Import multiple repositories by uploading a manifest file
- Ability to re-import projects introduced in GitLab 15.9.
GitLab allows you to import all the required Git repositories based on a manifest file like the one used by the Android repository. Use the manifest to import a project with many repositories like the Android Open Source Project (AOSP).
Prerequisites
- Requirement for Maintainer role instead of Developer role introduced in GitLab 16.0 and backported to GitLab 15.11.1 and GitLab 15.10.5.
- Manifest import source must be enabled. If not enabled, ask your GitLab administrator to enable it. The Manifest import source is enabled by default on GitLab.com.
- GitLab must use PostgreSQL for its database, because subgroups are needed for the manifest import to work. Read more about the database requirements.
- At least the Maintainer role on the destination group to import to.
Manifest format
A manifest must be an XML file up to 1 MB in size. There must be one remote
tag with a review
attribute that contains a URL to a Git server, and each project
tag must have
a name
and path
attribute. GitLab then builds the URL to the repository
by combining the URL from the remote
tag with a project name.
A path attribute is used to represent the project path in GitLab.
Below is a valid example of a manifest file:
<manifest>
<remote review="https://android.googlesource.com/" />
<project path="build/make" name="platform/build" />
<project path="build/blueprint" name="platform/build/blueprint" />
</manifest>
As a result, the following projects are created:
GitLab | Import URL |
---|---|
https://gitlab.com/YOUR_GROUP/build/make
| https://android.googlesource.com/platform/build |
https://gitlab.com/YOUR_GROUP/build/blueprint
| https://android.googlesource.com/platform/build/blueprint |
Import the repositories
To start the import:
- From your GitLab dashboard select New project.
- Switch to the Import project tab.
- Select Manifest file.
- Provide GitLab with a manifest XML file.
- Select a group you want to import to (you need to create a group first if you don’t have one).
- Select List available repositories. At this point, you are redirected to the import status page with projects list based on the manifest file.
- To import:
- All projects for the first time: Select Import all repositories.
- Individual projects again: Select Re-import. Specify a new name and select Re-import again. Re-importing creates a new copy of the source project.