Installing GitLab Runner on a Yandex Compute Cloud VM

You can install GitLab Runner on a Compute Cloud VM. As a result, you will not need a more expensive and hard to configure Yandex Managed Service for Kubernetes cluster to install GitLab Runner.

To install GitLab Runner on a Compute Cloud VM:

1. Prepare the infrastructure.
2. Get a GitLab Runner token.
3. Install GitLab Runner.

If you no longer need the resources you created, delete them.

Prepare the infrastructurePrepare the infrastructure

1. Create and activate a Managed Service for GitLab instance.
2. Create a GitLab project.
3. Create a VM from a public Ubuntu 22.04 LTS image.

Get a GitLab Runner tokenGet a GitLab Runner token

1. Open the GitLab project in your browser.
2. In the left-hand menu, go Settings → CI/CD.
3. Under Runners, click Expand.
4. Next to New Project Runner, click and copy the contents of the Registration token field.

Install GitLab RunnerInstall GitLab Runner

1. Connect to the VM over SSH:

   ssh <login>@<VM_public_IP_address>
   

2. Install the git and jq utilities:

   sudo apt-get --yes install git jq
   

3. Add a repository with GitLab Runner to the package manager:

   curl --location https://packages.gitlab.com/install/repositories/runner/gitlab-runner/script.deb.sh | sudo bash
   

4. Install GitLab Runner:

   sudo apt-get -y install gitlab-runner
   

5. Register GitLab Runner:

   sudo gitlab-runner register
   

   The command will prompt you for additional data:

   • URL of the GitLab instance in https://<domain>/ format.
   • Previously obtained GitLab Runner token.
   • GitLab Runner description.
   • Do not specify GitLab Runner tags and the update settings (maintenance note).
   • executor: shell.

   Result:

   Runner registered successfully. Feel free to start it, but if it is running already the config should be automatically reloaded!
   
   Configuration (with the authentication token) was saved in "/etc/gitlab-runner/config.toml"
   

Delete the resources you createdDelete the resources you created

Some resources are not free of charge. Delete the resources you no longer need to avoid paying for them:

• GitLab instance
• VM with GitLab Runner
• Service account