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GitLab Learning Plan - 3 Weeks

Context

Your Background: - Already used GitLab at Company (configuration repository) - Created MRs (INFRA-123) - Familiar with basic workflow - Need deeper understanding of CI/CD, webhooks, automation

Goal: - Master GitLab for internal Company work - Understand CI/CD pipelines - Learn advanced MR workflows - Automate with webhooks & APIs

3-WEEK PLAN

Week 1: GitLab Fundamentals + MR Workflow

Focus: Master the basics + advanced MR features

Topics: - GitLab architecture (CE vs EE) - Projects, groups, namespaces - Merge Request advanced features - Code review best practices - Branch protection rules

Go to Week 1 →

Week 2: GitLab CI/CD

Focus: CI/CD pipelines, runners, automation

Topics: - .gitlab-ci.yml syntax - Pipelines, jobs, stages - GitLab Runners (shared vs specific) - Variables, secrets, artifacts - Pipeline strategies (DAG, parent-child)

Go to Week 2 →

Week 3: Advanced GitLab + API

Focus: Webhooks, API, automation, security

Topics: - GitLab API (REST) - Webhooks & integrations - Security scanning (SAST, DAST, dependency scanning) - Container registry - GitLab Pages

Go to Week 3 →

Learning Approach

This is a REFERENCE guide!

  • Use on-the-job: Learn while working on real MRs
  • Hands-on first: Try features in configuration repository
  • Just-in-time: Read sections when you need them

Quick Start

Immediate Actions (Day 1):

  1. Check your GitLab version: 

    # Company GitLab
curl https://gitlab.company.com/api/v4/version

  2. Create personal access token:

  3. Settings → Access Tokens

  4. Scopes: api, read_user, write_repository

  5. Clone app-interface locally: 

    git clone https://gitlab.company.com/service/app-interface.git

Key Skills to Master

Week 1:

  • Create MRs with templates
  • Use labels, milestones, assignees
  • Review code effectively
  • Understand approval rules

Week 2:

  • Write .gitlab-ci.yml
  • Trigger pipelines manually
  • Debug failed jobs
  • Use artifacts & caching

Week 3:

  • Call GitLab API with curl/Python
  • Create webhooks
  • Enable security scanning
  • Automate workflows with API

Resources

Official Docs:

  • GitLab Docs: https://docs.gitlab.com/
  • CI/CD Examples: https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/examples/
  • API Reference: https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/api/

Company Internal:

  • GitLab CE: https://gitlab.company.com
  • App-Interface: https://gitlab.company.com/service/app-interface

Tips for Company GitLab

  1. Use MR templates:
  2. App-interface has .gitlab/merge_request_templates/

  3. Always fill out: What, Why, Tickets, Validation

  4. Watch CI/CD jobs:

  5. Jenkins integration (not GitLab CI in app-interface)

  6. Understand webhook → Jenkins flow

  7. API automation:

  8. Automate repetitive MR tasks

  9. Use GitLab API for bulk operations

  10. Security first:

  11. Never commit secrets
  12. Use protected branches
  13. Enable approval rules for critical paths

Ready to start? → Week 1: GitLab Fundamentals →