Table of Contents

Gitlab Notes

Lorentz Institute runs a private instance of Gitlab accessible to all institute members available at https://gitlab.lorentz.leidenuniv.nl regardless of their role within the Institute. You are strongly encouraged to use it to collaborate with your colleagues and fellow scientists anywhere in the world.

Accounts for external users can be requested via support@lorentz.leidenuniv.nl.

Lorentz Institute members login using the button Sign in with Lorentz Institute IdP via the institute Identity Provider Server, where as external users, after their access has been approved and account created, will login via Standard tab in the authentication form. See figures below

SSH Keys and Personal Access Tokens

Because access to the Institute Gitlab instance occurs via Single-Sign On1) for all IL members, git push and pull operations must be performed either using SSH key-pairs (SSH protocol) or using Personal Access Tokens (HTTPS protocol). Failing to set up SSH key-pairs or Access Tokens will prevent IL members to interact via git with our Gitlab server.

IL users that do not set up SSH key-pairs or Access Tokens will likely receive upon login a warning message like the one in the figure below

Generate an SSH key-pair and add it to Gitlab

On the workstation/laptop from which you would like to interact with the IL giltab server generate a private/public key pair $HOME/.ssh/id_ed255192) and $HOME/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub using the command 

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "bongo@gitlab"

Visit https://gitlab.lorentz.leidenuniv.nl/-/profile/keys, copy the contents of the newly created $HOME/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub and paste it in the Key area like in the figure below. Click on Add key.

You can non perform git operations over the SSH protocol. Test that your set up is correct 

ssh  -T git@gitlab.lorentz.leidenuniv.nl
Welcome to GitLab, @bongo1!
:!: NOTE In some exceptional cases3) your gitlab username might differ from your Institute username. This is normal and no action is required on your side. Nonetheless, you are encouraged to take note of it because you will need it for all git operations.

Generate a Gitlab Personal Access Token

Visit https://gitlab.lorentz.leidenuniv.nl/-/profile/personal_access_tokens, choose a token name, assign the necessary scopes4), and click on Create Personal Access Token.

Your personal access token will look something like xyzop-ybVxByblaUBLA7RUAGAs5). Please take note of it and store it in a very safe place. Disclosing this token is equivalent to disclosing your credentials! Should a token be compromised at any time, just visit https://gitlab.lorentz.leidenuniv.nl/-/profile/personal_access_tokens to revoke any compromised tokens.

Your IL account is now enabled to perform git operations over HTTPS.

Examples

In the examples that follow it is shown how you can synchronise for the first time your local git repo to Gitlab and viceversa. The examples below assume you are typing all commands in a BASH GNU/Linux terminal and that you are familiar with the basics of git by reading carefully the following documents

Local repo to gitlab

# create test repo
mkdir test
cd test/
git init .
echo "Hello World" >> README.md
git add *
git commit . -m "Test"
git push --set-upstream https://gitlab.lorentz.leidenuniv.nl/bongo1/test.git master
Username for 'https://gitlab.lorentz.leidenuniv.nl': bongo1
Password for 'https://bongo1@gitlab.lorentz.leidenuniv.nl': <Personal Access Token>
 
Enumerating objects: 3, done.
Counting objects: 100% (3/3), done.
Writing objects: 100% (3/3), 231 bytes | 115.00 KiB/s, done.
Total 3 (delta 0), reused 0 (delta 0), pack-reused 0
remote: 
remote: 
remote: The private project bongo1/test was successfully created.
remote: 
remote: To configure the remote, run:
remote:   git remote add origin https://gitlab.strw.leidenuniv.nl/bongo1/test.git
remote: 
remote: To view the project, visit:
remote:   https://gitlab.strw.leidenuniv.nl/bongo1/test
remote: 
remote: 
remote: 
To https://gitlab.lorentz.leidenuniv.nl/bongo1/test.git
 * [new branch]      master -> master
branch 'master' set up to track 'https://gitlab.lorentz.leidenuniv.nl/bongo1/test.git/master'.

Remote repo to local file system

git clone https://gitlab.lorentz.leidenuniv.nl/bongo1/test.git
Cloning into 'test'...
Username for 'https://gitlab.lorentz.leidenuniv.nl': bongo1
Password for 'https://bongo1@gitlab.lorentz.leidenuniv.nl': <Personal Access Token>
remote: Enumerating objects: 3, done.
remote: Counting objects: 100% (3/3), done.
remote: Total 3 (delta 0), reused 0 (delta 0), pack-reused 0
Receiving objects: 100% (3/3), done.
1)
In other words it uses access and refresh tokens rather than usernames and passwords.
2)
This is your private key which must remain secret otherwise your account is compromised.
3)
Think of users with the same private email address or same username but different domain.
4)
That is permissions.
5)
This is a fake one.