SEC.01
The playbook
The run starts read-only: the recon probes decide what happens next. The steps that follow are adapted to the distribution and state found — a real machine is rarely clean.
- 01reconGitLab Runner already present? version?
- 02reconservice active? runners already registered in /etc/gitlab-runner/config.toml? (do not duplicate)
- 03recondistro, version, architecture and package manager (apt-get → Debian/Ubuntu, dnf → RHEL/Fedora/Rocky/Alma)
- 04reconDocker Engine + compose plugin installed and service active?
- 05actAdd the official GitLab Runner repoverify
- 06actInstall GitLab Runnerverify
- 07actRegister the runnerverify
SEC.02
What it verifies
Each step ships its own check. The run only moves on when the check passes, so what the recipe reports as done is what is actually on the server.
- 01verifyAdd the official GitLab Runner repoVerified by
grep -rl "gitlab-runner" /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ /etc/yum.repos.d/ 2>/dev/null | head -1 - 02verifyInstall GitLab RunnerVerified by
gitlab-runner --version | head -1 && systemctl is-active gitlab-runner - 03verifyRegister the runnerVerified by
gitlab-runner verify 2>&1 | grep -ciE "is (valid|alive)"
SEC.03
Guardrails
Non-negotiable instructions the run must respect, whatever it finds on the server.
The token is a secret: never display or log it. Do not hand-edit /etc/gitlab-runner/config.toml without a backup. The docker executor requires Docker; never enable privileged mode unless asked. No curl | bash: download the script, then run it.
SEC.04
Variables
What you choose before launching — the recipe fills in the rest.
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ${gitlab_url} | GitLab URL |
| ${token} | Runner authentication token |
| ${executor} | Executor |
SEC.05
How a recipe runs in Servor
Servor is zero-knowledge: the platform cannot execute anything on its own. When you launch this recipe, a run reads the reconnaissance, plans the steps and asks for your approval. Each approved command is signed by your browser — with a key the server never sees — then relayed verbatim to the agent, which verifies the signature locally before executing.
search by intent — type “firewall”, get ufw
- 01Read-only reconnaissance before any change
- 02Every command signed by your browser, approved by you
- 03Each step verified before the run moves on, every run kept in the history
SEC.06
Deploy on Servor button
Maintain GitLab Runner or a project that needs it? Put this button in your README or on your site: one click and your users install it on their own server.
Dark background
Light background[](https://servor.app/deploy/install-gitlab-runner)SEC.07
More ci/cd recipes
- 01GitHub Actions RunnerSelf-hosted GitHub Actions runner under a dedicated user, registered as a systemd service.
- 02Woodpecker CILightweight Woodpecker CI (server + agent) via Docker Compose, behind an HTTPS reverse proxy.
- 03Ansible (control node)Ansible installed as a control node from the distro packages.
- 04systemd serviceDaemonize a command into a managed systemd service (auto-restart, at boot).
- 05Scheduled task (cron)Add a scheduled task via a systemd timer (logged, catches up if missed).
Verified recipe
Run this recipe on your server
Connect a server, launch the recipe, and approve each step as Servor executes and verifies it. Free plan, no card required.