Move from Bitbucket to GitLab

Take it out

1. 1

   Step 1

   Pick one active repo

   Choose a repo that people pushed to this month. Write down the default branch and who can merge.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Save the pipeline file

   Copy bitbucket-pipelines.yml to a note. You will rewrite it. It will not run on GitLab unchanged.

3. 3

   Step 3

   List Jira keys only if you still need the links

   Commit messages keep the issue keys as text. A live link to Jira has to be set up again, or you move Jira too.

Put it in

1. 1

   Step 1

   Run GitLab's Bitbucket import on that one repo

   Use the importer, then check branches, tags, and pull requests. If the history looks right, import the next repo.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Rewrite the pipeline as GitLab CI

   Start with the job that deploys. A Forgejo or Gitea Actions file is the other path if you want a smaller forge. Either way, the YAML is new.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Recreate access

   Groups and branch permissions do not map one-to-one. Set the people who can merge to the default branch before you send the team over.

What you lose

• Pipelines as a file you copy

  The concepts move. The file does not run.

• Bitbucket Data Center

  Atlassian says Bitbucket Data Center does not end with the other Data Center products. This guide is for teams that want to leave, not for a forced shutdown.

• A tiny server for all of GitLab

  GitLab Community Edition is a heavy install. Forgejo is the smaller forge if the CI rewrite can live beside it.