GitLab IT Onboarding 101

Welcome To GitLab

Congratulations on joining GitLab! This page is dedicated to the IT onboarding experience, here at GitLab we use many applications and the latest hardware to enable you to complete your work to the best of your ability! While it may seen a little bit overwhelming at the start the Team member enablement team is here to make the process as easy as possible!

Table of Contents

1. Before you begin
2. Laptop Setup: MacBook
   • Activate your Okta Account
   • MacBook Initial Setup
   • System Configuration
   • Google Account Setup
   • Okta Account Verification
   • Access GitLab Email & GitLab.com Account
3. Laptop Setup: Linux
   • Activate your Okta Account
   • Okta Setup
   • Google Account Setup
   • Access GitLab Email & GitLab.com Account

Before You Begin

You will receive an Okta activation email in your personal email. This is the first step to gaining access to GitLab’s systems.

Laptop Setup: MacBook

IMPORTANT: You will not have access to your work MacBook until your start date. On your start date, please follow this guide.

MacBook Step 1: Activate Your Okta Account

1. On a mobile device, check your personal email for an Okta activation email.
2. Click the link in the email to set your password
3. After setting your password, your browser will redirect to the Okta Dashboard. IMPORTANT: Do not open Gmail (G Suite SSO Mail) or any Google application (G Suite SSO Drive, G Suite SSO Calendar, G Suite SSO Account) before finishing the laptop setup process in Step 2. Opening these applications too early will lock you out of your laptop.
4. You will receive a follow-up email from Okta with the subject Security Method enrolled.

MacBook Step 2: Initial Setup

IMPORTANT: If Remote Management is not available on your laptop, please use the Jamf MDM Setup Guide to manually enroll your device.

1. Power on your GitLab laptop
2. Complete the initial macOS setup:
   1. Choose your preferred language
   2. Select your country or region
   3. Choose accessibility options (or click **Not Now**)
   4. Select your WiFi network
   5. On the **Remote Management** screen, click **Enroll**
3. Log into GitLab Okta:
   1. Use the full GitLab email address (e.g., yourname@gitlab.com)
   2. Enter the password you created on your personal device
   3. Click Sign in
4. Set up your computer account:
   1. Create a password for your local Mac account
   2. Click Continue
   3. Use the full GitLab email address (e.g., yourname@gitlab.com)
   4. Enter the password you created on your personal device
   5. Click Sign in
5. Set up your computer account:
   1. Create a password for your local Mac account
   2. Click Continue
6. Configure system settings:
   1. On the Enable Location Services screen, check Enable Location Services on this Mac
   2. Click Continue
   3. On the Touch ID screen, click Continue
   4. Enroll in Touch ID by placing your finger on the scanner (this is required)
   5. On the Choose Your Look screen, select Light, Dark, or Auto
   6. Click Continue

MacBook Step 3: System Configuration

1. On the Welcome to your new Mac! screen, wait while applications are automatically installed
   1. This should take a few minutes
   2. When finished, click Done
2. System Restart:
   1. A pop-up will inform you that your machine needs to restart within the next minute
   2. Wait for the automatic restart or initiate it yourself
   3. After restart, log back in
3. Enable FileVault:
   1. Click Enable Now
   2. This should take a few minutes
   3. When finished, click Done
4. System Restart:
1. A pop-up will inform you that your machine needs to restart within the next minute
2. Wait for the automatic restart or initiate it yourself
3. After restart, log back in
5. Enable FileVault
   1. Click Enable Now when prompted to enable FileVault (disk encryption)

MacBook Step 4: Google Account Setup

1. Open Google Chrome
2. On the Sign in to Chrome window, click Sign in
3. Enter your GitLab email address
4. If Okta Verify opens, click Not now or close it
5. Sign in to Okta with your username and password
6. Click Agree on the Google Workspace policy that appears
7. On the Verify it’s you screen, click Continue
8. On the Enhanced Ad Privacy in Chrome notice, click Got it
9. When you see Your organization will manage this profile, click Continue
10. On the Turn on Sync window, click Yes, I’m in

MacBook Step 5: Okta Account Verification

1. In Chrome, go to https://gitlab.okta.com and wait for Okta Verify to open
   1. On the Welcome to Okta Verify window, click Get Started
   2. In Chrome, enter your Okta password and click Verify
   3. In the Okta Verify window, click Enable for Enable Touch ID confirmation
   4. Close the Complete tab in Chrome
2. Complete security verification:
   1. In Chrome, click Verify it's you with a security method
   2. Select Password and click Verify
   3. In Okta Verify, click Yes, it's me (or provide your fingerprint)
3. Set up additional security methods:
   1. On the Set up Security methods screen, click Set up for Security Key or Biometric authenticator
   2. Click Set up again to confirm
   3. On the Create a passkey for gitlab.okta.com pop-up, click Save another way
   4. Select Your Chrome profile followed by Continue

MacBook Step 6: Access GitLab Email & GitLab.com Account

1. Access your GitLab email by clicking G Suite SSO Mail in Okta
2. Check your GitLab email for an email titled “Welcome to GitLab Onboarding, yourname!”
3. Follow the instructions in the email to set up your GitLab.com account and access your Onboarding Issue

Laptop Setup: Linux

This guide assumes that you are using Ubuntu. Please adjust the sytax of any commands to match your distro of choice.

Linux Step 1: Activate Your Okta Account

1. On a mobile device, check your personal email for an Okta activation email.
2. Click the link in the email to set your password
3. After setting your password, your browser will redirect to the Okta Dashboard
4. You will receive a follow-up email from Okta with the subject Security Method enrolled

Linux Step 2: Okta Setup

1. On your Linux laptop, download and install Google Chrome
1. wget https://dl.google.com/linux/direct/google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
2. sudo dpkg -i google-chrome-stable_current_amd64.deb
3. sudo apt --fix-broken install
2. Open Google Chrome, and navigate to https://gitlab.okta.com
3. Complete security verification:
   1. Click Verify it's you with a security method
   2. Select Password and click Verify
4. Set up additional security methods:
   1. On the Set up Security methods screen, click Set up for Security Key or Biometric authenticator
   2. Click Set up again to confirm
   3. On the Create a passkey for gitlab.okta.com pop-up, click Continue

Linux Step 3: Google Account Setup

1. Open Google Chrome
2. On the Sign in to Chrome window, click Sign in
3. Enter your GitLab email address
4. Sign in to Okta with your username and password
5. Click Agree on the Google Workspace policy that appears
6. On the Verify it’s you screen, click Continue
7. On the Enhanced Ad Privacy in Chrome notice, click Got it
8. When you see Your organization will manage this profile, click Continue
9. On the Turn on Sync window, click Yes, I’m in

Linux Step 4: Access GitLab Email & GitLab.com Account

1. Check your GitLab email for an email titled “Welcome to GitLab Onboarding, yourname!”
2. Follow the instructions in the email to set up your GitLab.com account and access your Onboarding Issue

Congratulations

You have completed the initial setup process for your GitLab account and laptop. If you encounter any issues, please contact us via the #it_help Slack channel or it-help@gitlab.com.

Next Steps

To access company applications on your mobile device as per Day 2 of your onboarding, please follow the Mobile Device Onboarding guide.

Need Help?

If you need further assistance with setting up your laptop please join our weekly onboarding call scheduled every Tuesday (Check your Calendar!) or reach out to us in Slack in the #it_help channel or via it-help@gitlab.com.

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