Next-generation GitLab container registry goes GA

What this post added

This post announces the general availability of the next-generation GitLab container registry for self-managed deployments, moving it off by default starting with GitLab 17.3. It details the goals and non-goals for GA, including a stable registry API, metadata database, and zero-downtime garbage collection, while excluding automatic database provisioning and object storage data import. For existing instances, it outlines the opt-in database enablement process, continued security updates for the legacy registry, and a target deprecation date for the legacy registry in GitLab 19.0. It also highlights future roadmap items like protected repositories and immutable tags.