Paul Krill
Editor at Large

GitLab 11.1 devops tool improves security controls

news
Jul 24, 20182 mins

Code searching and the user interface also see improvements

hardcore devops fists
Credit: Matt Moor

GitLab, a devops platform based on the Git software version control system, gains increased visibility into security with its Version 11.1 release, as well as other enhancements.

The new security dashboard reports on the latest security status of each project’s default branch. Security teams can determine if something is wrong and take actions if needed. The dashboard can be used to dismiss false positives or create issues to solve vulnerabilities. Teams can also adjust the criticality weight of vulnerabilities. The security dashboard resides in the Project menu of a project’s side navigation.

GitLab Version 11.1 also adds Static Application Security Testing (SAST) for Node.js, for spotting code vulnerabilities when changes are committed to a repository. SAST support was already available for C, C++, Go, Java, and Python.

Other new capabilities in GitLab 11.1 include:

  • Improved code-searching capabilities, including advanced syntax search for filtering by file name, path, and extension.
  • Performance improvements, such as a fix for the pagination of webhooks, ensuring the page for editing these hooks does not time out.
  • GitLab Runner 11.1, for running CI/CD jobs, has been released with GitLab 11.1, with improvements such as better Docker time-outs and the ability to sign RPM and DEB packages.
  • The configurable issues board is now accessible via the GitLab API. This enables custom workflows.
  • Projects can be transferred between namespaces via an API.

GitLab 11.1 also has several UI enhancements:

  • The revamped UI features the redesigned merge request widget and the more readable contribution analytics page.
  • The UI offers a merge request panel in the web IDE, in which a merge request can be opened side by side with code in the IDE.
  • For switching between groups, a dropdown menu has been added to the groups link in the top navigation, for quicker access.
  • A redesign of milestone list pages is the first step in simplifying the design, with the goal of letting teams better manage milestones.
  • An issue can be set as confidential via a quick action from the issue comment field.
  • The Kubernetes page design has been improved, using tabs for each option when adding a cluster.

Where to download GitLab 11.1

You can download a trial version of GitLab 11.1, for on-premises or public cloud deployment.

Paul Krill

Paul Krill is editor at large at InfoWorld. Paul has been covering computer technology as a news and feature reporter for more than 35 years, including 30 years at InfoWorld. He has specialized in coverage of software development tools and technologies since the 1990s, and he continues to lead InfoWorld’s news coverage of software development platforms including Java and .NET and programming languages including JavaScript, TypeScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, Rust, and Go. Long trusted as a reporter who prioritizes accuracy, integrity, and the best interests of readers, Paul is sought out by technology companies and industry organizations who want to reach InfoWorld’s audience of software developers and other information technology professionals. Paul has won a “Best Technology News Coverage” award from IDG.

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