How to set up `gitlab-runner` for a non-root user

setup-gitlab-runner-for-non-root-user.md

Here's how I set up gitlab-runner for a non-root user inside a Vagrant VM (should work for non-VM machines as well):

• Check to see if the process is running for the existing user:

ps aux | grep gitlab

• If the process is running, it will look something like this after you run the previous command:

/usr/bin/gitlab-runner run --config /etc/gitlab/runner/config.toml --service gitlab-runner

• Stop the existing gitlab-runner systemd service:

sudo systemctl stop gitlab-runner

• The process should no longer appear if you type ps aux | grep gitlab again.

• Uninstall the existing user's 'gitlab-runner' service:

sudo gitlab-runner uninstall

• Reinstall the service for the new user:

sudo gitlab-runner install \
  --service gitlab-runner \
  --user $USER \
  --working-directory /home/$USER

• Reload systemd daemons:

sudo systemctl daemon-reload

• Start the new user's gitlab-runner systemd service:

sudo systemctl start gitlab-runner

• To ensure the service runs on boot:

sudo systemctl enable gitlab-runner

• Check to see if the process is running for the new user:

ps aux | grep gitlab

• The new process should look something like this (I used Vagrant for this, so my user is vagrant):

/usr/bin/gitlab-runner run --working-directory /home/vagrant --config /etc/gitlab-runner/config.toml --service gitlab-runner --user vagrant

• Run gitlab-runner as your new user:

gitlab-runner exec shell some_job