GitLab but no "settings->applications" menu

Question

My Gitlab version is Community Edition 9.5.10.

But I can't find the menu settings => applications. How to fix it?

Answer 1

Given the fact your version is about 3 years old, which is comparable to a geological era in terms of gitlab developement (1 minor release a month, several patch releases in between, and 4 major versions up since yours....), I would first make sure this feature was actually available in 9.5.10.

By the way, I strongly recommend that you upgrade your gitlab to the latest version available and put an upgrade scenario in place to keep it up to date on a very regular basis.

Now, I will not install this old version just to test. But in the latest releases (I don't know since when), there is a setting in the admin area to disable that feature for regular users in admin > settings > general > accounts and limits (All those settings might have totally changed place between versions...).

If you untick that box, only admins are able to reference global oauth applications in the admin area. Meanwhile, on my current version (13.2.6), this does not disable the menu in user settings but only shows a notice asking you to contact your admin.

Answer 2

speaking of upgrading GitLab, GitLab 14.0 (June 2021) proposes:

Streamlined top navigation menu

Streamlined top navigation menu

GitLab 14.0 introduces an all-new, streamlined top navigation menu to help you get where you’re going faster and with fewer clicks.

This new, consolidated menu offers the combined functionality of the previous Projects, Groups, and More menus.
It gives you access to your projects, groups, and instance-level features with a single click.

Additionally, all-new responsive views improve the navigation experience on smaller screens.

See Documentation and Epic.

You will get to your settings even faster now.

The rest has also improved:

Sidebar navigation redesign

Sidebar navigation redesign

GitLab is big. And it’s getting bigger. As we’ve introduced new features and categories, navigating the densely-packed left sidebar has become less intuitive.

In GitLab 14.0 we’ve redesigned and restructured the left sidebar for improved usability, consistency, and discoverability. We’ve moved some links to features around, split up features in the Operations menu into three distinct menus, improved visual contrast, and optimized spacing so all the menu items can fit comfortably on a smaller screen. These changes are intended to better match your mental model of the DevOps lifecycle, and provide a more predictable and consistent experience while navigating within your projects and groups.

See Documentation and Epic.