You need a reliable code repository with built-in CI/CD, issue tracking, and private project management. Installing GitLab on Ubuntu 26.04 LTS gives you a self-hosted DevOps platform that stays under your full control.

This guide walks you through the entire process of installing GitLab on Ubuntu 26.04 from a fresh server to a secure, production-ready instance. You will learn not only how to run each command but also why each step matters for stability and security.

By the end, you will have GitLab on Ubuntu 26.04 configured with HTTPS, proper firewall rules, and the basic hardening a senior sysadmin expects.

Prerequisites

Before you begin this Linux server tutorial, make sure you meet these requirements:

• Operating system: Ubuntu 26.04 LTS server (64-bit)
• Access: Root privileges or a user with sudo rights
• Hostname: A valid domain or subdomain pointing to your server IP (FQDN)
• Resources:
  • At least 4 GB RAM (8 GB recommended for smooth performance)
  • 20 GB free disk space
• Network:
  • Outbound internet access to download packages
  • Inbound access for SSH (port 22), HTTP (port 80), and HTTPS (port 443)
• Tools already on the system:
  • apt package manager
  • curl or wget
  • Text editor (nano or vim)

You will configure GitLab on Ubuntu 26.04 using GitLab’s official Omnibus package, which bundles all dependencies into a single install.

Step 1: Update Your System and Install Dependencies

Why update first?

Updating your system ensures you have the latest security patches and package metadata. This reduces the chance of conflicts when you add the GitLab repository and install the package.

If you skip this step, you might pull in older libraries that cause dependency issues later.

1.1 Refresh package lists and upgrade

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

• apt update refreshes the package index from Ubuntu repositories.
• apt upgrade -y upgrades all installed packages to their latest versions and automatically answers “yes” to prompts.

You should see output like:

Hit:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu noble InRelease
...
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
...
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

If packages are upgraded, the last line will show a count of upgraded packages.

1.2 Install required tools

sudo apt install -y curl ca-certificates openssh-server tzdata perl

What each package does:

• curl: Downloads files from the internet, used to fetch the GitLab repository script.
• ca-certificates: Provides trusted SSL certificates so HTTPS connections work without errors.
• openssh-server: Enables SSH access, which is required for Git over SSH and remote server management.
• tzdata: Sets your system timezone so logs and CI/CD jobs have correct timestamps.
• perl: A scripting language required by some GitLab components.

You will use curl soon to add the GitLab repository, so having it installed now prevents errors later.

Step 2: Add the Official GitLab Repository

Why use the official repository?

GitLab’s Omnibus package is not in Ubuntu’s default repositories. The official GitLab repository provides:

• The latest stable GitLab CE or EE versions
• Security updates
• A supported installation path documented by GitLab itself

Using third-party or outdated repositories can lead to broken installs or missing features.

2.1 Download and run the GitLab repository script

Choose CE (Community Edition) or EE (Enterprise Edition). For most users, CE is sufficient.

For GitLab CE:

curl -sS https://packages.gitlab.com/install/repositories/gitlab/gitlab-ce/script.deb.sh | sudo bash

For GitLab EE:

curl -sS https://packages.gitlab.com/install/repositories/gitlab/gitlab-ee/script.deb.sh | sudo bash

What this does:

• curl -sS downloads the repository script silently but shows errors if something fails.
• The script adds the GitLab package repository to your system’s sources.list.d directory.
• sudo bash runs the script with root privileges so it can modify system package sources.

You should see output indicating the repository was added successfully, something like:

Repository: GitLab CE
Type: deb
URL: https://packages.gitlab.com/gitlab/gitlab-ce/ubuntu

2.2 Verify the repository

Check that the GitLab repository exists:

apt-cache policy gitlab-ce

You should see a line like:

gitlab-ce:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 17.0.0-ce.0
  Version table:
     17.0.0-ce.0 500
        500 https://packages.gitlab.com/gitlab/gitlab-ce/ubuntu noble/main amd64 Packages

This confirms your system can find the GitLab package.

Step 3: Install GitLab with EXTERNAL_URL

Why set EXTERNAL_URL during install?

The EXTERNAL_URL option tells GitLab which address users will use to access it. GitLab uses this value for:

• Internal redirects
• Link generation in emails and notifications
• Web UI routing

If you skip this or set it incorrectly, you may get broken links or redirect loops.

3.1 Install GitLab CE

Use your domain or subdomain name in place of gitlab.example.com:

sudo EXTERNAL_URL="http://gitlab.example.com" apt install -y gitlab-ce

• EXTERNAL_URL="http://gitlab.example.com" sets the base URL.
• apt install -y gitlab-ce installs the GitLab Community Edition package.
• The -y flag automatically confirms the installation.

What happens during install:

• GitLab’s Omnibus package is downloaded and installed.
• Dependencies are resolved.
• GitLab services are installed but not fully configured yet.

You will see progress output as packages are unpacked and configured.

3.2 Replace with your real hostname

If you do not have a real domain yet, you can use a temporary hostname and change it later:

sudo EXTERNAL_URL="http://gitlab.yourdomain.com" apt install -y gitlab-ce

For local testing, you can also map a hostname in /etc/hosts, but for production use a real DNS record.

Step 4: Reconfigure GitLab and Start Services

Why run gitlab-ctl reconfigure?

Installing the package alone does not fully configure GitLab. You must run gitlab-ctl reconfigure to:

• Parse /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb
• Generate configuration files for Nginx, PostgreSQL, Redis, and other services
• Start and enable all GitLab services

Without this step, GitLab will not run properly.

4.1 Run reconfigure

sudo gitlab-ctl reconfigure

What this does:

• Reads your gitlab.rb configuration file.
• Writes configs to /etc/gitlab and related directories.
• Starts services like nginx, postgresql, redis, sidekiq, and puma.

You will see output with lines like:

==> Configuring /etc/gitlab/gitlab_rb ...
==> Running handler restart ...

The process can take several minutes on the first run.

4.2 Check service status

Verify that all services are running:

sudo gitlab-ctl status

You should see run for most services:

run: nginx: (pid 1234) 120s
run: postgresql: (pid 1235) 150s
run: redis: (pid 1236) 150s
run: sidekiq: (pid 1237) 100s
run: puma: (pid 1238) 95s

If any service shows down, check logs with:

sudo gitlab-ctl tail <service-name>

Replace <service-name> with nginx, puma, etc.

Step 5: Find the Initial Root Password and Log In

Why act quickly on the root password?

On first install, GitLab generates a random root password and stores it in a file. For security, GitLab removes this file after some time. If you miss it, you must reset the password manually.

5.1 Read the initial root password

sudo cat /etc/gitlab/initial_root_password

You should see output like:

Password: abc123def456...

Copy this password and store it securely.

Note: This file is deleted automatically after 24 hours.

5.2 Access GitLab in your browser

Open your browser and go to:

http://gitlab.example.com

Replace gitlab.example.com with your EXTERNAL_URL value.

• Log in as root
• Use the password from the file above
• You will be forced to change the password on first login

After changing the password, you now have a working GitLab on Ubuntu 26.04 instance.

Step 6: Configure Firewall and HTTPS for Production

Why configure firewall and HTTPS?

A default GitLab install listens on HTTP by default. For production:

• You must restrict access to only necessary ports.
• You must use HTTPS to protect logins, tokens, and Git traffic.

This is a core part of configure GitLab on Ubuntu 26.04 for real use.

6.1 Open required ports with UFW

sudo ufw allow 22/tcp
sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
sudo ufw allow 443/tcp
sudo ufw enable

• Port 22: SSH for Git operations and server access.
• Port 80: HTTP for initial access and Let’s Encrypt challenges.
• Port 443: HTTPS for secure access.
• ufw enable turns on the firewall.

Confirm the rules:

sudo ufw status

You should see:

22/tcp                      ALLOW       Anywhere
80/tcp                      ALLOW       Anywhere
443/tcp                     ALLOW       Anywhere

6.2 Enable HTTPS with Let’s Encrypt (GitLab-managed)

Edit the GitLab configuration file:

sudo nano /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb

Find and set:

external_url 'https://gitlab.example.com'
letsencrypt['contact_emails'] = ['admin@example.com']
nginx['ssl_certificate'] = nil
nginx['ssl_certificate_key'] = nil

• external_url now uses https:// so GitLab knows you want secure access.
• letsencrypt['contact_emails'] sets the email for Let’s Encrypt notifications.
• Leaving ssl_certificate as nil tells GitLab to request a certificate automatically.

Save and exit, then reconfigure:

sudo gitlab-ctl reconfigure

GitLab will request a certificate from Let’s Encrypt and configure Nginx for HTTPS.

Test by visiting:

https://gitlab.example.com

You should see a secure connection with a valid certificate.

6.3 Alternative: Use your own SSL certificate

If you already have certificates from another provider:

external_url 'https://gitlab.example.com'
nginx['ssl_certificate'] = '/etc/gitlab/ssl/gitlab.example.com.crt'
nginx['ssl_certificate_key'] = '/etc/gitlab/ssl/gitlab.example.com.key'
letsencrypt['enable'] = false

Then run:

sudo gitlab-ctl reconfigure

This is useful when you run a reverse proxy or manage certificates externally.

Troubleshooting Common Errors

1. EXTERNAL_URL mismatch or redirect loops

Symptom: Browser shows redirect loops or 404 errors.

Cause: EXTERNAL_URL does not match your domain or DNS is not pointing correctly.

Fix:

• Ensure your domain points to your server IP.
• Edit /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb:

  external_url 'https://gitlab.example.com'
  

• Save and run:

  sudo gitlab-ctl reconfigure
  

The redirect issue usually disappears once the URL and DNS match.

2. GitLab services stuck in “down” state

Symptom: gitlab-ctl status shows some services as down.

Cause: Missing dependencies, disk space issues, or memory constraints.

Fix:

• Check disk space:

  df -h
  

• Check memory:

  free -h
  

• View logs for the failing service:

  sudo gitlab-ctl tail <service-name>
  

• Fix resource issues, then run:

  sudo gitlab-ctl reconfigure
  sudo gitlab-ctl restart
  

3. initial_root_password file missing or empty

Symptom: You cannot find /etc/gitlab/initial_root_password.

Cause: The file was deleted after 24 hours or you installed GitLab earlier.

Fix:

Reset the root password manually:

sudo gitlab-rake gitlab:password:reset

You will be prompted to set a new root password. Store it securely.

4. HTTPS certificate errors

Symptom: Browser shows “certificate not trusted” or Let’s Encrypt fails.

Cause: Wrong domain, port 80 blocked, or DNS not propagating.

Fix:

• Ensure port 80 is open:

  sudo ufw allow 80/tcp
  

• Verify DNS points to your server:

  dig gitlab.example.com
  

• Re-run Let’s Encrypt:

  sudo gitlab-ctl reconfigure
  

Let’s Encrypt needs port 80 open to validate your domain.

5. SSH Git operations fail

Symptom: git clone git@domain.com:user/repo.git fails.

Cause: SSH port blocked or GitLab SSH port misconfigured.

Fix:

• Ensure port 22 is open:

  sudo ufw allow 22/tcp
  

• Check GitLab SSH settings in /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb:

  gitlab_rails['gitlab_shell_ssh_port'] = 22
  

• Reconfigure:

  sudo gitlab-ctl reconfigure
  

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