GitLab Registry Explorer

A Visual Studio Code extension to explore and manage container registry repositories and tags in GitLab.

Features

• Browse GitLab projects with container registries in a tree view.
• View repositories and their tags, including tag creation dates and sizes.
• Search for projects by name or path (e.g., group/subgroup/project).
• Filter tags within a repository by name (e.g., latest, 14-...).
• Copy container image URLs to the clipboard.
• Execute docker pull commands directly from the tree view.
• Scan images with Trivy for vulnerabilities.
• Support for pagination and large tag lists with a "Show All Tags…" option.

Installation

1. Install the Extension:

   • Open VSCode.
   • Go to the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X on macOS).
   • Search for "GitLab Registry Explorer".
   • Click Install.

2. Set Up Your GitLab Token:

   • After installing, the extension will prompt you to enter your GitLab Personal Access Token.
   • Alternatively, run the command GitLab Registry Explorer: Set GitLab Token from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P on macOS).
   • Create a token in GitLab with the read_registry scope:
     • Go to your GitLab profile → Access Tokens.
     • Generate a token with read_registry permissions.
     • Copy the token and paste it into the VSCode prompt.

Usage

1. Open the Explorer:

   • After setting your token, the "GitLab Registry: Projects" view will appear in the Activity Bar.
   • The tree view shows your GitLab groups, subgroups, projects, repositories, and tags.

2. Browse Projects and Repositories:

   • Expand groups (e.g., group) to see subgroups, projects, and repositories.
   • Expand a repository to see its tags, including creation dates and sizes (e.g., 2023-10-15 14:30 (25.5 MB)).

3. Search for Projects:

   • Click the search icon (🔍) in the view title bar or run GitLab Registry Explorer: Search Projects from the Command Palette.
   • Enter a query (e.g., group/subgroup/project) to filter projects.

4. Filter Tags:

   • In a repository, click the "Filter tags..." item to filter tags by name (e.g., 6.0-beta).
   • Clear the filter by right-clicking the "Filtered by: " item and selecting Clear Tag Filter (with the ✖ icon).

5. Manage Tags:

   • Right-click a tag to access the following actions:
     • Copy Image URL (📋): Copy the container image URL (e.g., registry.gitlab.com/group/subgroup/project:6.0-beta) to the clipboard.
     • Execute Docker Pull (⬇️): Run docker pull for the image in a new terminal.
     • Scan with Trivy (🐞): Run a Trivy vulnerability scan for the image in a new terminal.

6. Show More Tags:

   • If a repository has more tags than the configured limit (default: 20), a "Show All Tags…" item will appear.
   • Right-click it and select Show All Tags (↕️) to display all tags.

7. Clear Filters and Collapse:

   • Click the "Clear Filters" button (✖) in the view title bar or run GitLab Registry Explorer: Clear Filters to clear all filters and collapse the tree back to the top-level projects.

Note: Use the "Refresh" button (🔄) in the view title bar or run GitLab Registry Explorer: Refresh to clear cached data and fetch the latest projects and tags from GitLab.

Configuration

The extension supports the following settings:

• gitlabRegistryExplorer.maxTagsToDisplay:
  • Default: 20
  • Description: The maximum number of tags to display in a repository before showing the "Show All Tags…" item. Set to a higher value (e.g., 50) to display more tags by default.
  • Example: In VSCode settings, set "gitlabRegistryExplorer.maxTagsToDisplay": 50.

To configure:

1. Go to File → Preferences → Settings (or Ctrl+,/Cmd+, on macOS).
2. Search for gitlabRegistryExplorer.
3. Update the settings as needed.

Commands

Command Palette Commands

The following commands are available in the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P on macOS):

• GitLab Registry Explorer: Set GitLab Token: Set or update your GitLab Personal Access Token.
• GitLab Registry Explorer: Refresh: Clear all cached data and fetch the latest projects and tags.
• GitLab Registry Explorer: Search Projects: Search for projects by name or path.
• GitLab Registry Explorer: Clear Filters: Clear all filters and collapse the tree to the top-level projects.

Tree View Context Menu Commands

The following commands are available by right-clicking items in the "GitLab Registry: Projects" tree view:

• On a Tag:
  • GitLab Registry Explorer: Copy Image URL (📋): Copy the image URL to the clipboard.
  • GitLab Registry Explorer: Docker Pull (⬇️): Run docker pull for the image in a terminal.
  • GitLab Registry Explorer: Scan Image with Trivy (🐞): Run a Trivy vulnerability scan for the image in the terminal.
• On a Tag Filter (appears after filtering tags):
  • GitLab Registry Explorer: Clear Tag Filter (✖): Clear the tag filter for the repository.
• On a "Show All Tags…" Item (appears when there are more tags to show):
  • GitLab Registry Explorer: Show All Tags (↕️): Display all tags for the repository, bypassing the default limit.

Requirements

• A GitLab Personal Access Token with the read_registry scope.
• Docker installed on your system to use the Execute Docker Pull command.
• Trivy installed on your system to use the Scan Image with Trivy command.

Troubleshooting

• "Failed to fetch projects" Error:

  • Ensure your GitLab token has the read_registry scope.
  • Check your internet connection.
  • Run GitLab Registry Explorer: Set GitLab Token to update your token.

• Tags Not Updating:

  • Use the "Refresh" command (GitLab Registry Explorer: Refresh) to clear the cache and fetch the latest tags.

• Tree View Not Collapsing:

  • Ensure you’re using the latest version of the extension.
  • Use the "Clear Filters" command (GitLab Registry Explorer: Clear Filters) to collapse the tree.

For further assistance, file an issue on the GitHub repository.

License

MIT License

Copyright (c) 2025 Amr Omran

See the LICENSE file for details.

Support

For bugs, feature requests, or questions, please open an issue on the GitHub repository.