Implementing Merge Requests Only Policy on GitLab: Restrict Branch Creation and Force Pushes for Better Code Management

GitLab is a robust platform that provides flexibility in team collaboration through branch management. In certain scenarios, however, it might be beneficial to enforce stricter controls where only specific individuals can create branches or force push changes within projects—typically done using Merge Requests (MR). Here’s how you could manage this on GitLab:

Understanding Current Permissions in GitLab

• Developer Role grants the ability to both ‘Create new branch’ and perform a ‘Force Push.’ This role is intended for contributors who are actively involved with development.
• All users, including Guests (external access) or Reports (limited visibility), can pull code from visible projects but cannot create branches without specific permissions granted by the project maintainer/owner.

Steps to Enforce Merge Request Only Policy:

1. Remove Developers Role Permissions
2. Create a new role for contributors with limited access (e.g., Guest or Reports). This minimizes branch creation capabilities outside the protocol of using MRs.
3. Ensure all team members are assigned to this controlled-access contribution role within your project settings: GitLab Permissions Guide
4. Establish a workflow that mandates branch creation through MRs and approval from appropriate reviewers before merging into the mainline codebase to maintain quality control over contributions made within your project repository structure on GitLab.
5. Communicate these changes effectively with all team members, highlighting why this controlled environment is beneficial for large-scale collaboration management without compromising security or workflow standards—like preventative measures against unintended feature creations and potential code conflicts during merges from multiple sources simultaneously (branch squatting).
6. Monitor the system closely after implementation to address any issues arising due to miscommunication of policy changes within project teams, ens0nsuably mitigating resistance or confusion among contributors regarding their roles in branching and merge processes when they operate strictly under Merge Request Only mode on GitLab projects going forward.
7. Encourage open discussions between senior developers who can facilitate training sessions for other team members unfamiliar with proper ways of creating branches using this method; helping them understand why such policies exist (i.e., maintain project integrity by reducing chances that unauthorized persons accidentally introduce incompatible changes through their individual work on isolated feature developments).
8. Reiterate the importance continually throughout team meetings or internal communications channels—by doing so, you reinforce how these guidelines aim towards fostering transparency & accountability amongst developers while simultaneously ensuring cohesiveness between various projects housed under one GitLab instance without disrupting current workflows too much.
9. Be prepared for initial resistance if necessary; however keep reminding everyone involved that this approach promotes collaboration, minimizes risks associated with uncontrolled branch creations (e.g., merge conflicts), and ultimately leads to more efficient handling of large-scale software development projects when managed correctly within GitLab’s infrastructure environment—by leveraging its features such as MR process control along side strong versioning & code review mechanisms for quality assurance purposes throughout various stages leading up till final deployment onto production systems/environments outside mere feature implementations but rather complete system integrations instead which may further benefit from having explicit roles assigned pertained to each function area within teams working together towards common goals like enhanced productivity during project execution cycles spanning multiple timelines simultaneously!
10. In summary: By implementing policies that restrict branch creation outside Merge Request protocols via controlled access contribution levels—using GitLab’s built-in tools along with some clear communication efforts directed at team members —we effectively maintain order among contributors engaged in large projects; reducing unintended consequences related mainly to codebase integrity compromises, which often arise due human errors during isolated development tasks conducted outside formalized methods adopted previously under less structured collaborative frameworks.