GitLab Will Now Default To "Main" For New Git Repositories

GitLab is following the same approach of GitHub and others in now using "main" as the default branch name for new Git repositories.

Following the upstream Git work that came together last year for enabling a default branch name with ease rather than just relying on "master" and going along with the broader free software ecosystem movement to remove master/slave references from the technology dictionary, GitLab is following a similar approach to GitHub, Atlassian, and others in encouraging the use of "main" as the default branch name moving forward.

In a blog post yesterday, GitLab outlined the work they've been engaged in for now having main be the default branch name for GitLab.com and self-managed users with new repositories and the default branch name for the GitLab project itself is also changing from master to main. Existing projects will not be impacted unless the code owners go ahead and change the branch name on their own.

With GitLab 14.0 due out this spring all of their "main" changes should be in place. More details on the GitLab blog.