u git -H bundle exec rake gitlab:backup:create RAILS_ENV=production
  2. Install GitLab using a Linux package.
  3. Copy the backup file to the directory /var/opt/gitlab/backups/ of the new server.

  4. Restore the backup in the new installation (detailed instructions): 

    # This command will overwrite the contents of your GitLab database!
sudo gitlab-backup restore BACKUP=<FILE_NAME>

    The restore takes a few minutes depending on the size of your database and Git data.

  5. Because all settings are stored in /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb in Linux package installations, you must reconfigure the new installation . Individual settings must be manually moved from self-compiled installation files such as gitlab.yml, puma.rb, and smtp_settings.rb. For all available options, see the gitlab.rb template.
  6. Copy the secrets from the old self-compiled installation to the new Linux package installation:
    1. Restore secrets related to Rails. Copy the values of db_key_base, secret_key_base, otp_key_base, encrypted_settings_key_base, openid_connect_signing_key, and active_record_encryption from /home/git/gitlab/config/secrets.yml (self-compiled installation) to the equivalent ones in /etc/gitlab/gitlab-secrets.json (Linux package installation).

    2. Copy the contents of /home/git/gitlab-shell/.gitlab_shell_secret (self-compiled installation) to secret_token in /etc/gitlab/gitlab-secrets.json (Linux package installation). It looks something like: 

       {
   "gitlab_workhorse": {
     "secret_token": "..."
   },
   "gitlab_shell": {
     "secret_token": "..."
   },
   "gitlab_rails": {
     "secret_key_base": "...",
     "db_key_base": "...",
     "otp_key_base": "...",
     "encrypted_settings_key_base": "...",
     "openid_connect_signing_key": "...",
     "active_record_encryption_primary_key": [ "..."],
     "active_record_encryption_deterministic_key": ["..."],
     "active_record_encryption_key_derivation_salt": "...",
   }
   ...
 }

  7. Reconfigure GitLab to apply the changes: 

    sudo gitlab-ctl reconfigure

  8. If you migrated /home/git/gitlab-shell/.gitlab_shell_secret, you must restart Gitaly: 

    sudo gitlab-ctl restart gitaly

Convert an external PostgreSQL to a Linux package installation by using a backup

You can convert an external PostgreSQL installation to a Linux package PostgreSQL installation by using a backup. You must use the same GitLab version when you do this.

To convert an external PostgreSQL installation to a Linux package PostgreSQL installation by using a backup:

  1. Create a backup from the non-Linux package installation
  2. Restoring the backup in the Linux package installation.

  3. Run the check task: 

    sudo gitlab-rake gitlab:check

  4. If you receive an error similar to No such file or directory @ realpath_rec - /home/git, run: 

    find . -lname /home/git/gitlab-shell/hooks -exec sh -c 'ln -snf /opt/gitlab/embedded/service/gitlab-shell/hooks $0' {} \;

This assumes that gitlab-shell is located in /home/git.

Convert an external PostgreSQL to a Linux package installation in-place

You can convert an external PostgreSQL installation to a Linux package PostgreSQL installation in-place.

These instructions assume:

  • You are using PostgreSQL on Ubuntu.
  • You have an Linux package matching your current GitLab version.
  • Your self-compiled installation of GitLab uses all the default paths and users.
  • The existing home directory of the Git user (/home/git) will be changed to /var/opt/gitlab.

To convert an external PostgreSQL installation to a Linux package PostgreSQL installation in-place:

  1. Stop and disable GitLab, Redis, and NGINX: 

    # Ubuntu
sudo service gitlab stop
sudo update-rc.d gitlab disable

sudo service nginx stop
sudo update-rc.d nginx disable

sudo service redis-server stop
sudo update-rc.d redis-server disable
  2. If you are using a configuration management system to manage GitLab on your server, disable GitLab and its related services there.

  3. Create a gitlab.rb file for your new setup: 

    sudo mkdir /etc/gitlab
sudo tee -a /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb <<'EOF'
# Use your own GitLab URL here
external_url 'http://gitlab.example.com'

# We assume your repositories are in /home/git/repositories (default for source installs) and that Gitaly
# listens on a socket at /home/git/gitlab/tmp/sockets/private/gitaly.socket
gitaly['configuration'] = {
  storage: [
    {
      name: 'default',
      path: '/home/git/repositories'
    }
  ]
}
gitlab_rails['repositories_storages'] = {
  default: {
    gitaly_address: '/home/git/gitlab/tmp/sockets/private/gitaly.socket'
  }
}

# Re-use the PostgreSQL that is already running on your system
postgresql['enable'] = false
# This db_host setting is for Debian PostgreSQL packages
gitlab_rails['db_host'] = '/var/run/postgresql/'
gitlab_rails['db_port'] = 5432
# We assume you called the GitLab DB user 'git'
gitlab_rails['db_username'] = 'git'
EOF

  4. Now install the Linux package and reconfigure the installation: 

    sudo gitlab-ctl reconfigure

  5. Because the gitlab-ctl reconfigure run has changed the home directory of the Git user and OpenSSH can no longer find its authorized_keys file, rebuild the keys file: 

    sudo gitlab-rake gitlab:shell:setup

    You should now have HTTP and SSH access to your GitLab server with the repositories and users that were there before.

  6. If you can log into the GitLab web interface, reboot your server to make sure none of the old services interfere with the Linux package installation.
  7. If you are using special features such as LDAP, you must put your settings in gitlab.rb. For more information, see the settings documentation.