Resetting the GitLab Root Password via Console and Password Recovery

When a GitLab instance is deployed with Terraform, the initial root password stored in /etc/gitlab/initial_root_password is time‑limited, requiring you to obtain it promptly and change it; this issue does not occur for GitLab instances that have been upgraded from a previous version.

Method 1: Password recovery operation – Use GitLab’s built‑in password‑reset functionality to request a new password for the root account.

Method 2: Update password via GitLab Rails console – Access the production console and modify the root user’s password directly. Example commands:

# gitlab-rails console -e production

irb(main):003:0> User.all
=> #<ActiveRecord::Relation [#<User id:1 @root>]> 

irb(main):004:0> user = User.where(id:1).first
=> #<User id:1 @root>

irb(main):008:0> user.password = '12345678'
=> "12345678"

irb(main):009:0> user.password_confirmation = '12345678'
=> "12345678"

irb(main):010:0> user.save!
=> true

After saving, the root password is updated to the new value you specified.

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