GitLab CE is an open source, cloud-based Git repository and version control system used by thousands of organizations worldwide. Written in Ruby, GitLab CE includes a host of features that enable software development teams to consolidate source code, track and manage releases, increase code quality, deploy code changes, and track the evolution of software over time.

Also included in the GitLab CE stack is a fully functional Continuous Integration and Delivery (CI/CD) system that can build, test, and deploy software updates as your team produces new code. Supporting the CI/CD functionality of GitLab is a private registry for Docker containers, enabling teams to streamline updates for production deployments that are running on a microservices architecture.

KEY FEATURES OF GITLAB CE INCLUDE

Efficiently manage repositories with forking, conflict resolution for merges, quick commit-reverts, and groups consisting of multiple people sharing a namespace for projects

Issue board for managing, organizing, and visualizing agile software projects

Fully functional CI/CD, with versioned build script, build pipelines, container registry for Docker images, and deployment to multiple environments

Mattermost-based messaging built in for chat-ops

GitLab Web Editor enables editing of merge requests, files, and directories from the web interface

Secure authentication with LDAP and Active Directory, two-factor auth, and CAS integration

Deep integration with existing tools like JIRA, and the ability to configure an external PostgreSQL database using the Omnibus package.