--- stage: Configure group: Configure info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/#assignments --- # Customizing Auto DevOps **(FREE)** While [Auto DevOps](index.md) provides great defaults to get you started, you can customize almost everything to fit your needs. Auto DevOps offers everything from custom [buildpacks](#custom-buildpacks), to [Dockerfiles](#custom-dockerfile), and [Helm charts](#custom-helm-chart). You can even copy the complete [CI/CD configuration](#customizing-gitlab-ciyml) into your project to enable staging and canary deployments, [manage Auto DevOps with GitLab APIs](customize.md#extend-auto-devops-with-the-api), and more. ## Custom buildpacks If the automatic buildpack detection fails for your project, or if you need more control over your build, you can customize the buildpacks used for the build. ### Custom buildpacks with Cloud Native Buildpacks > [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/28165) in GitLab 12.10. Specify either: - The CI/CD variable `BUILDPACK_URL` with any of [`pack`'s URI specification formats](https://buildpacks.io/docs/app-developer-guide/specify-buildpacks/). - A [`project.toml` project descriptor](https://buildpacks.io/docs/app-developer-guide/using-project-descriptor/) with the buildpacks you would like to include. ### Custom buildpacks with Herokuish Specify either: - The CI/CD variable `BUILDPACK_URL`. - A `.buildpacks` file at the root of your project, containing one buildpack URL per line. The buildpack URL can point to either a Git repository URL or a tarball URL. For Git repositories, you can point to a specific Git reference (such as commit SHA, tag name, or branch name) by appending `#` to the Git repository URL. For example: - The tag `v142`: `https://github.com/heroku/heroku-buildpack-ruby.git#v142`. - The branch `mybranch`: `https://github.com/heroku/heroku-buildpack-ruby.git#mybranch`. - The commit SHA `f97d8a8ab49`: `https://github.com/heroku/heroku-buildpack-ruby.git#f97d8a8ab49`. ### Multiple buildpacks Using multiple buildpacks is not fully supported by Auto DevOps, because Auto Test can't use the `.buildpacks` file. The buildpack [heroku-buildpack-multi](https://github.com/heroku/heroku-buildpack-multi/), used in the backend to parse the `.buildpacks` file, does not provide the necessary commands `bin/test-compile` and `bin/test`. If your goal is to use only a single custom buildpack, you should provide the project CI/CD variable `BUILDPACK_URL` instead. ## Custom `Dockerfile` > Support for `DOCKERFILE_PATH` was [introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/35662) in GitLab 13.2 If your project has a `Dockerfile` in the root of the project repository, Auto DevOps builds a Docker image based on the Dockerfile, rather than using buildpacks. This can be much faster and result in smaller images, especially if your Dockerfile is based on [Alpine](https://hub.docker.com/_/alpine/). If you set the `DOCKERFILE_PATH` CI/CD variable, Auto Build looks for a Dockerfile there instead. ## Passing arguments to `docker build` Arguments can be passed to the `docker build` command using the `AUTO_DEVOPS_BUILD_IMAGE_EXTRA_ARGS` project CI/CD variable. For example, to build a Docker image based on based on the `ruby:alpine` instead of the default `ruby:latest`: 1. Set `AUTO_DEVOPS_BUILD_IMAGE_EXTRA_ARGS` to `--build-arg=RUBY_VERSION=alpine`. 1. Add the following to a custom `Dockerfile`: ```dockerfile ARG RUBY_VERSION=latest FROM ruby:$RUBY_VERSION # ... put your stuff here ``` Use Base64 encoding if you need to pass complex values, such as newlines and spaces. Left unencoded, complex values like these can cause escaping issues due to how Auto DevOps uses the arguments. WARNING: Avoid passing secrets as Docker build arguments if possible, as they may be persisted in your image. See [this discussion of best practices with secrets](https://github.com/moby/moby/issues/13490) for details. ## Custom container image By default, [Auto Deploy](stages.md#auto-deploy) deploys a container image built and pushed to the GitLab registry by [Auto Build](stages.md#auto-build). You can override this behavior by defining specific variables: | Entry | Default | Can be overridden by | | ----- | ----- | ----- | | Image Path | `$CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE/$CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG` for branch pipelines. `$CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE` for tag pipelines. | `$CI_APPLICATION_REPOSITORY` | | Image Tag | `$CI_COMMIT_SHA` for branch pipelines. `$CI_COMMIT_TAG` for tag pipelines. | `$CI_APPLICATION_TAG` | These variables also affect Auto Build and Auto Container Scanning. If you don't want to build and push an image to `$CI_APPLICATION_REPOSITORY:$CI_APPLICATION_TAG`, consider including only `Jobs/Deploy.gitlab-ci.yml`, or [disabling the `build` jobs](cicd_variables.md#job-disabling-variables). If you use Auto Container Scanning and set a value for `$CI_APPLICATION_REPOSITORY`, then you should also update `$CS_DEFAULT_BRANCH_IMAGE`. See [Setting the default branch image](../../user/application_security/container_scanning/index.md#setting-the-default-branch-image) for more details. Here is an example setup in your `.gitlab-ci.yml`: ```yaml variables: CI_APPLICATION_REPOSITORY: CI_APPLICATION_TAG: ``` ## Extend Auto DevOps with the API You can extend and manage your Auto DevOps configuration with GitLab APIs: - [Settings that can be accessed with API calls](../../api/settings.md#list-of-settings-that-can-be-accessed-via-api-calls), which include `auto_devops_enabled`, to enable Auto DevOps on projects by default. - [Creating a new project](../../api/projects.md#create-project). - [Editing groups](../../api/groups.md#update-group). - [Editing projects](../../api/projects.md#edit-project). ## Forward CI/CD variables to the build environment > [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/25514) in GitLab 12.3, but available in GitLab 12.0 and later. CI/CD variables can be forwarded into the build environment using the `AUTO_DEVOPS_BUILD_IMAGE_FORWARDED_CI_VARIABLES` CI/CD variable. The forwarded variables should be specified by name in a comma-separated list. For example, to forward the variables `CI_COMMIT_SHA` and `CI_ENVIRONMENT_NAME`, set `AUTO_DEVOPS_BUILD_IMAGE_FORWARDED_CI_VARIABLES` to `CI_COMMIT_SHA,CI_ENVIRONMENT_NAME`. - When using Buildpacks, the forwarded variables are available automatically as environment variables. - When using a `Dockerfile`, the following additional steps are required: 1. Activate the experimental `Dockerfile` syntax by adding the following code to the top of the file: ```dockerfile # syntax = docker/dockerfile:experimental ``` 1. To make secrets available in any `RUN $COMMAND` in the `Dockerfile`, mount the secret file and source it prior to running `$COMMAND`: ```dockerfile RUN --mount=type=secret,id=auto-devops-build-secrets . /run/secrets/auto-devops-build-secrets && $COMMAND ``` When `AUTO_DEVOPS_BUILD_IMAGE_FORWARDED_CI_VARIABLES` is set, Auto DevOps enables the experimental [Docker BuildKit](https://docs.docker.com/build/buildkit/) feature to use the `--secret` flag. ## Custom Helm Chart Auto DevOps uses [Helm](https://helm.sh/) to deploy your application to Kubernetes. You can override the Helm chart used by bundling up a chart into your project repository or by specifying a project CI/CD variable: - **Bundled chart** - If your project has a `./chart` directory with a `Chart.yaml` file in it, Auto DevOps detects the chart and uses it instead of the [default chart](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cluster-integration/auto-deploy-image/-/tree/master/assets/auto-deploy-app), enabling you to control exactly how your application is deployed. - **Project variable** - Create a [project CI/CD variable](../../ci/variables/index.md) `AUTO_DEVOPS_CHART` with the URL of a custom chart to use, or create two project variables: `AUTO_DEVOPS_CHART_REPOSITORY` with the URL of a custom chart repository, and `AUTO_DEVOPS_CHART` with the path to the chart. ## Customize values for Helm Chart > [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/30628) in GitLab 12.6, `.gitlab/auto-deploy-values.yaml` is used by default for Helm upgrades. You can override the default values in the `values.yaml` file in the [default Helm chart](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cluster-integration/auto-deploy-image/-/tree/master/assets/auto-deploy-app) by either: - Adding a file named `.gitlab/auto-deploy-values.yaml` to your repository, which is automatically used, if found. - Adding a file with a different name or path to the repository, and setting the `HELM_UPGRADE_VALUES_FILE` [CI/CD variable](cicd_variables.md) with the path and name. Some values cannot be overridden with the options above. Settings like `replicaCount` should instead be overridden with the `REPLICAS` [build and deployment](cicd_variables.md#build-and-deployment-variables) CI/CD variable. Follow [this issue](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cluster-integration/auto-deploy-image/-/issues/31) for more information. NOTE: For GitLab 12.5 and earlier, use the `HELM_UPGRADE_EXTRA_ARGS` variable to override the default chart values by setting `HELM_UPGRADE_EXTRA_ARGS` to `--values `. ## Customize the `helm upgrade` command You can customize the `helm upgrade` command used in the [auto-deploy-image](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cluster-integration/auto-deploy-image) by passing options to the command with the `HELM_UPGRADE_EXTRA_ARGS` CI/CD variable. For example, set the value of `HELM_UPGRADE_EXTRA_ARGS` to `--no-hooks` to disable pre-upgrade and post-upgrade hooks when the command is executed. See [the official documentation](https://helm.sh/docs/helm/helm_upgrade/) for the full list of options. ## Custom Helm chart per environment You can specify the use of a custom Helm chart per environment by scoping the CI/CD variable to the desired environment. See [Limit environment scope of CI/CD variables](../../ci/variables/index.md#limit-the-environment-scope-of-a-cicd-variable). ## Customizing `.gitlab-ci.yml` Auto DevOps is completely customizable because the [Auto DevOps template](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/lib/gitlab/ci/templates/Auto-DevOps.gitlab-ci.yml) is just an implementation of a [`.gitlab-ci.yml`](../../ci/yaml/index.md) file, and uses only features available to any implementation of `.gitlab-ci.yml`. To modify the CI/CD pipeline used by Auto DevOps, [`include` the template](../../ci/yaml/index.md#includetemplate), and customize it as needed by adding a `.gitlab-ci.yml` file to the root of your repository containing the following: ```yaml include: - template: Auto-DevOps.gitlab-ci.yml ``` Add your changes, and your additions are merged with the [Auto DevOps template](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/lib/gitlab/ci/templates/Auto-DevOps.gitlab-ci.yml) using the behavior described for [`include`](../../ci/yaml/index.md#include). If you need to specifically remove a part of the file, you can also copy and paste the contents of the [Auto DevOps template](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/lib/gitlab/ci/templates/Auto-DevOps.gitlab-ci.yml) into your project and edit it as needed. ## Use multiple Kubernetes clusters See [Multiple Kubernetes clusters for Auto DevOps](multiple_clusters_auto_devops.md). ## Customizing the Kubernetes namespace In GitLab 14.5 and earlier, you could use `environment:kubernetes:namespace` to specify a namespace for the environment. However, this feature was [deprecated](https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-org/configure/-/epics/8), along with certificate-based integration. You should now use the `KUBE_NAMESPACE` environment variable and [limit the environments it is available for](../../ci/environments/index.md#scope-environments-with-specs). ## Using components of Auto DevOps If you only require a subset of the features offered by Auto DevOps, you can include individual Auto DevOps jobs into your own `.gitlab-ci.yml`. Each component job relies on a stage that should be defined in the `.gitlab-ci.yml` that includes the template. For example, to make use of [Auto Build](stages.md#auto-build), you can add the following to your `.gitlab-ci.yml`: ```yaml stages: - build include: - template: Jobs/Build.gitlab-ci.yml ``` See the [Auto DevOps template](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/lib/gitlab/ci/templates/Auto-DevOps.gitlab-ci.yml) for information on available jobs. WARNING: Auto DevOps templates using the [`only`](../../ci/yaml/index.md#only--except) or [`except`](../../ci/yaml/index.md#only--except) syntax have switched to the [`rules`](../../ci/yaml/index.md#rules) syntax, starting in [GitLab 13.0](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/213336). If your `.gitlab-ci.yml` extends these Auto DevOps templates and override the `only` or `except` keywords, you must migrate your templates to use the [`rules`](../../ci/yaml/index.md#rules) syntax after the base template is migrated to use the `rules` syntax. For users who cannot migrate just yet, you can alternatively pin your templates to the [GitLab 12.10 based templates](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/auto-devops-v12-10). ## Use images hosted in a local Docker registry You can configure many Auto DevOps jobs to run in an [offline environment](../../user/application_security/offline_deployments/index.md): 1. Copy the required Auto DevOps Docker images from Docker Hub and `registry.gitlab.com` to their local GitLab container registry. 1. After the images are hosted and available in a local registry, edit `.gitlab-ci.yml` to point to the locally-hosted images. For example: ```yaml include: - template: Auto-DevOps.gitlab-ci.yml variables: REGISTRY_URL: "registry.gitlab.example" build: image: "$REGISTRY_URL/docker/auto-build-image:v0.6.0" services: - name: "$REGISTRY_URL/greg/docker/docker:20.10.16-dind" command: ['--tls=false', '--host=tcp://0.0.0.0:2375'] ``` ## PostgreSQL database support To support applications requiring a database, [PostgreSQL](https://www.postgresql.org/) is provisioned by default. The credentials to access the database are preconfigured, but can be customized by setting the associated [CI/CD variables](cicd_variables.md). You can use these credentials to define a `DATABASE_URL`: ```yaml postgres://user:password@postgres-host:postgres-port/postgres-database ``` ### Upgrading PostgreSQL WARNING: The CI/CD variable `AUTO_DEVOPS_POSTGRES_CHANNEL` that controls default provisioned PostgreSQL was changed to `2` in [GitLab 13.0](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/210499). To keep using the old PostgreSQL, set the `AUTO_DEVOPS_POSTGRES_CHANNEL` variable to `1`. The version of the chart used to provision PostgreSQL: - Is 8.2.1 in GitLab 13.0 and later, but can be set back to 0.7.1 if needed. - Can be set to from 0.7.1 to 8.2.1 in GitLab 12.9 and 12.10. - Is 0.7.1 in GitLab 12.8 and earlier. GitLab encourages users to [migrate their database](upgrading_postgresql.md) to the newer PostgreSQL. ### Customize values for PostgreSQL Helm Chart > [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cluster-integration/auto-deploy-image/-/issues/113) in auto-deploy-image v2, in GitLab 13.8. To set custom values, do one of the following: - Add a file named `.gitlab/auto-deploy-postgres-values.yaml` to your repository. If found, this file is used automatically. This file is used by default for PostgreSQL Helm upgrades. - Add a file with a different name or path to the repository, and set the `POSTGRES_HELM_UPGRADE_VALUES_FILE` [environment variable](cicd_variables.md#database-variables) with the path and name. - Set the `POSTGRES_HELM_UPGRADE_EXTRA_ARGS` [environment variable](cicd_variables.md#database-variables). ### Using external PostgreSQL database providers While Auto DevOps provides out-of-the-box support for a PostgreSQL container for production environments, for some use cases, it may not be sufficiently secure or resilient, and you may want to use an external managed provider (such as AWS Relational Database Service) for PostgreSQL. You must define environment-scoped CI/CD variables for `POSTGRES_ENABLED` and `DATABASE_URL` in your project's CI/CD settings: 1. Disable the built-in PostgreSQL installation for the required environments using environment-scoped [CI/CD variables](../../ci/environments/index.md#scope-environments-with-specs). For this use case, it's likely that only `production` must be added to this list. The built-in PostgreSQL setup for Review Apps and staging is sufficient. ![Auto Metrics](img/disable_postgres.png) 1. Define the `DATABASE_URL` variable as an environment-scoped variable that is available to your application. This should be a URL in the following format: ```yaml postgres://user:password@postgres-host:postgres-port/postgres-database ``` You must ensure that your Kubernetes cluster has network access to wherever PostgreSQL is hosted. ## Auto DevOps banner The following Auto DevOps banner displays for users with Maintainer or greater permissions on new projects when Auto DevOps is not enabled: ![Auto DevOps banner](img/autodevops_banner_v12_6.png) The banner can be disabled for: - A user, when they dismiss it themselves. - A project, by explicitly [disabling Auto DevOps](index.md#enable-or-disable-auto-devops). - An entire GitLab instance: - By an administrator running the following in a Rails console: ```ruby Feature.enable(:auto_devops_banner_disabled) ``` - Through the REST API with an administrator access token: ```shell curl --data "value=true" --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: " "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/features/auto_devops_banner_disabled" ```