Migrate from GitLab CI

Concept map

See the comparison for the full table. Key conversions:

GitLab CI	Slipway
.gitlab-ci.yml	.slipway/*.yaml
stages: + job stage:	stages: with nested jobs: (or flat jobs: with needs)
script:, before_script:, after_script:	A list of steps with run: (use if: always() for after-script)
image:	container: { image: ... }
services:	services: with health:
rules: / only / except	if: and trigger filters (on.push.branches, paths)
needs:	needs:
parallel: matrix:	matrix:
cache: with key: and paths:	cache: with key, restore_keys, paths
artifacts:	artifacts:
variables:	env: (plain) or secrets (masked)
environment: name:	environment: { name: ... }
when: manual	An environment approval, or a manual trigger
retry:	retry: { max, backoff, when }
timeout:	timeout:
allow_failure:	allow_failure:
tags:	runs_on: labels
include: / extends:	template: / extends:
id_tokens:	permissions: { id_token: write }
CI_COMMIT_BRANCH, CI_COMMIT_SHA	git.branch, git.sha

Worked conversion

GitLab:

stages: [test, build, deploy]
variables: { GOFLAGS: -mod=readonly }

test:
  stage: test
  image: golang:1.27
  cache: { key: { files: [go.sum] }, paths: [.cache/go] }
  script: [go test ./...]
  rules:
    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "merge_request_event"
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "main"

deploy_prod:
  stage: deploy
  environment: { name: production, url: https://api.example.com }
  script: [./deploy.sh]
  rules:
    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == "main"
      when: manual

Slipway:

version: 1
name: api
on:
  push: { branches: [main] }
  pull_request:
env: { GOFLAGS: -mod=readonly }
stages:
  - name: test
    jobs:
      - name: test
        runs_on: [linux]
        container: { image: golang:1.27 }
        cache:
          - key: go-${{ hashFiles("go.sum") }}
            paths: [.cache/go]
        steps:
          - uses: slipway/checkout@v1
          - run: go test ./...
  - name: deploy
    needs: [test]
    jobs:
      - name: deploy_prod
        if: git.branch == "main"
        environment: { name: production, url: "https://api.example.com", service: api }
        steps:
          - uses: slipway/checkout@v1
          - run: ./deploy.sh

The when: manual becomes a protection rule on the production environment (one required approval from the deployer role) rather than a property of the job, so it also applies to promotions and CLI deploys.

Tips

• GitLab’s CI/CD variables with masked or protected map to Slipway secrets, scoped by environment. Do not export values from the UI: recreate them from your secret manager or use external references.
• GitLab merge request pipelines map to on: pull_request. Slipway posts the status back to the merge request.
• Auto DevOps has no equivalent; define pipelines explicitly or use an org base template with extends:.
• Keep the repository on GitLab. Slipway connects via a GitLab integration and does not require moving code.