Run gitlab-ci jobs locally

gitlab-local.md

Run/Test GitLab CI Pipeline jobs locally

• cd into your project directory

Hints

• You probably need to use exec docker --docker-privileged when you want to use docker-in-docker (service docker:dind)
  • see https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/docker/using_docker_build.html#use-the-docker-executor-with-docker-in-docker
• If you have issues with the Docker daemon not being reachable, you have 2 options:
  • disable TLS: exec docker --env DOCKER_TLS_CERTDIR=""
  • mount the certs: exec docker --docker-volumes "/certs/client"

Run once

docker run --rm --name gitlab-runner -w $PWD \
  -v $PWD:$PWD -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
  gitlab/gitlab-runner:latest exec docker <job>

Run multiple times (keep runner in the background)

start a gitlab-runner locally in the background

docker run --rm -d \
  --name gitlab-runner \
  -v $PWD:$PWD \
  -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
  gitlab/gitlab-runner:latest

execute a pipeline job locally

• If you use template jobs (.test) then specify those as job.

docker exec -it -w $PWD gitlab-runner gitlab-runner exec docker <job>

stop & remove runner

docker stop gitlab-runner

for MacOS + Rancher Desktop

• SSH into Rancher VM: LIMA_HOME="$HOME/Library/Application Support/rancher-desktop/lima" "/Applications/Rancher Desktop.app/Contents/Resources/resources/darwin/lima/bin/limactl" shell 0

Credits

• https://stackoverflow.com/questions/32933174/use-gitlab-ci-to-run-tests-locally

``Since gitlab-runner v17, the exec command is not available anymore.

https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/110949

Your command works if you specify the version :

docker run --entrypoint bash --rm -w $PWD -v $PWD:$PWD -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock gitlab/gitlab-runner:v15.11.1 -c 'git config --global --add safe.directory "*"; gitlab-runner exec docker test-job1 --docker-image ubuntu:latest';

Awesome, thank you ❤️ for your comment. Sadly it seems there is no alternative way to run GitLab jobs locally.

I found one and it works perfectly : https://github.com/firecow/gitlab-ci-local

you just need to run : gitlab-ci-local in the gitlab repository and it does the whole job !

That's even better, I will definitely try that!