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The service is available to all members of the institutions using the academic cloud. Every user can create, manage projects or groups. Users outside of these institutions can be invited to existing projects.

If you use the web interface no installation is needed. Log in with your institutional credentials and start with creating your (new) project.

Web interface

Project: A project is the virtual working environment or area for a defined task. A user can create several projects. Among other things, the associated files can be stored in the project and the work can be planned and distributed. A Wiki for publishing documentation is also available. If a new project is created, all GitLab functions are activated (see also fig. 1 and 2). Functions that are not needed can be deactivated.

Repository: A repository is part of a project. This is where the files are stored. A repository is a managed directory for storing and describing digital objects.

Issue Tracker: The Issue Tracker is the place to add things that need to be improved or solved in a project. These can be bugs, tasks or ideas that can be discussed and commented on.

Milestones: Milestones summarize several “issues” to one section or goal of the project.

Branches: Branches are Git branching strategies that allow to work together on a code. It is possible to protect branches to prevent code from flowing into the main development branch without verification.

Merging: In Git, merging means the merging of multiple branches.

Merge Requests: Merge Request is the title of a project participant's request to merge a particular branch with another branch. The changes made to a project can be discussed and improved with other participants until they meet the project's quality standards and are then merged by a project administrator.

For projects that logically belong together, the use of GitLab groups is recommended. There is no limit to the number of projects within a GitLab group. A group also has the advantage that rights management is usually easier and clearer. In addition, the role of a user in a group is inherited by all projects in the group.

The official gitlab manual is available here.