Install GitLab Runner manually on z/OS

GitLab Runner for IBM z/OS has been certified by GitLab and can run CI/CD jobs natively on z/OS mainframe environments.

You can download and install GitLab Runner on z/OS manually from a pax archive.

Prerequisites

• To use GitLab Runner, you need the following authorized program analysis reports (APARs) with program temporary fixes (PTFs):

  • z/OS 2.5
    • OA62757
    • PH45182
  • z/OS 3.1
    • OA62757
    • PH57159

• GitLab Runner expects bash to be installed at /bin/bash to execute shell commands. If bash is not installed at this location, create a symlink to the installed version:

  ln -s <TARGET_BASH> /bin/bash

Install GitLab Runner

To install GitLab Runner:

1. Download the paxfile into your chosen install directory.

2. Install the package for your system:

   pax -ppx -rf gitlab-runner-<VERSION>.pax.Z

   The installed files are unpacked to the gitlab-runner directory in the install location.

3. Give the file permissions to execute:

   chmod +x <INSTALL_PATH>/bin/gitlab-runner

4. Export GitLab Runner and add it to your PATH:

   export GITLAB_RUNNER=<INSTALL_PATH>/gitlab-runner/bin
   export PATH=${GITLAB_RUNNER}:${PATH}

5. Register a runner.

Run GitLab Runner

You can run GitLab Runner directly or as a started task.

Run GitLab Runner directly

To run GitLab Runner by calling the executable:

1. Go to the directory <INSTALL_PATH>/bin.

2. Start the service:

   gitlab-runner start

Run GitLab Runner as a started task

To keep the GitLab Runner process available, run it as a started task.

1. Wrap the executable in a shell script gitlab-runner.sh:

   #! /bin/sh
   <INSTALL_PATH>/bin/gitlab-runner start

2. Define a jcl started task program and execute it to run as an ongoing process:

   //GLRST  PROC CNFG='<PATH_TO_SCRIPT>'
   //*
   //GLRST  EXEC PGM=BPXBATSL,REGION=0M,TIME=NOLIMIT,
   //            PARM='PGM &CNFG./gitlab-runner.sh'
   //STDOUT   DD SYSOUT=*
   //STDERR   DD SYSOUT=*
   //*
   //        PEND