gitlab-org--gitlab-foss/doc/administration/auth/crowd.md

---
type: reference
stage: Manage
group: Access
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
---

# Atlassian Crowd OmniAuth Provider **(FREE SELF)**

Authenticate to GitLab using the Atlassian Crowd OmniAuth provider. Enabling
this provider also allows Crowd authentication for Git-over-https requests.

## Configure a new Crowd application

1. Choose 'Applications' in the top menu, then 'Add application'.
1. Go through the 'Add application' steps, entering the appropriate details.
   The screenshot below shows an example configuration.

   ![Example Crowd application configuration](img/crowd_application.png)

## Configure GitLab

1. On your GitLab server, open the configuration file.

   **Omnibus:**

   ```shell
     sudo editor /etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb
   ```

   **Source:**

   ```shell
     cd /home/git/gitlab

     sudo -u git -H editor config/gitlab.yml
   ```

1. See [Initial OmniAuth Configuration](../../integration/omniauth.md#initial-omniauth-configuration)
   for initial settings.

1. Add the provider configuration:

   **Omnibus:**

   ```ruby
     gitlab_rails['omniauth_providers'] = [
       {
         "name" => "crowd",
         "args" => {
           "crowd_server_url" => "CROWD_SERVER_URL",
           "application_name" => "YOUR_APP_NAME",
           "application_password" => "YOUR_APP_PASSWORD"
         }
       }
     ]
   ```

   **Source:**

   ```yaml
      - { name: 'crowd',
          args: {
            crowd_server_url: 'CROWD_SERVER_URL',
            application_name: 'YOUR_APP_NAME',
            application_password: 'YOUR_APP_PASSWORD' } }
   ```

1. Change `CROWD_SERVER_URL` to the URL of your Crowd server.
1. Change `YOUR_APP_NAME` to the application name from Crowd applications page.
1. Change `YOUR_APP_PASSWORD` to the application password you've set.
1. Save the configuration file.
1. [Reconfigure](../restart_gitlab.md#omnibus-gitlab-reconfigure) or [restart](../restart_gitlab.md#installations-from-source) for the changes to take effect if you
   installed GitLab via Omnibus or from source respectively.

On the sign in page there should now be a Crowd tab in the sign in form.

## Troubleshooting

If you see an error message like the one below when you sign in after Crowd authentication is configured, you may want to consult the Crowd administrator for the Crowd log file to know the exact cause:

```plaintext
could not authorize you from Crowd because invalid credentials
```

Ensure the Crowd users who need to sign in to GitLab are authorized to the
[application](#configure-a-new-crowd-application) in the **Authorisation** step.
This could be verified by trying "Authentication test" for Crowd (as of 2.11).

![Example Crowd application authorisation configuration](img/crowd_application_authorisation.png)