January 2019 Summaries

Pre-commit and post-deploy reviews have traditionally been used to ensure code functionality, but their necessity is questioned in the context of modern version control systems like Git. GitLab's CEO, Sid Sijbrandij, argues that pre-commit reviews are less efficient because Git branches allow for similar checks without the drawbacks associated with older systems like Subversion. He also critiques post-deploy reviews as unnecessary since they focus on code that has already demonstrated its reliability in production, suggesting that attention should instead be directed towards actively changing code to manage technical debt. Sijbrandij believes that using Git branches to review code before deployment enhances efficiency and reduces the risks associated with either accumulating technical debt or altering functioning code, suggesting that traditional methods may be outdated in the current technological landscape.

Semyon Pupkov, a consistent contributor to GitLab since 2016, is a backend Ruby/Python developer living in Yekaterinburg, Russia, who has focused his contributions primarily on improving the backend code base of GitLab. Originally motivated by his interest in open-source software, he made his first merge request by removing unnecessary code from tests after noticing areas for improvement in GitLab's code. Semyon balances his professional work at SKB Kontur with personal interests like spending time with his young daughter and gaming, particularly enjoying FIFA 19 on PlayStation 4. He suggests that GitLab could enhance its support for community contributors by improving transparency in communications and setting up local development environments with Docker and Docker Compose. His advice to potential contributors is to start without fear, as GitLab provides an opportunity to work with skilled professionals and enhance one's skills. The post is part of a series highlighting individuals who contribute to GitLab, inviting others to join through resources like the "Contributing to GitLab" page.

Integrating GitLab with fastlane has proven to be an effective strategy for automating mobile build and deployment processes, as demonstrated by the Gitter Android app's deployment. This combination facilitates continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) by providing source control, project management, issue tracking, and a streamlined process for managing Google Play Store metadata, automatic signing, versioning, and changelog updates. The configuration involves setting up fastlane, modifying Gradle configurations, and creating a Docker build environment for consistent builds. The CI/CD pipeline is organized into stages, including environment setup, build, test, and promotion through internal, alpha, beta, and production channels. With project-level variables for security and manual control over promotion stages, the setup ensures secure and efficient deployment. Future plans include applying similar automation to iOS development, enhancing the overall mobile development workflow.

Sentry, an open-source error-tracking tool, enhances visibility and bug resolution efficiency by integrating more deeply with GitLab. The integration now includes features such as release and commit tracking, suspect commits, and streamlined issue management directly within Sentry's UI, which reduces tool switching and speeds up the triaging process. With these enhancements, developers can link and manage GitLab issues, resolve issues using commit messages or merge requests, and identify the likely source of errors through suspect commits. This integration is available for users on "Teams" plans and above, and further improvements are underway, including plans to list Sentry errors directly in GitLab projects.

With the release of GitLab 11.7, users of self-managed GitLab instances can now configure their systems to use Microsoft Exchange or Google Groups as an email server for incoming email functionality, expanding the options available beyond those requiring sub-addressing support. This update allows for several key features, such as commenting on issues and merge requests via email replies, creating new issues and merge requests through user-specific email addresses, and converting customer feedback into GitLab issues via Service Desk. Previously, these features were limited to email servers that supported sub-addressing, a limitation not applicable to GitLab.com users who already have access according to their subscription plans. The update enhances compatibility with popular email systems by supporting both sub-addressing and catch-all email mailboxes, providing greater flexibility in setting up GitLab's email-based functionalities.

The Global Developer Survey, organized by GitLab, invites software professionals to share their insights and opinions to influence industry practices and address challenges in coding, testing, and deployment. This anonymous survey, featuring around 45 questions and taking less than 20 minutes to complete, is aimed at uncovering the needs of developers, engineers, security professionals, DevOps managers, and IT executives. The findings will be compiled into the Global Developer Report, which will offer a comprehensive analysis of cross-functional relationships and highlight successful practices and potential solutions to industry issues. Participants are encouraged to share their thoughts to contribute to a movement focused on removing roadblocks and enabling team success. The survey also includes incentives, such as the chance to win GitLab messenger bags and an iPad Pro, by completing the survey and promoting it on social media.

In a reflection on the advancements made in 2018 and the plans for 2019, Jason Yavorska, the product manager of GitLab CI/CD, highlights a series of improvements and features introduced to enhance the CI/CD experience. Significant developments included the introduction of access control for GitLab Pages, feature flags for applications, and pipelines more aware of merge requests, all of which were driven by community contributions and aimed at fostering better collaboration and efficient software delivery. The usability enhancements, such as the JUnit XML Test Summary and direct links to updated content in Review Apps, improved user interaction with the platform. Additionally, GitLab's commitment to open-source stewardship was underlined by making the 'include' keyword free, emphasizing reuse over code duplication. Looking forward, there's a focus on expanding the engineering team and appointing dedicated product managers for CI and CD, promising further innovation and user engagement in the coming year.

In the latest installment of GitLab's persona series, insights are shared from interviews with development team leads, resulting in the creation of the persona named Delaney. These team leads are instrumental in meeting with product managers, translating concepts into actionable solutions, estimating capacity, and assigning tasks to developers, while also engaging in coding, documentation, and mentorship. Challenges they face include managing vague requirements, ensuring effective communication, making accurate estimations, explaining technical limitations to stakeholders, and overcoming organizational resistance to adopting faster, iterative approaches. Despite these obstacles, development team leads are motivated by the goal of optimizing processes and delivering value, with the most rewarding aspect being the opportunity to solve problems across various levels, thereby supporting teams to meet product and business goals effectively.

GitLab emphasizes its unique approach of prioritizing the Minimum Viable Change (MVC) over perfection, aligning with its core value of iteration, to ensure customer feedback guides feature development. This philosophy was recently applied to the launch of SAML-based Single Sign-On (SSO) for GitLab.com, which, although not comprehensive, was rolled out to gather user insights and maintain high product velocity. Historically, GitLab.com served hobbyists and small teams, leading to less focus on enterprise needs like SSO, but this has shifted as enterprise customers increasingly prefer SaaS solutions. Security has been a priority for GitLab, with the Manage team addressing numerous security issues and launching a Bug Bounty Program to enhance security measures. The team has also been stretched thin due to its broad scope, prompting plans to expand from around 400 to 800 employees in 2019 and split into specialized teams to better manage demands. This expansion aims to strengthen GitLab’s capacity to meet enterprise requirements and enhance its rapid adaptability to customer feedback, reflecting its commitment to secure, scalable, and user-responsive development.

Wag!, a popular dog-walking service operating across the U.S., recently enhanced its operational efficiency by fully integrating GitLab into its development and deployment processes. Initially using GitLab for continuous integration, Wag! expanded its usage to encompass the entire CI/CD pipeline, including both application and infrastructure management, with Terraform aiding in infrastructure tasks. This transition allowed Wag! to streamline its operations, moving from a fragmented system to a single, cohesive platform, thus significantly reducing release times from an hour to just six minutes. The integration has simplified deployment, minimized stress associated with production releases, and incorporated automated security scanning and license management, which are vital for maintaining robust security protocols. As part of its strategic roadmap, Wag! is transitioning its repositories from GitHub to GitLab and planning a shift from Amazon ECS to Kubernetes, embracing DevOps to enhance collaboration between development and operations teams. The company has praised GitLab's monthly feature releases, which align well with its growing needs, allowing for continuous improvement and adaptability.

Git has evolved from a tool primarily used for code collaboration into a framework for operational and procedural management within companies, as demonstrated by GitLab's innovative approach. GitLab CEO Sid Sijbrandij highlights how Git is utilized not only for version controlling code but also for documenting and managing company processes, which facilitates easier and more transparent changes. This approach has enabled GitLab to scale effectively while maintaining clarity and communication through their extensive handbook, which is over 2,000 pages. Although adopting Git for business processes can seem challenging, Sijbrandij encourages leaders to consider this method, which has been adopted by other organizations like O'Reilly Media and several law firms. He emphasizes the importance of top-down advocacy and simplifying process changes to prevent discrepancies between official procedures and actual practices, thereby empowering employees to adapt quickly and accurately.

GitLab is gearing up for its first Hackathon of 2019, scheduled for February 12-13, following the success of previous events in 2018. This virtual event encourages community members to collaborate on merge requests (MRs) and welcomes new contributors, with prizes for MRs merged within ten days post-event. In addition to coding, the Hackathon will feature tutorial sessions led by community experts, with materials available on the GitLab Hackathon playlist for those who wish to revisit past sessions. Highlighted issues from various GitLab product categories will be emphasized for contributors, and additional prizes will be awarded for successful contributions. Communication during the event will be facilitated through the GitLab Community room in Gitter, where members can assist each other. Participants are encouraged to begin their journey by visiting the Contributing to GitLab page, which provides resources on how to contribute to various aspects of GitLab, and they can reach out via email for further questions.

In 2018, GitLab experienced significant growth and success, adding 289 new team members, securing a new round of funding, and surpassing 2,000 contributors, while also making their GitLab Gold and Ultimate versions free for educational institutions and open-source projects. The company expanded its product offerings by launching GitLab Serverless and Meltano, migrated to Google Cloud Platform, and celebrated 12 product releases. The year also saw notable migrations of major open-source projects such as GNOME, Drupal, and Freedesktop.org to GitLab, contributing to a tenfold increase in daily repository movements to the platform. GitLab's achievements were recognized with a $100 million Series D funding round, inclusion in the Inc. 5000 list as the 44th fastest-growing company, and a 17th place ranking on Y Combinator's Top Companies list. The company engaged with its community through events like the GitLab Summit in Cape Town, and by celebrating the 20th anniversary of open source, while also introducing new integrations with platforms such as Xcode 10 and Google Kubernetes Engine.

Bug reporting can be a cumbersome process for teams, often requiring reporters to navigate a complex series of steps to provide developers with necessary technical information. This can lead to inefficiencies and communication gaps, hindering the swift resolution of issues. Marker.io streamlines this workflow by reducing the process to three simple steps: capturing and annotating screenshots, sending bug reports directly to GitLab projects, and automatically including crucial technical data needed by developers. This tool alleviates frustrations for both reporters and developers by ensuring that bug reports are complete and actionable from the start. It captures essential environmental information such as browser, operating system, screen size, and more, directly into the bug report, facilitating easier bug reproduction and quicker fixes. Marker.io's integration with GitLab allows for organized, efficient bug tracking without needing to leave the website or configure additional settings, ultimately enhancing collaboration and productivity among team members.

GitLab, a widely-used software development platform, offers a lesser-known feature of being available in multiple languages, thanks to the efforts of community members. Users can change their preferred language through their profile settings, which helps lower barriers for both users and contributors by making the platform more accessible in local languages. The translation process is managed through Crowdin at translate.gitlab.com, where internationalized phrases are translated and incorporated into future releases. Community members are encouraged to contribute translations, which is a straightforward process requiring only a Crowdin account and a web browser. While some languages, such as Chinese, French, and German, are almost fully translated, many others require more work and proofreaders. GitLab promotes its inclusive motto, "Everyone can contribute," by urging individuals with language skills to participate in translating and proofreading to enhance the platform's accessibility worldwide.

GitHub's introduction of free private repositories with up to three collaborators is seen as a response to competitive pressures from GitLab, which has long offered free private repos and recently surpassed 10 million projects, overtaking GitHub in certain developer tool rankings. The text highlights the advantages GitLab offers over GitHub, such as unlimited collaborators, more generous storage, and additional features like wikis and pages for private repositories. GitLab's broader strategy involves creating a comprehensive application for the entire DevOps lifecycle, positioning itself as a multi-cloud solution with significant contributions from its community. The text also speculates that Microsoft, GitHub's parent company, might focus on increasing Azure usage rather than charging for repositories, reflecting a shift in how repository services might be monetized in the future.