GitLab for Jira Cloud app development

Developers have two options for how set up a development environment for the GitLab for Jira Cloud app:

  1. A full environment with Jira. Use this when you need to test interactions with Jira.
  2. A local environment without Jira. You can use this quicker setup if you do not require Jira, for example when testing the GitLab frontend.

Set up with Jira

The following are required to install the app:

  • A Jira Cloud instance. Atlassian provides free instances for development and testing.

  • A GitLab instance available over the internet. For the app to work, Jira Cloud should be able to connect to the GitLab instance through the internet. For this we recommend using Gitpod or a similar cloud development environment. For more information on using Gitpod with GDK, see the:

    GitLab team members must not use tunneling tools such as Serveo or ngrok. These are security risks, and must not be run on GitLab developer laptops.

    Jira requires all connections to the app host to be over SSL. If you set up your own environment, remember to enable SSL and an appropriate certificate.

Setting up GitPod

If you are using Gitpod you must make port 3000 public.

Install the app in Jira

To install the app in Jira:

  1. Enable Jira development mode to install apps that are not from the Atlassian Marketplace:

    1. In Jira, go to Jira settings > Apps > Manage apps.
    2. Scroll to the bottom of the Manage apps page and select Settings.
    3. Select Enable development mode and select Apply.

  2. Install the app:

    1. In Jira, go to Jira settings > Apps > Manage apps.
    2. Select Upload app.

    3. In the From this URL field, provide a link to the app descriptor. The host and port must point to your GitLab instance.

      For example: 

      https://xxxx.gitpod.io/-/jira_connect/app_descriptor.json
    4. Select Upload.

    If the install was successful, you should see the GitLab for Jira Cloud app under Manage apps. You can also select Getting Started to open the configuration page rendered from your GitLab instance.

    Note that any changes to the app descriptor requires you to uninstall then reinstall the app.

  3. If the Installed and ready to go! dialog opens asking you to Get started, do not get started yet and instead select Close.
  4. You must now set up the OAuth authentication flow.

Set up the GitLab OAuth authentication flow

GitLab for Jira users authenticate with GitLab using GitLab OAuth.

Ensure you have installed the app in Jira first before doing these steps, otherwise the app installation in Jira fails.

The following steps describe setting up an environment to test the GitLab OAuth flow:

  1. Start a Gitpod session.
  2. On your GitLab instance, go to Admin > Applications.
  3. Create a new application with the following settings:
    • Name: GitLab for Jira
    • Redirect URI: YOUR_GITPOD_INSTANCE/-/jira_connect/oauth_callbacks
    • Trusted: No
    • Confidential: No
    • Scopes: api
  4. Copy the Application ID value.
  5. Go to Admin > Settings > General.
  6. Expand GitLab for Jira App.
  7. Paste the Application ID value into Jira Connect Application ID.
  8. In Jira Connect Proxy URL, enter YOUR_GITPOD_INSTANCE (for example, https://xxxx.gitpod.io).
  9. Enable public key storage: Leave unchecked.
  10. Select Save changes.

Set up the app in Jira

Ensure you have set up OAuth first first before doing these steps, otherwise these steps fail.

  1. In Jira, go to Jira settings > Apps > Manage apps.
  2. Scroll to User-installed apps, find your GitLab for Jira Cloud app and expand it.
  3. Select Get started.

You should be able to authenticate with your GitLab instance and begin linking groups.

Troubleshooting

App installation fails

If the app installation fails, you might need to delete jira_connect_installations from your database.

  1. Open the database console.
  2. Run TRUNCATE TABLE jira_connect_installations CASCADE;.

Not authorized to access the file

If you use Gitpod and you get an error about Jira not being able to access the descriptor file, you will need to make GitPod port public.

Setup without Jira

If you do not require Jira to test with, you can use the Jira connect test tool and your local GDK.

  1. Clone the Jira-connect-test-tool git clone git@gitlab.com:gitlab-org/manage/integrations/jira-connect-test-tool.git.
  2. Start the app bundle exec rackup. (The app requires your GDK GitLab to be available on http://127.0.0.1:3000.).
  3. Open config/gitlab.yml and uncomment the jira_connect config.

  4. If running GDK on a domain other than localhost, you must add the domain to additional_iframe_ancestors. For example: 

    additional_iframe_ancestors: ['localhost:*', '127.0.0.1:*', 'gdk.test:*']
  5. Restart GDK.
  6. Go to http://127.0.0.1:3000/-/user_settings/personal_access_tokens.
  7. Create a new token with the api scope and copy the token.
  8. Go to http://localhost:9292.
  9. Paste the token and select Install GitLab.com Jira Cloud app.