gitlab-org / gitlab-ce

Contributing to GitLab CE

Contributing to GitLab CE can be a rewarding experience. Here’s a guide to help you get started:

Setting Up Your Development Environment

  1. Fork the repository: Create a fork of the GitLab CE repository on GitLab. This will create a copy of the repository in your personal namespace.

  2. Clone your fork: Clone your forked repository to your local machine:

git clone https://gitlab.com/your-username/gitlab-ce.git

Replace your-username with your actual GitLab username.

  1. Create a branch: Create a new branch for your changes:
git checkout -b my-feature-branch

Replace my-feature-branch with a descriptive name for your branch.

Contributing to GitLab CE

  1. Identify a task: Explore the issues on the GitLab CE repository for a task that you want to work on. Look for issues labeled as “good first issue” or “help wanted”. You can also propose new features or bug fixes.

  2. Discuss your contribution: Before starting work on a task, it is recommended to open a discussion in the relevant issue to get feedback from the maintainers.

  3. Develop your changes: Make your changes on your feature branch. Remember to follow the GitLab CE coding style and add tests for your code.

  4. Commit your changes: Commit your changes with a clear and concise commit message.

  5. Push your branch: Push your branch to your fork on GitLab:

git push origin my-feature-branch

  1. Create a merge request: Open a merge request from your feature branch to the main branch of the GitLab CE repository.

  2. Address feedback: The maintainers will review your merge request and provide feedback. Address any comments or requested changes before your merge request is merged.

Development Commands

The GitLab CE repository uses npm to manage its dependencies and provides a variety of commands to build, test, and lint the code. Here are some of the commonly used commands:

  • Build:

  • npm install: Installs all project dependencies.

  • npm run build:css: Builds CSS files using a Node.js script.

  • npm run tailwindcss:build: Builds Tailwind CSS files using a Node.js script.

  • npm run webpack: Builds the application using Webpack.

  • npm run webpack-vendor: Builds and bundles vendor libraries using Webpack.

  • npm run webpack-prod: Builds the production version of the application using Webpack.

  • npm run vite-prod: Builds the production version of the application using Vite.

  • Test:

  • npm run jest: Runs tests using Jest.

  • npm run jest:ci: Runs tests in continuous integration mode using Jest.

  • Lint:

  • npm run lint:eslint: Runs ESLint checks on all files.

  • npm run markdownlint: Runs Markdownlint checks on all Markdown files.

  • Other:

  • npm run check-dependencies: Checks for outdated dependencies in package.json.

  • npm run block-dependencies: Blocks dependencies in package.json to prevent accidental updates.

  • npm run clean: Removes temporary files and cache.

  • npm run dev-server: Starts a development server with Webpack Dev Server.

  • npm run file-coverage: Generates test coverage reports using Jest.

  • npm run internal:eslint: Runs ESLint checks on internal files.

  • npm run lint-docs: Runs lint checks on documentation files.

  • npm run preinstall: Runs scripts before installation.

  • npm run postinstall: Runs scripts after installation.

  • npm run prejest: Checks dependencies before running tests with Jest.

  • npm run swagger:validate: Validates OpenAPI specification using Swagger CLI.

Additional Resources

By following these steps and referring to the documentation, you can contribute to GitLab CE and help improve its features and functionality.