# Best practices for the usage of the CentOS namespace on gitlab
 
This document highlights the best practices SIGs interested in using the CentOS namespace on gitlab.com
should follow.
 
## Login in
 
Instructions on how to link your CentOS account with a gitlab account can be
found in our [Authentication page](auth.md#linking-your-centos-account-to-gitlab).
 
## Content
 
Any and all content hosted on gitlab.com should follow the Requirements the CentOS project has specified
for SIGs: [https://wiki.centos.org/SpecialInterestGroup#Requirements](https://wiki.centos.org/SpecialInterestGroup#Requirements)
 
## Access
 
It is expected that access levels are managed via groups on accounts.centos.org (ACO). There are different
ways this can be achieved.
 
### Simple case
 
For SIGs who are fine with everyone getting the same level of access, a single group can be created on
https://accounts.centos.org where all the SIG members will be added. This group can then be mapped to that
SIG’s namespace under gitlab.com/centos and be given `owner` access level.
 
This means, everyone added to this group on accounts.centos.org will be granted `owner` access to each and
every project placed under that SIG’s namespace. This also means, that anyone **not** in this group will have
no access at all.
 
### More complex case
 
For SIGs who want or need a more fine tuned model, it is recommended that they create a `groups` namespace under
the SIG’s namespace. In the group namespace will be placed all the groups needed by the SIG and each of this
group will be mapped to a corresponding group on ACO. There should be no project under the `groups` namespace.
The groups can then be given access to any project and the access level of the group can be picked on a
per-project basis.
 
Here is an example of the structure recommended for the complex case:
 
```
SIG's namespace
│
├── groups
│   ├── group1-developers [grp1]
│   ├── group2-maintainers [grp2]
│   └── sig [sg]
│
├── rpms
│   └── pkg [grp1+grp2]
│
├── src
│   └──source_tree [grp1]
│
└── sig [sg]
```
 
## Group membership refresh
 
To login via ACO on gitlab.com, you must use the following link:
[https://id.centos.org/gitlab](https://id.centos.org/gitlab)
 
Group memberships are refreshed upon login into gitlab.com. So if someone is added to a group in ACO, they
will need to visit that link again: [https://id.centos.org/gitlab](https://id.centos.org/gitlab)
to have their membership refreshed.
 
## Group names
 
For SIGs using the more complex case where multiple groups are required or desired, it is expected that the
extra groups created on ACO to manage access on gitlab.com should follow the corresponding pattern:
`gitlab-<fedora|centos>-sig-<sig-name>(-<name>)`
 
Some examples:
 
- gitlab-centos-sig-hypsercale-maintainers
- gitlab-centos-sig-automotive-kernel-maintainer
- gitlab-centos-sig-automotive-sig-owner
- gitlab-centos-sig-docs-members
- …
 
## Requesting a namespace or a group
 
To request a namespace under gitlab.com/centos or the creation of a group on ACO, simply open a ticket at:
[https://pagure.io/centos-infra/](https://pagure.io/centos-infra/)