Configuring Jenkins to use custom slaves

TODO

Providing custom build slaves using the CloudStack portal

Slaves instances are obtained through CloudStack; refer to the CloudStack documentation and to the CloudStack tutorial. In the following sections, we assume that you have created a build slave, know its IP address and can SSH into it (using a newly-created ci account, for instance).

Note (2012-08-03): new instances come by default with a root account (password: password).

Note (2012-11-06): new windows instances come by default with an administrator account named ci (password: ci).

Note: in this section, we will set up a CentOS Linux slave. Other systems may require adjustments.

To add a ci user on a new Linux machine:

   # useradd ci

You need to enable Jenkins access to that user. So get the Jenkins SSH public key using the button from the Slave tab of your project on the Web Portal and place the key in ~ci/.ssh/authorized_keys.

Slaves nodes should at least provide a Java Runtime Environment.

Note: prefer an Oracle JRE when choosing a Java environment for the build slaves. The Oracle JRE can be installed after a manual download (because of a license agreement).

OpenJDK is very close to the Oracle version (most of the code is shared) and can be installed under CentOS Linux directly from the fedora package manager:

   # yum install java-1.8.0-openjdk

This package only contains the JRE. The JDK is in java-1.8.0-openjdk-devel.

To add a build slave, browse the Manage Jenkins/Manage Nodes section, then choose New node.

In the dialog, give the node a name and select “dumb slave”.

Now configure the host settings to allow ssh connection (in the Advanced section of the host item)

Uses ci for username and /net/www/ci//.ssh/id_rsa for private key file.

Now save and you are done.

Providing Windows build slaves

Windows Slaves Plugin

The “Windows Slaves Plugin” is required. You can check if it is installed on page https://ci.inria.fr//pluginManager/installed

Configuring the Jenkins node

To provide a windows build slave, you have to declare it under Jenkins by going to Manage Jenkins/Manage Nodes/New node’ (if the VM was not created by the Web portal):

Please select the launch method “Let Jenkins control this Windows slave as a Windows service” (if this option does not appear, please install the “Windows Slaves Plugin”). Put “.\ci” as administrator user name, and the associated password (“ci” is the default password). Put the IP address of the slave as host name (and does not put the host name, as Jenkins would refuse to connect with the error “A duplicate name exists on the network.”). For the field “Run service as”, choose “Use Administrator account given above”.

Installing the Jenkins agent

Now log into your virtual machine with a ci account (see the CloudStack tutorial how to log on a windows VM).

To install a Jenkins agent for windows you need to install the Oracle JRE from the web (you need to accept the license agreement).

After that, using a web browser go to your Jenkins project in the Manage Jenkins/Manage Node and select the previously created node, you should get the following screen:

Click on the Launch button and follow the procedure to finish the slave configuration. It will output an “Hudson slave agent” window saying that the slave agent is running. You should install this slave agent as a windows service by selecting the File > Install as a Windows Service and answer yes to all questions: