The Git technology was created to track revisions to many files. Gitlab provides a web site with some ability to edit files, but usually people work on their local computers.
It is a more efficient work flow to work on files locally on your own computer, and use git tools to push the modified files back to the Gitlab repository.
Generate an ssh key:
ssh-keygen -t dsa
Add the key via your gitlab profile settings -> ssh keys. Edit your ~/.ssh/config file to contain a section like the following:
Host gitlab gitlab.iath.virginia.edu
user git
Hostname gitlab.iath.virginia.edu
IdentityFile ~/.ssh/gitlab_id_dsa
EscapeChar none
To see the ssh key finger print, use the -lf switch:
ssh-keygen -lf ~/.ssh/gitlab_id_dsa
Important: the URL to "clone" a repository can be found on each project's main page. It will be an SSH URL beginning with "git..." or an HTTP URL beginning with "http..."
[email protected]:snac/Documentation.git
http://gitlab.iath.virginia.edu/snac/Documentation.git
Do this: Go to the Gitlab home by clicking the logo (some kind of animal) in the upper left corner. On the home page click "snac / Documentation". Notice the two buttons at the top center of the page "SSH" and "HTTP". Click each to change the URL. That URL is what you clone, whether using command line git tools, or a graphical git client application.
SourceTree, Windows and Mac graphical client application for git repositories, including Gitlab and Github.
https://www.sourcetreeapp.com/
https://www.sourcetreeapp.com/faq/
https://confluence.atlassian.com/display/STASH/Installing+and+upgrading+Git
https://help.github.com/articles/generating-ssh-keys/