Help developers find how to get activation codes and licenses for development

The easiest alternative will be possible once there is a purchase flow on CustomersDot.

Team members can follow manual steps to add a GitLab Duo Enterprise add-on to their GitLab subscription.

A similar approach is already documented in the handbook for obtaining [GitLab licenses](/handbook/support/internal-support/#gitlab-plan-or-license-for-team-members).

A similar approach is already documented in the handbook for obtaining [GitLab subscriptions](/handbook/support/internal-support/#unlock-premiumultimate-features-on-self-managed--gdk-for-team-members).

This requires the least work to implement, but still involves a significant amount of manual steps for team members.

### Working on GitLab EE (developer licenses)

GitLab EE requires an active license key.

Unlocking Premium and Ultimate features requires an active subscription.

GitLab team members can follow [these instructions](/handbook/support/internal-support/#gitlab-plan-or-license-for-team-members) to acquire or renew a license.

GitLab team members can follow [these instructions](/handbook/support/internal-support/#unlock-premiumultimate-features-on-self-managed--gdk-for-team-members) to acquire or renew a subscription.

Wider community members should contact the [Developer Relations Engineering team](/handbook/marketing/developer-relations/engineering/community-contributors-workflows#contributing-to-the-gitlab-enterprise-edition-ee).

## How to setup a local GDK environment

1. Request a [team member license](/handbook/support/internal-support/#gitlab-plan-or-license-for-team-members) 100 seats (this would avoid removing the ~50 users allready added to the gdk at install).

1. Request a [team member license](/handbook/support/internal-support/#unlock-premiumultimate-features-on-self-managed--gdk-for-team-members) 100 seats (this would avoid removing the ~50 users allready added to the gdk at install).

1. If you plan to replace an existing local install of a GDK or do the setup for [geo](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-development-kit/-/blob/main/doc/howto/geo.md), first run in the existing gdk folder `gdk kill`. This will stop the processes and release the ports used by different services.

1. General information about the gdk install steps can be found at [gitlab-development-kit](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-development-kit/-/blob/main/doc/_index.md)

   - Start the [one line install](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-development-kit/-/blob/main/doc/_index.md#one-line-installation ) with `curl "https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-development-kit/-/raw/main/support/install" | bash`

| Report complaints about support that you received from a client or prospect | [Open an issue](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/support/feedback/-/issues/new?issuable_template=Indirect%20Feedback) using the `Indirect Feedback` template. |

| Check the availability of a GitLab.com Namespace | If you are a GitLab team member and would like to check the availability of a namespace, please use the [Zendesk Global Internal Request form](https://gitlab-internal.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=22783651259548) and select `Check Namespace Availability` when filling out the `What is this request concerning?` field. If a customer with a paid subscription on GitLab.com wants to proceed with a name squatting request, they can submit a ticket using the [GitLab.com user accounts and login issues](https://support.gitlab.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=360000803379) form and select `Namesquatting Assistance` as the Problem Type. Prospects, free users and GitLab team members do not qualify for name squatting requests.|

### GitLab plan or license for team members

### Unlock Premium/Ultimate features on self-managed / GDK for team members

For local or sandbox testing purposes, GitLab team members can provision their own enterprise edition licenses. Steps to do this:

For local or sandbox testing purposes, GitLab team members can provision their own enterprise edition subscriptions. Steps to do this:

1. Sign in to the [staging Customers Portal](https://customers.staging.gitlab.com) by selecting the **Continue with GitLab.com account** button. If you do not have an existing account, you are prompted to create one.

1. Visit the purchase page for the subscription you'd like to select. The staging Customers Portal links will redirect to a pricing page, so you must navigate directly to the purchase URL. The full list of URLs for staging subscriptions are documented [here](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/customers-gitlab-com/-/blob/main/doc/flows/self_service_flow_urls.md#new-subscription-purchase-links). If you aren't sure which subscription you'd like, **Self-Managed Ultimate** is a good default.

1. Purchase the subscription using [a test credit card](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/customers-gitlab-com/#testing-credit-card-information).

  Note that both this is a **staging license**, so you must configure your GitLab instance to use the staging Customers Portal. For an Omnibus install, [here](https://docs.gitlab.com/omnibus/development/setup.html#use-customers-portal-staging-in-gitlab) is how you point to staging Customers Portal. For GDK, there is no action required as the environment points to the staging Customers Portal by [default](https://gitlab-org.gitlab.io/gitlab-development-kit/#use-gitlab-enterprise-features).

Note that this is a **staging subscription**, so you must configure your GitLab instance to use the staging Customers Portal. For an Omnibus install, [here](https://docs.gitlab.com/omnibus/development/setup.html#use-customers-portal-staging-in-gitlab) is how you point to staging Customers Portal. For GDK, there is no action required as the environment points to the staging Customers Portal by [default](https://gitlab-org.gitlab.io/gitlab-development-kit/#use-gitlab-enterprise-features).

If for some reason self-provisioning is not working, please reach out to `#s_fulfillment` or `#gdk` for assistance.

### Unlock Premium/Ultimate features on GitLab.com for team members

If a GitLab team member would like an Ultimate license for GitLab.com, there are two options:

1. Request an Ultimate group license for demo purposes through an [access request](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/team-member-epics/access-requests/-/issues/new?description_template=GitlabCom_Licensed_Demo_Group_Request).

If you require a license for testing:

- For a **self-managed instance**, see [GitLab plan or license for team members](/handbook/support/internal-support/#gitlab-plan-or-license-for-team-members).

- For a **self-managed instance**, see [Unlock Premium/Ultimate features on self-managed / GDK for team members](/handbook/support/internal-support/#unlock-premiumultimate-features-on-self-managed--gdk-for-team-members).

- For **GitLab.com**, individual test namespaces with licenses pre-applied have been provisioned as part of your onboarding.

Please keep in mind *you can't generate licenses for customers*, only for your own testing purposes.