How to use
- Copy the installation command and review the source package before installing it in your own agent environment.
- Check the source document for required tools, credentials and supported hosts.
- Describe your input and desired deliverable; review the output against the source material.
npx skills add https://github.com/bagelhole/devops-security-agent-skills --skill gitlab-ciBefore you start
- Installation does not include a model subscription, API allowance or permission to access your files.
- Repository stars and installation counts describe activity, not an independent quality or security test.
Original skill document
Rendered from the source repository. Headings, examples, code, tables, links, and referenced images are preserved.
GitLab CI/CD
Automate your software delivery pipeline with GitLab's integrated CI/CD system.
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when:
- Setting up CI/CD pipelines in GitLab
- Configuring GitLab runners (shared or self-hosted)
- Creating multi-stage deployment pipelines
- Implementing GitLab Auto DevOps
- Managing CI/CD variables and secrets
Prerequisites
- GitLab repository (gitlab.com or self-hosted)
- Basic understanding of YAML
- For self-hosted runners: Linux server or Kubernetes cluster
Pipeline Configuration
Create .gitlab-ci.yml in repository root:
yaml
stages:
- build
- test
- deploy
variables:
NODE_VERSION: "20"
build:
stage: build
image: node:${NODE_VERSION}
script:
- npm ci
- npm run build
artifacts:
paths:
- dist/
expire_in: 1 hour
test:
stage: test
image: node:${NODE_VERSION}
script:
- npm ci
- npm test
coverage: '/Coverage: \d+\.\d+%/'
deploy:
stage: deploy
script:
- ./deploy.sh
environment:
name: production
url: https://example.com
only:
- mainJob Configuration
Rules-Based Execution
yaml
deploy:
script: ./deploy.sh
rules:
- if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "main"
when: manual
- if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "merge_request_event"
when: never
- when: on_successParallel Jobs
yaml
test:
stage: test
parallel: 3
script:
- npm test -- --shard=$CI_NODE_INDEX/$CI_NODE_TOTALMatrix Builds
yaml
test:
stage: test
parallel:
matrix:
- NODE_VERSION: ["18", "20", "22"]
OS: ["alpine", "slim"]
image: node:${NODE_VERSION}-${OS}
script:
- npm testCaching
yaml
cache:
key:
files:
- package-lock.json
paths:
- node_modules/
policy: pull-push
build:
cache:
key: build-cache
paths:
- .cache/
policy: pullArtifacts
yaml
build:
artifacts:
paths:
- dist/
- coverage/
reports:
junit: junit.xml
coverage_report:
coverage_format: cobertura
path: coverage/cobertura.xml
expire_in: 1 week
when: alwaysEnvironments and Deployments
yaml
deploy_staging:
stage: deploy
script:
- deploy --env staging
environment:
name: staging
url: https://staging.example.com
on_stop: stop_staging
stop_staging:
stage: deploy
script:
- undeploy --env staging
environment:
name: staging
action: stop
when: manualDocker Builds
yaml
build_image:
stage: build
image: docker:24
services:
- docker:24-dind
variables:
DOCKER_TLS_CERTDIR: "/certs"
script:
- docker login -u $CI_REGISTRY_USER -p $CI_REGISTRY_PASSWORD $CI_REGISTRY
- docker build -t $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:$CI_COMMIT_SHA .
- docker push $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:$CI_COMMIT_SHAGitLab Runners
Install Runner
bash
# Download and install
curl -L https://packages.gitlab.com/install/repositories/runner/gitlab-runner/script.deb.sh | sudo bash
sudo apt install gitlab-runner
# Register runner
sudo gitlab-runner register \
--url https://gitlab.com/ \
--registration-token TOKEN \
--executor docker \
--docker-image alpine:latestRunner Configuration
toml
# /etc/gitlab-runner/config.toml
[[runners]]
name = "docker-runner"
url = "https://gitlab.com/"
token = "TOKEN"
executor = "docker"
[runners.docker]
image = "alpine:latest"
privileged = true
volumes = ["/cache", "/var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock"]Runner Tags
yaml
build:
tags:
- docker
- linux
script:
- make buildCI/CD Variables
Protected Variables
Define in Settings > CI/CD > Variables:
AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID(protected, masked)AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY(protected, masked)
Using Variables
yaml
deploy:
script:
- aws s3 sync dist/ s3://$S3_BUCKET
variables:
AWS_DEFAULT_REGION: us-east-1Include and Extend
Include Templates
yaml
include:
- template: Security/SAST.gitlab-ci.yml
- project: 'group/shared-ci'
file: '/templates/deploy.yml'
- local: '/ci/jobs.yml'Extend Jobs
yaml
.base_job:
image: node:20
before_script:
- npm ci
build:
extends: .base_job
script:
- npm run build
test:
extends: .base_job
script:
- npm testMulti-Project Pipelines
yaml
trigger_downstream:
stage: deploy
trigger:
project: group/downstream-project
branch: main
strategy: dependCommon Issues
Issue: Pipeline Stuck
Problem: Jobs stay pending Solution: Check runner availability and tags matching
Issue: Docker-in-Docker Fails
Problem: Cannot connect to Docker daemon Solution: Use docker:dind service with proper TLS configuration
Issue: Cache Not Working
Problem: Cache misses between jobs Solution: Verify cache key and ensure runners share distributed cache
Best Practices
- Use
rulesinstead ofonly/exceptfor complex conditions - Leverage GitLab's built-in security scanning templates
- Use job dependencies to optimize pipeline speed
- Implement review apps for merge requests
- Cache dependencies aggressively
- Use artifacts for passing data between stages
Related Skills
- github-actions - GitHub CI/CD alternative
- argocd-gitops - GitOps deployments
- container-registries - Registry management
