TECH

June 20, 2025

Getting Started with GitLab Runner: A Comprehensive Guide to GitLab Runner

GitLab Runner is an open-source application designed to execute jobs defined in GitLab CI/CD pipelines. Whether you’re building, testing, or deploying code, GitLab Runner acts as the engine driving automation in your development lifecycle.

1. Key Features of GitLab Runner:

Multi-Platform Support: Works across Linux, macOS, Windows, and even Docker containers, providing unmatched versatility.
Executor Options: Includes Shell, Docker, and Kubernetes executors to cater to various infrastructure setups.
Concurrent Jobs: Allows multiple jobs to run simultaneously, improving pipeline efficiency.
Open Source: Being open-source, GitLab Runner offers flexibility for custom configurations.

2. Installing GitLab Runner on Window:

For Windows users, download the GitLab Runner binary from the official GitLab website and execute the following commands:

cd install-folder

.\gitlab-runner.exe install

.\gitlab-runner.exe start

install-folder is the directory without the gitlab-runner.exe file.

3. Registering GitLab Runner:

Once installed, GitLab Runner must be registered with a GitLab instance. The registration process links the runner to a GitLab project or instance and specifies how jobs should be executed. Run the following command to start registration:

gitlab-runner register

During registration, you will be prompted to enter:

GitLab instance URL
Registration token (found in GitLab under Settings > CI/CD > Runners)
Enter a description for the runner.
the job tags, separated by commas
an optional maintenance note for the runner.
Executor type (Shell, Docker, Kubernetes, etc.)

Get GitLab instance URL and token

After successful registration, the runner is ready to execute CI/CD jobs.

How Does GitLab Runner Work?

The process revolves around configuring .gitlab-ci.yml, the pipeline definition file, which outlines the stages and jobs to be executed. GitLab Runner fetches jobs from the CI/CD pipeline and performs them within the specified environment (such as a Docker container).

Example

stages:
  - build
  - test
  - deploy

build_job:
  stage: build
  script:
    - echo "Building the application..."

test_job:
  stage: test
  script:
    - echo "Running tests..."

deploy_job:
  stage: deploy
  script:
    - echo "Deploying the application..."

4. Conclusion

GitLab Runner is a powerful tool that enhances GitLab CI/CD by executing jobs efficiently across different environments. By properly installing, configuring, and optimizing GitLab Runner, teams can significantly improve their development workflows and CI/CD performance.

If you’re looking to automate your builds, tests, and deployments with GitLab, setting up GitLab Runner is a crucial step

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Cover image from freepik.com

TECH

June 20, 2025

Implementing Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) with TOTP in Flask

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a crucial security feature that adds an extra layer of protection to your web applications. In this tutorial, we'll learn how to implement Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) authentication in a Flask application, similar to what you see in Google Authenticator.

TECH

June 20, 2025

The best apps to learn Japanese: a comprehensive guide for beginners and beyond

Japanese isn’t the easiest language to learn, but with supportive tools, it can quickly become a rewarding part of your daily routine. In this guide, I will explore some of the best apps available to help you master Japanese, from beginner-friendly options to advanced resources. Whether you're just starting out or aiming for fluency, these apps cater to various learning needs and levels.

TECH

May 31, 2025

How Effective Are Translation Tools? A Look at Their Pros and Cons

In today's globalized world, translation tools and machine translation have become indispensable for businesses, individuals, and organizations. However, while machine translation offers significant advantages, it also comes with limitations that can impact accuracy and context.

TECH

May 21, 2025

Web Programming Series - MinIO - S3 For Local

Continuing the series on web development, this article shares my experience with MinIO, which allows users to build an S3 Storage locally. This is a case study that I usually encounter in my work. Today, cloud storage is commonly used in many projects, including AWS S3.

TECH

May 21, 2025

Frontend code generation using CursorAI

Nowaday, AI can do many tasks in the development process. It helps us to speed up the many phases, example: Coding, reviewing, testing...
In this post, I will introduce how to use AI to support the coding phase (Frontend)

TECH

May 21, 2025

How to handle difficult situations when interpreting between Japanese clients and Vietnamese developers

IT COMTOR

Being a comtor is not just about translating—it’s about resolving tricky situations between Japanese clients and Vietnamese developers. Here are some real-life scenarios and smart ways to handle them!

TECH

May 21, 2025

CSS properties that require special attention for cross-device consistency

As mobile devices continue to develop and become the primary means of accessing the internet, ensuring our website maintains consistency across various platforms is a crucial factor in development. However, some CSS properties behave inconsistently across different devices that lead to UI issue. In this article, I will discuss some CSS properties that should be avoided or used with caution, along with safer and more efficient alternatives.

TECH

May 21, 2025

Smtp4dev - the fake SMTP email server for development and testing

Sending email is one of popular features in a business application. Email's content and format have to test carefully before send out to customer. In the past, I often tested sending email by using Gmail's smtp, but this way would require sending some information out. In this guide, we'll explore SMTP4dev, an open-source application that simplifies email testing for developers.

TECH

May 21, 2025

Introduction: Ramda in JavaScript: A Powerful Functional Programming Library

In the JavaScript ecosystem, Ramda is a practical functional library for JavaScript programmers. It is designed to help us write more readable, cleaner, and fewer error codes. If you are looking for a tool that makes working with data more efficient without worrying about state or side effects, Ramda is a great choice.