website/pages/articles/2022/gitlab_pipeline_from_github_actions.md

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title	description	date	template	type	author	about	tags
Running GitLab Pipeline from GitHub Actions	An explanation on how to run a GitLab Pipeline or job from GitHub Actions.	2022-06-12	article.html	blog	jon	https://www.fail2ban.org/	Gitlab Github Docker CD/CI Pipeline

Migrating from GitLab to GitHub or having existing GitLab configurations in your repository? No worries! In this article, we will explore how to seamlessly execute GitLab pipelines using GitHub Actions, enabling you to leverage the power of GitHub's CI/CD capabilities while maintaining your existing GitLab configurations.

If you already have a GitLab CI/CD pipeline defined in your repository, this guide will help you execute it without the need for major modifications. By configuring a self-hosted GitLab Runner Docker container in GitHub Actions and utilizing the .gitlab-ci.yml file, you can easily trigger your GitLab pipeline and benefit from GitHub's collaborative features.

Let's dive into the steps required to configure GitHub Actions, execute the GitLab Runner Docker container, and seamlessly run your GitLab pipeline from within your GitHub repository.

Prerequisites

• Access to a GitHub repository with the desired project code.

• Basic knowledge of GitLab CI/CD and GitHub Actions concepts.

Step 1: Configure GitHub Actions Workflow and Execute GitLab Runner Docker Container

1. Open your workflow configuration file (e.g., .github/workflows/main.yml) in your GitHub repository.

2. Specify the runner using the runs-on field:

   jobs:
     build:
       runs-on: self-hosted
       steps:
         - name: Checkout code
           uses: actions/checkout@v2
   

   The runs-on field is set to self-hosted, instructing GitHub Actions to use a self-hosted runner.

3. Update the workflow file to include the following step for executing the GitLab Runner Docker container:

   jobs:
     build:
       runs-on: self-hosted
       steps:
         - name: Checkout code
           uses: actions/checkout@v2
   
         - name: Start GitLab Runner Docker Container
           run: |
             docker run -d --name gitlab-runner \
               -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock \
               -v /path/to/runner/config:/etc/gitlab-runner \
               -v ${{ github.workspace }}:/${{ github.workspace }} \
               -w /${{ github.workspace }} \
               gitlab/gitlab-runner:latest
   

   Replace /path/to/runner/config with the actual path where you want to store the GitLab Runner configuration files.

4. Commit and push your workflow configuration file to your GitHub repository.

Step 2: Use .gitlab-ci.yml for Jobs and Pipelines

1. Create or update the .gitlab-ci.yml file in your GitHub repository to define the jobs and pipelines for your GitLab Runner.

   stages:
     - build
     - test
     - deploy
   
   build:
     stage: build
     script:
       - echo "Running build job"
   
   test:
     stage: test
     script:
       - echo "Running test job"
   
   deploy:
     stage: deploy
     script:
       - echo "Running deploy job"
   

   Customize the jobs and their respective scripts according to your specific CI/CD requirements.

2. Commit and push the .gitlab-ci.yml file to your GitHub repository.

Step 3: Execute GitLab Pipeline using GitHub Actions

1. With the changes pushed to your GitHub repository, the self-hosted GitLab Runner Docker container will utilize the .gitlab-ci.yml file to execute the defined jobs and pipelines.

2. To run a specific job, add the job name as a parameter to the GitLab Runner command. For example, to run only the test job, modify the workflow configuration file as follows:

   jobs:
     build:
       runs-on: self-hosted
       steps:
         - name: Checkout code
           uses: actions/checkout@v2
   
     test:
       runs-on: self-hosted
       steps:
         - name: Run GitLab Runner job
           run: |
             docker exec gitlab-runner gitlab-runner exec docker test
   

   In this example, the test job

is executed using the docker exec command.

3. To run the entire pipeline defined in .gitlab-ci.yml, remove the specific job parameter from the docker exec command:

   jobs:
     build:
       runs-on: self-hosted
       steps:
         - name: Checkout code
           uses: actions/checkout@v2
   
     test:
       runs-on: self-hosted
       steps:
         - name: Run GitLab Runner pipeline
           run: |
             docker exec gitlab-runner gitlab-runner exec docker
   

   By removing the job parameter, the entire pipeline will be executed.

Conclusion

By configuring a self-hosted GitLab Runner Docker container in GitHub Actions and utilizing the .gitlab-ci.yml file, you can seamlessly execute GitLab pipelines from within your GitHub repositories. This enables you to leverage the powerful CI/CD capabilities of GitLab while still benefiting from the collaborative features of GitHub.