435 lines
16 KiB
Markdown
435 lines
16 KiB
Markdown
# GitLab Pages
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> **Notes:**
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> - This feature was [introduced][ee-80] in GitLab EE 8.3.
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> - Custom CNAMEs with TLS support were [introduced][ee-173] in GitLab EE 8.5.
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> - GitLab Pages [were ported][ce-14605] to Community Edition in GitLab 8.17.
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> - This document is about the user guide. To learn how to enable GitLab Pages
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> across your GitLab instance, visit the [administrator documentation](../../../administration/pages/index.md).
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With GitLab Pages you can host for free your static websites on GitLab.
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Combined with the power of [GitLab CI] and the help of [GitLab Runner] you can
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deploy static pages for your individual projects, your user or your group.
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Read [GitLab Pages on GitLab.com](#gitlab-pages-on-gitlab-com) for specific
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information, if you are using GitLab.com to host your website.
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## Getting started with GitLab Pages
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> **Note:**
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> In the rest of this document we will assume that the general domain name that
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> is used for GitLab Pages is `example.io`.
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In general there are two types of pages one might create:
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- Pages per user (`username.example.io`) or per group (`groupname.example.io`)
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- Pages per project (`username.example.io/projectname` or `groupname.example.io/projectname`)
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In GitLab, usernames and groupnames are unique and we often refer to them
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as namespaces. There can be only one namespace in a GitLab instance. Below you
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can see the connection between the type of GitLab Pages, what the project name
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that is created on GitLab looks like and the website URL it will be ultimately
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be served on.
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| Type of GitLab Pages | The name of the project created in GitLab | Website URL |
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| -------------------- | ------------ | ----------- |
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| User pages | `username.example.io` | `http(s)://username.example.io` |
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| Group pages | `groupname.example.io` | `http(s)://groupname.example.io` |
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| Project pages owned by a user | `projectname` | `http(s)://username.example.io/projectname` |
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| Project pages owned by a group | `projectname` | `http(s)://groupname.example.io/projectname`|
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> **Warning:**
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> There are some known [limitations](#limitations) regarding namespaces served
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> under the general domain name and HTTPS. Make sure to read that section.
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### GitLab Pages requirements
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In brief, this is what you need to upload your website in GitLab Pages:
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1. Find out the general domain name that is used for GitLab Pages
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(ask your administrator). This is very important, so you should first make
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sure you get that right.
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1. Create a project
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1. Push a [`.gitlab-ci.yml` file](../ci/yaml/README.md) in the root directory
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of your repository with a specific job named [`pages`][pages]
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1. Set up a GitLab Runner to build your website
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> **Note:**
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> If [shared runners](../ci/runners/README.md) are enabled by your GitLab
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> administrator, you should be able to use them instead of bringing your own.
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### User or group Pages
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For user and group pages, the name of the project should be specific to the
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username or groupname and the general domain name that is used for GitLab Pages.
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Head over your GitLab instance that supports GitLab Pages and create a
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repository named `username.example.io`, where `username` is your username on
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GitLab. If the first part of the project name doesn't match exactly your
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username, it won’t work, so make sure to get it right.
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To create a group page, the steps are the same like when creating a website for
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users. Just make sure that you are creating the project within the group's
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namespace.
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![Create a user-based pages project](img/pages_create_user_page.png)
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---
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After you push some static content to your repository and GitLab Runner uploads
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the artifacts to GitLab CI, you will be able to access your website under
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`http(s)://username.example.io`. Keep reading to find out how.
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>**Note:**
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If your username/groupname contains a dot, for example `foo.bar`, you will not
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be able to use the wildcard domain HTTPS, read more at [limitations](#limitations).
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### Project Pages
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GitLab Pages for projects can be created by both user and group accounts.
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The steps to create a project page for a user or a group are identical:
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1. Create a new project
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1. Push a [`.gitlab-ci.yml` file](../ci/yaml/README.md) in the root directory
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of your repository with a specific job named [`pages`][pages].
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1. Set up a GitLab Runner to build your website
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A user's project will be served under `http(s)://username.example.io/projectname`
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whereas a group's project under `http(s)://groupname.example.io/projectname`.
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### Explore the contents of `.gitlab-ci.yml`
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The key thing about GitLab Pages is the `.gitlab-ci.yml` file, something that
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gives you absolute control over the build process. You can actually watch your
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website being built live by following the CI build traces.
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> **Note:**
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> Before reading this section, make sure you familiarize yourself with GitLab CI
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> and the specific syntax of[`.gitlab-ci.yml`](../ci/yaml/README.md) by
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> following our [quick start guide](../ci/quick_start/README.md).
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To make use of GitLab Pages, the contents of `.gitlab-ci.yml` must follow the
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rules below:
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1. A special job named [`pages`][pages] must be defined
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1. Any static content which will be served by GitLab Pages must be placed under
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a `public/` directory
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1. `artifacts` with a path to the `public/` directory must be defined
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In its simplest form, `.gitlab-ci.yml` looks like:
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```yaml
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pages:
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script:
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- my_commands
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artifacts:
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paths:
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- public
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```
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When the Runner reaches to build the `pages` job, it executes whatever is
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defined in the `script` parameter and if the build completes with a non-zero
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exit status, it then uploads the `public/` directory to GitLab Pages.
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The `public/` directory should contain all the static content of your website.
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Depending on how you plan to publish your website, the steps defined in the
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[`script` parameter](../ci/yaml/README.md#script) may differ.
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Be aware that Pages are by default branch/tag agnostic and their deployment
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relies solely on what you specify in `.gitlab-ci.yml`. If you don't limit the
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`pages` job with the [`only` parameter](../ci/yaml/README.md#only-and-except),
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whenever a new commit is pushed to whatever branch or tag, the Pages will be
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overwritten. In the example below, we limit the Pages to be deployed whenever
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a commit is pushed only on the `master` branch:
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```yaml
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pages:
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script:
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- my_commands
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artifacts:
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paths:
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- public
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only:
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- master
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```
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We then tell the Runner to treat the `public/` directory as `artifacts` and
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upload it to GitLab. And since all these parameters were all under a `pages`
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job, the contents of the `public` directory will be served by GitLab Pages.
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#### How `.gitlab-ci.yml` looks like when the static content is in your repository
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Supposedly your repository contained the following files:
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```
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├── index.html
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├── css
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│ └── main.css
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└── js
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└── main.js
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```
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Then the `.gitlab-ci.yml` example below simply moves all files from the root
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directory of the project to the `public/` directory. The `.public` workaround
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is so `cp` doesn't also copy `public/` to itself in an infinite loop:
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```yaml
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pages:
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script:
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- mkdir .public
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- cp -r * .public
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- mv .public public
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artifacts:
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paths:
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- public
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only:
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- master
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```
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#### How `.gitlab-ci.yml` looks like when using a static generator
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In general, GitLab Pages support any kind of [static site generator][staticgen],
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since `.gitlab-ci.yml` can be configured to run any possible command.
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In the root directory of your Git repository, place the source files of your
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favorite static generator. Then provide a `.gitlab-ci.yml` file which is
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specific to your static generator.
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The example below, uses [Jekyll] to build the static site:
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```yaml
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image: ruby:2.1 # the script will run in Ruby 2.1 using the Docker image ruby:2.1
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pages: # the build job must be named pages
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script:
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- gem install jekyll # we install jekyll
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- jekyll build -d public/ # we tell jekyll to build the site for us
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artifacts:
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paths:
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- public # this is where the site will live and the Runner uploads it in GitLab
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only:
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- master # this script is only affecting the master branch
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```
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Here, we used the Docker executor and in the first line we specified the base
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image against which our builds will run.
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You have to make sure that the generated static files are ultimately placed
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under the `public` directory, that's why in the `script` section we run the
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`jekyll` command that builds the website and puts all content in the `public/`
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directory. Depending on the static generator of your choice, this command will
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differ. Search in the documentation of the static generator you will use if
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there is an option to explicitly set the output directory. If there is not
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such an option, you can always add one more line under `script` to rename the
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resulting directory in `public/`.
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We then tell the Runner to treat the `public/` directory as `artifacts` and
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upload it to GitLab.
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---
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See the [jekyll example project][pages-jekyll] to better understand how this
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works.
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For a list of Pages projects, see the [example projects](#example-projects) to
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get you started.
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#### How to set up GitLab Pages in a repository where there's also actual code
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Remember that GitLab Pages are by default branch/tag agnostic and their
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deployment relies solely on what you specify in `.gitlab-ci.yml`. You can limit
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the `pages` job with the [`only` parameter](../ci/yaml/README.md#only-and-except),
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whenever a new commit is pushed to a branch that will be used specifically for
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your pages.
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That way, you can have your project's code in the `master` branch and use an
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orphan branch (let's name it `pages`) that will host your static generator site.
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You can create a new empty branch like this:
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```bash
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git checkout --orphan pages
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```
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The first commit made on this new branch will have no parents and it will be
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the root of a new history totally disconnected from all the other branches and
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commits. Push the source files of your static generator in the `pages` branch.
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Below is a copy of `.gitlab-ci.yml` where the most significant line is the last
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one, specifying to execute everything in the `pages` branch:
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```
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image: ruby:2.1
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pages:
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script:
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- gem install jekyll
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- jekyll build -d public/
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artifacts:
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paths:
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- public
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only:
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- pages
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```
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See an example that has different files in the [`master` branch][jekyll-master]
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and the source files for Jekyll are in a [`pages` branch][jekyll-pages] which
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also includes `.gitlab-ci.yml`.
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[jekyll-master]: https://gitlab.com/pages/jekyll-branched/tree/master
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[jekyll-pages]: https://gitlab.com/pages/jekyll-branched/tree/pages
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## Next steps
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So you have successfully deployed your website, congratulations! Let's check
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what more you can do with GitLab Pages.
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### Example projects
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Below is a list of example projects for GitLab Pages with a plain HTML website
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or various static site generators. Contributions are very welcome.
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- [Plain HTML](https://gitlab.com/pages/plain-html)
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- [Jekyll](https://gitlab.com/pages/jekyll)
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- [Hugo](https://gitlab.com/pages/hugo)
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- [Middleman](https://gitlab.com/pages/middleman)
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- [Hexo](https://gitlab.com/pages/hexo)
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- [Brunch](https://gitlab.com/pages/brunch)
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- [Metalsmith](https://gitlab.com/pages/metalsmith)
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- [Harp](https://gitlab.com/pages/harp)
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Visit the GitLab Pages group for a full list of example projects:
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<https://gitlab.com/groups/pages>.
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### Add a custom domain to your Pages website
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If this setting is enabled by your GitLab administrator, you should be able to
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see the **New Domain** button when visiting your project's settings through the
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gear icon in the top right and then navigating to **Pages**.
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![New domain button](img/pages_new_domain_button.png)
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---
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You can add multiple domains pointing to your website hosted under GitLab.
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Once the domain is added, you can see it listed under the **Domains** section.
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![Pages multiple domains](img/pages_multiple_domains.png)
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---
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As a last step, you need to configure your DNS and add a CNAME pointing to your
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user/group page. Click on the **Details** button of a domain for further
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instructions.
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![Pages DNS details](img/pages_dns_details.png)
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---
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>**Note:**
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Currently there is support only for custom domains on per-project basis. That
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means that if you add a custom domain (`example.com`) for your user website
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(`username.example.io`), a project that is served under `username.example.io/foo`,
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will not be accessible under `example.com/foo`.
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### Secure your custom domain website with TLS
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When you add a new custom domain, you also have the chance to add a TLS
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certificate. If this setting is enabled by your GitLab administrator, you
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should be able to see the option to upload the public certificate and the
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private key when adding a new domain.
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![Pages upload cert](img/pages_upload_cert.png)
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### Custom error codes pages
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You can provide your own 403 and 404 error pages by creating the `403.html` and
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`404.html` files respectively in the root directory of the `public/` directory
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that will be included in the artifacts. Usually this is the root directory of
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your project, but that may differ depending on your static generator
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configuration.
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If the case of `404.html`, there are different scenarios. For example:
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- If you use project Pages (served under `/projectname/`) and try to access
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`/projectname/non/exsiting_file`, GitLab Pages will try to serve first
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`/projectname/404.html`, and then `/404.html`.
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- If you use user/group Pages (served under `/`) and try to access
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`/non/existing_file` GitLab Pages will try to serve `/404.html`.
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- If you use a custom domain and try to access `/non/existing_file`, GitLab
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Pages will try to serve only `/404.html`.
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### Remove the contents of your pages
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If you ever feel the need to purge your Pages content, you can do so by going
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to your project's settings through the gear icon in the top right, and then
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navigating to **Pages**. Hit the **Remove pages** button and your Pages website
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will be deleted. Simple as that.
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![Remove pages](img/pages_remove.png)
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## GitLab Pages on GitLab.com
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If you are using GitLab.com to host your website, then:
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- The general domain name for GitLab Pages on GitLab.com is `gitlab.io`.
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- Custom domains and TLS support are enabled.
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- Shared runners are enabled by default, provided for free and can be used to
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build your website. If you want you can still bring your own Runner.
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The rest of the guide still applies.
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## Limitations
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When using Pages under the general domain of a GitLab instance (`*.example.io`),
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you _cannot_ use HTTPS with sub-subdomains. That means that if your
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username/groupname contains a dot, for example `foo.bar`, the domain
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`https://foo.bar.example.io` will _not_ work. This is a limitation of the
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[HTTP Over TLS protocol][rfc]. HTTP pages will continue to work provided you
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don't redirect HTTP to HTTPS.
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[rfc]: https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc2818#section-3.1 "HTTP Over TLS RFC"
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## Redirects in GitLab Pages
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Since you cannot use any custom server configuration files, like `.htaccess` or
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any `.conf` file for that matter, if you want to redirect a web page to another
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location, you can use the [HTTP meta refresh tag][metarefresh].
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Some static site generators provide plugins for that functionality so that you
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don't have to create and edit HTML files manually. For example, Jekyll has the
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[redirect-from plugin](https://github.com/jekyll/jekyll-redirect-from).
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## Frequently Asked Questions
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### Can I download my generated pages?
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Sure. All you need to do is download the artifacts archive from the build page.
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### Can I use GitLab Pages if my project is private?
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Yes. GitLab Pages don't care whether you set your project's visibility level
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to private, internal or public.
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### Do I need to create a user/group website before creating a project website?
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No, you don't. You can create your project first and it will be accessed under
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`http(s)://namespace.example.io/projectname`.
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## Known issues
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For a list of known issues, visit GitLab's [public issue tracker].
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---
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[jekyll]: http://jekyllrb.com/
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[ee-80]: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ee/merge_requests/80
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[ee-173]: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ee/merge_requests/173
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[pages-daemon]: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-pages
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[gitlab ci]: https://about.gitlab.com/gitlab-ci
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[gitlab runner]: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ci-multi-runner
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[pages]: ../ci/yaml/README.md#pages
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[staticgen]: https://www.staticgen.com/
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[pages-jekyll]: https://gitlab.com/pages/jekyll
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[metarefresh]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meta_refresh
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[public issue tracker]: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ee/issues?label_name=Pages
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[ce-14605]: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/issues/14605
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