cli/README.md

# GLab

![GLab](docs/assets/glab-logo.png)

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GLab is an open source GitLab CLI tool bringing GitLab to your terminal next to where you are already working with `git` and your code without switching between windows and browser tabs. Work with issues, merge requests, **watch running pipelines directly from your CLI** among other features.

`glab` is available for repositories hosted on GitLab.com and self-managed GitLab instances. `glab` supports multiple authenticated GitLab instances and automatically detects the authenticated hostname from the remotes available in the working Git directory.

![command example](docs/assets/command-example.png)

## Table of contents

- [Usage](#usage)
- [Demo](#demo)
- [Documentation](#documentation)
- [Installation](#installation)
  - [Quick Install](#quick-install)
  - [Windows](#windows)
    - [WinGet](#winget)
    - [Scoop](#scoop)
    - [EXE Installer](#exe-installer)
  - [Linux](#linux)
    - [Linuxbrew (Homebrew)](#linuxbrew-homebrew)
    - [Snapcraft](#snapcraft)
    - [Arch Linux](#arch-linux)
    - [KISS Linux](#kiss-linux)
    - [Alpine Linux](#alpine-linux)
      - [Install a pinned version from edge](#install-a-pinned-version-from-edge)
      - [Alpine Linux Docker-way](#alpine-linux-docker-way)
    - [Nix/NixOS](#nixnixos)
    - [MPR (Debian/Ubuntu)](#mpr-debianubuntu)
      - [Prebuilt-MPR](#prebuilt-mpr)
    - [Spack](#spack)
  - [macOS](#macos)
    - [Homebrew](#homebrew)
    - [MacPorts](#macports)
  - [Building From Source](#building-from-source)
    - [Prerequisites](#prerequisites-for-building-from-source-are)
- [Authentication](#authentication)
- [Configuration](#configuration)
- [Environment Variables](#environment-variables)
- [What about lab](#what-about-lab)
- [Issues](#issues)
- [Contributing](#contributing)

## Usage

```shell
glab <command> <subcommand> [flags]
```

## Demo

[![asciicast](https://asciinema.org/a/368622.svg)](https://asciinema.org/a/368622)

## Documentation

Read the [documentation](https://glab.readthedocs.io/) for usage instructions.

## Installation

Download a binary suitable for your OS at the [releases page](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cli/-/releases).

### Quick install

**Supported Platforms**: Linux and macOS

#### Homebrew quick install

```shell
brew install glab
```

Updating (Homebrew):

```shell
brew upgrade glab
```

Alternatively, you can install `glab` by shell script:

```shell
curl -s "https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cli/-/raw/main/scripts/install.sh" | sudo sh
```

*Installs into `usr/bin`*

**NOTE**: Take care when running scripts in this fashion. Consider peeking at the install script itself and verify that it works as intended.

### Windows

Available for download via [WinGet](https://github.com/microsoft/winget-cli), [scoop](https://scoop.sh), or downloadable EXE installer file.

#### WinGet

```shell
winget install glab.glab
```

Updating (WinGet):

```shell
winget install glab.glab
```

#### Scoop

```shell
scoop install glab
```

Updating (Scoop):

```shell
scoop update glab
```

#### EXE Installer

EXE installers are available for download on the [releases page](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cli/-/releases).

### Linux

Prebuilt binaries available at the [releases page](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cli/-/releases).

#### Linuxbrew (Homebrew)

```shell
brew install glab
```

Updating (Homebrew):

```shell
brew upgrade glab
```

#### Snapcraft

[![Get it from the Snap Store](https://snapcraft.io/static/images/badges/en/snap-store-black.svg)](https://snapcraft.io/glab)

1. Make sure you have [snap installed on your Linux distribution](https://snapcraft.io/docs/installing-snapd).
1. `sudo snap install --edge glab`
1. `sudo snap connect glab:ssh-keys` to grant SSH access

#### Arch Linux

`glab` is available through the [community/glab](https://archlinux.org/packages/community/x86_64/glab/) package or download and install an archive from the [releases page](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cli/-/releases). Arch Linux also supports [snap](https://snapcraft.io/docs/installing-snap-on-arch-linux).

```shell
pacman -S glab
```

#### KISS Linux

WARNING:
It seems that KISS Linux may no longer be actively maintained, so links to its web domain have been removed from this README.

`glab` is available on the [KISS Linux Community Repository](https://github.com/kisslinux/community) as `gitlab-glab`.
If you already have the community repository configured in your `KISS_PATH` you can install `glab` through your terminal.

```shell
kiss b gitlab-glab && kiss i gitlab-glab
```

#### Alpine Linux

`glab` is available on the [Alpine Community Repository](https://git.alpinelinux.org/aports/tree/community/glab?h=master) as `glab`.

##### Install

We use `--no-cache` so an `apk update` is not required.

```shell
apk add --no-cache glab
```

##### Install a pinned version from edge

To ensure that by default edge is used to get the latest updates. We need the edge repository in `/etc/apk/repositories`.

Afterwards you can install it with `apk add --no-cache glab@edge`

We use `--no-cache` so an `apk update` is not required.

```shell
echo "@edge http://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community" >> /etc/apk/repositories
apk add --no-cache glab@edge
```

##### Alpine Linux Docker-way

Use edge directly

```shell
FROM alpine:3.13
RUN apk add --no-cache glab
```

Fetching latest glab version from edge

```shell
FROM alpine:3.13
RUN echo "@edge http://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community" >> /etc/apk/repositories
RUN apk add --no-cache glab@edge
```

#### Nix/NixOS

Nix (NixOS) users can install from [nixpkgs](https://search.nixos.org/packages?channel=unstable&show=glab&from=0&size=30&sort=relevance&query=glab):

```shell
nix-env -iA nixos.glab
```

#### MPR (Debian/Ubuntu)

`glab` is available inside the [makedeb package repository](https://mpr.makedeb.org/packages/glab). To install, run the following:

```shell
git clone 'https://mpr.makedeb.org/glab'
cd glab/
makedeb -si
```

##### Prebuilt-MPR

The above method downloads glab from source and builds it before packaging it into a `.deb` package. If you don't want to compile or just want a prebuilt package, you can also install glab from the Prebuilt-MPR.

First [set up the Prebuilt-MPR on your system](https://docs.makedeb.org/prebuilt-mpr/getting-started/#setting-up-the-repository), and then run the following:

```shell
sudo apt install glab
```

#### Spack

```shell
spack install glab
```

Updating (Spack):

```shell
spack uninstall glab && spack install glab
```

### macOS

#### Homebrew

`glab` is available via [Homebrew](https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/glab)

```shell
brew install glab
```

Updating:

```shell
brew upgrade glab
```

#### MacPorts

`glab`is also available via [MacPorts](https://ports.macports.org/port/glab/summary)

```shell
sudo port install glab
```

Updating:

```shell
sudo port selfupdate && sudo port upgrade glab
```

### Building from source

If a supported binary for your OS is not found at the [releases page](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cli/-/releases), you can build from source:

#### Prerequisites for building from source

- `make`
- Go 1.13+

1. Verify that you have Go 1.13+ installed

   ```shell
   $ go version
   go version go1.14
   ```

   If `go` is not installed, follow instructions on [the Go website](https://golang.org/doc/install).
1. Clone this repository

   ```shell
   git clone https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cli.git glab
   cd glab
   ```

   If you have `$GOPATH/bin` or `$GOBIN` in your `$PATH`, you can just install with `make install` (install glab in `$GOPATH/bin`) and **skip steps 3 and 4**.
1. Build the project:

   ```shell
   make
   ```

1. Change PATH to find newly compiled `glab`

   ```shell
   export PATH=$PWD/bin:$PATH
   ```

1. Run `glab version` to confirm that it worked.

## Authentication

Get a GitLab access token at <https://gitlab.com/-/profile/personal_access_tokens> or <https://gitlab.example.com/-/profile/personal_access_tokens> if self-managed:

- Start interactive setup:

  ```shell
  glab auth login
  ```

- Authenticate against `gitlab.com` by reading the token from a file:

  ```shell
  glab auth login --stdin < myaccesstoken.txt
  ```

- Authenticate against a self-managed GitLab instance by reading from a file:

  ```shell
  glab auth login --hostname salsa.debian.org --stdin < myaccesstoken.txt
  ```

- Authenticate with token and hostname. Not recommended for shared environments:

  ```shell
  glab auth login --hostname gitlab.example.org --token xxxxx
  ```

## Configuration

By default, `glab` follows the XDG Base Directory [Spec](https://specifications.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/basedir-spec-latest.html):

- The global configuration file is saved at `~/.config/glab-cli`.
- The local configuration file is saved at `.git/glab-cli` in the current working Git directory.
- Advanced workflows may override the location of the global configuration by setting the `GLAB_CONFIG_DIR` environment variable.

- **To set configuration globally**

  ```shell
  glab config set --global editor vim
  ```

- **To set configuration for current directory (must be a Git repository)**

  ```shell
  glab config set editor vim
  ```

- **To set configuration for a specific host**

  Use the `--host` flag to set configuration for a specific host. This configuration is always stored in the global configuration file, with or without the `global` flag.

  ```shell
  glab config set editor vim --host gitlab.example.org
  ```

## Environment variables

```plaintext
GITLAB_TOKEN: an authentication token for API requests. Setting this avoids being
prompted to authenticate and overrides any previously stored credentials.
Can be set in the config with 'glab config set token xxxxxx'

GITLAB_URI or GITLAB_HOST: specify the url of the gitlab server if self hosted (eg: https://gitlab.example.com). Default is https://gitlab.com.

GITLAB_API_HOST: specify the host where the API endpoint is found. Useful when there are separate [sub]domains or hosts for git and the API endpoint: defaults to the hostname found in the git URL

REMOTE_ALIAS or GIT_REMOTE_URL_VAR: git remote variable or alias that contains the gitlab url.
Can be set in the config with 'glab config set remote_alias origin'

VISUAL, EDITOR (in order of precedence): the editor tool to use for authoring text.
Can be set in the config with 'glab config set editor vim'

BROWSER: the web browser to use for opening links.
Can be set in the config with 'glab config set browser mybrowser'

GLAMOUR_STYLE: environment variable to set your desired markdown renderer style
Available options are (dark|light|notty) or set a custom style
https://github.com/charmbracelet/glamour#styles

NO_COLOR: set to any value to avoid printing ANSI escape sequences for color output.

FORCE_HYPERLINKS: set to 1 to force hyperlinks to be output, even when not outputing to a TTY
```

## What about Lab?

Both `glab` and [lab] are open-source tools with the same goal of bringing GitLab to your command line and simplifying the developer workflow.

If you want a tool that's more opinionated and intended to help simplify your GitLab workflows from the command line, then `glab` is for you. However, if you want a tool like [hub] that feels like using Git and allows you to interact with GitLab, consider using [lab].

Some `glab` commands such as `ci view` and `ci trace` were adopted from [lab].

[hub]:https://github.com/github/hub
[lab]:https://github.com/zaquestion/lab

## Issues

If you have an issue: report it on the [issue tracker](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cli/-/issues)

## Contributing

Feel like contributing? That's awesome! We have a [contributing guide](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cli/-/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md) and [Code of conduct](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/cli/-/blob/main/CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md) to help guide you.