# How to Self-Host GitLab for Free on Windows Using WSL- (Localhost)

I tried creating my own AWS account to host GitLab, but it didn't work out 😅. The free tier VM, t2.micro, couldn't support the full GitLab 😕, and the VM kept crashing 💥, so I hosted my own GitLab instead 😊.

You can also host your own GitLab with a custom domain. Let's get started building it! 🚀💻✨

## Setting Up GitLab CE in WSL with Docker ([Localhost](http://Localhost) → [gitlab.example.in](http://gitlab.q21.in))

Setting Up GitLab CE in WSL with Docker ([Localhost](http://Localhost) → [gitlab.example.in](http://gitlab.q21.in)) 🎉🐳

The steps below will guide you through hosting **GitLab Community Edition (CE)** locally in **WSL2** using Docker and accessing it via a custom domain [`gitlab.example.in`](http://gitlab.q21.in) mapped to [localhost](http://localhost). We will skip HTTPS for simplicity and remove unnecessary services to keep it lightweight. 🚀🔧

1️⃣ Prerequisites 📋

* **WSL2/Ubuntu app** installed on Windows 🖥️
    
* **Docker installed and** configured for WSL2 backend or within Ubuntu 🐋
    
* Basic familiarity with terminal commands 💻
    

Optional: A **text editor** like `nano` or `Vim`. ✏️

2️⃣ Map Custom Domain to [Localhost](http://Localhost) 🌐

We want to use `gitlab.example.in` in our browser instead of [`localhost`](http://localhost). 🌍

* Open the Windows hosts file: `C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts` 📂
    
* Add the following line: ✍️
    

* ```plaintext
    127.0.0.1 gitlab.example.in
    ```
    
* Save the file.
    

✅ Now, [`http://gitlab.example.in`](http://gitlab.q21.in) will resolve to your local WSL instance.

3️⃣ Create a Minimal Docker Compose File

Create a directory for GitLab Docker setup:

```bash
mkdir ~/gitlab-docker
cd ~/gitlab-docker
```

Create a file `docker-compose.yml`:

```yaml
version: '3.8'

services:
  gitlab:
    image: gitlab/gitlab-ce:latest
    container_name: gitlab
    restart: always
    hostname: gitlab.example.in
    environment:
      GITLAB_OMNIBUS_CONFIG: |
        external_url 'http://gitlab.example.in'       # Use HTTP only
        nginx['redirect_http_to_https'] = false   # Disable HTTPS redirect
        prometheus['enable'] = false              # Disable Prometheus
        gitlab_kas['enable'] = false              # Disable Kubernetes agent
        letsencrypt['enable'] = false             # Disable LetsEncrypt
        registry_nginx['enable'] = false          # Disable Docker registry
        gitlab_rails['gitlab_shell_ssh_port'] = 22
    ports:
      - "80:80"
      - "22:22"
     #- "443:443" #Keeping it commented as we are not using HTTPS which requires Certificate and 
                  #domain registered
    volumes:
      - ./gitlab/config:/etc/gitlab
      - ./gitlab/logs:/var/log/gitlab
      - ./gitlab/data:/var/opt/gitlab
```

✅ Explanation

* **external\_url** 🌐 → We use HTTP only ([`http://gitlab.example.com`](http://gitlab.q21.in)) for local testing. 🧪
    
* **Disabled services** 🚫 → Prometheus, KAS, Let's Encrypt, and registry are disabled to reduce memory footprint. 🧠
    
* **Volumes** 📦 → Persist configuration, logs, and repository data. 🗂️
    
* **Ports** 🔌 → HTTP on 80, SSH on 22 for Git operations. 🛠️
    

4️⃣ Start GitLab

```bash
docker-compose up -d
```

* This will pull the latest GitLab CE image and start the container.
    
* The first start may take a few minutes to download images
    

Check container status:

```bash
docker ps
docker exec -it gitlab gitlab-ctl status
```

5️⃣ Access GitLab

* Open your browser and navigate to: [`http://gitlab.example.in`](http://gitlab.q21.in)
    
* The first login will prompt you to **enter the uname password**.
    
* In GitLab Omnibus Docker, the initial root password is automatically generated and stored in a file inside the container. You can retrieve it instead of setting it manually.
    
* Access the GitLab container
    
    ```bash
    docker exec -it gitlab /bin/bash
    cat /etc/gitlab/initial_root_password
    ```
    
* Copy the password and log in (default username = root)
    
* The **initial\_root\_password** file is only generated **once** during the first startup.
    
* If you forget it later, you can **reset the root password** via:
    
    ```bash
    docker exec -it gitlab gitlab-rails console
    # then use: user = User.where(id: 1).first; user.password = 'newpassword'; user.save!
    ```
    

6️⃣ Push Your Local Repository

### Step 6.1 — Create a project

* In GitLab UI, click **New Project → Create blank project**
    
* Name it e.g., `first-repo`
    

### Step 6.2 — Initialize local repo

```bash
cd ~/first-repo
git init
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"
```

### Step 6.3 — Add GitLab remote

```bash
git remote add origin http://gitlab.example.in/first-repo
```

### Step 6.4—Authenticate using Personal Access Token (PAT)

1. Go to **User Settings → Access Tokens**
    
2. Create token with `write_repository` scope
    
3. Use the token as a password when Git prompts during `git push`.
    

### Step 6.5 — Push to GitLab

If the remote is empty:

```bash
git push -u origin main
```

If the remote has a default README and you get conflicts:

```bash
git fetch origin
git rebase origin/main
# Resolve any conflicts
git push -u origin main
```

7️⃣ Optional: Using Nano ✏️

* During conflict resolution, Git may open files in **nano**. 📝
    
* Exit nano: 🚪
    
    * `Ctrl + X` → exit ❌
        
    * `Y` → save changes 💾
        
    * `N` → discard changes 🚫
        

8️⃣ Summary 📋

* GitLab CE now runs **locally in Docker on WSL**. 🐳
    
* Access via [`http://gitlab.example.in`](http://gitlab.q21.in). 🌐
    
* Minimal setup: no HTTPS, no monitoring, only essential services. 🔧
    
* Local projects can be pushed via HTTP using **Personal Access Token**. 🔑
    
* Docker volumes ensure data persistence. 📦
    

9️⃣ Next Steps 🚀

* Add more repositories for microservices. 📂
    
* Experiment with **GitLab CI/CD** using `.gitlab-ci.yml`. 🤖
    
* Optionally enable **SSH push** for convenience. 🔑
    
* Once confident, move to production VM with HTTPS & monitoring enabled. 🌐🔍
    

This setup is **perfect for learning DevOps, GitLab administration, and CI/CD pipelines** without worrying about certificates or resource-heavy monitoring. 🎓💻