GitLab is a code hosting and issue tracking web platform based around the Git version control system. First released in 2011, it has continued to grow and evolve over the years, adding new features and capabilities, and has turned into a one-stop tool for an agile workforce. While it is owned and managed by GitLab Inc., who steer the direction of the project, the core of GitLab is open source software with over 2,000 separate contributors to date.
In this chapter, we'll explore the following topics:
- An overview of version control
- The main features of GitLab
- Self-managed versus SaaS
- Free versus paid
- A brief history of GitLab
