Setting up a self-hosted Linux Docker build agent in Azure DevOps involves several steps. You’ll be configuring a Linux machine to run Docker containers that act as build agents for Azure Pipelines. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you through the process:
1. Prepare Your Linux Machine
Install Docker:
- Update the package index:
sudo apt-get update - Install Docker:
sudo apt-get install -y docker.io - Start and enable Docker service:
sudo systemctl start docker sudo systemctl enable docker - Verify Docker installation:
docker --version
- Update the package index:
Install Docker Compose (Optional):
- Download Docker Compose:
sudo curl -L "https://github.com/docker/compose/releases/download/$(curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/docker/compose/releases/latest | grep tag_name | cut -d '"' -f 4)/docker-compose-$(uname -s)-$(uname -m)" -o /usr/local/bin/docker-compose - Apply for executable permissions:
sudo chmod +x /usr/local/bin/docker-compose - Verify Docker Compose installation:
docker-compose --version
- Download Docker Compose:
2. Set Up Azure DevOps Self-Hosted Agent
Create a Personal Access Token (PAT):
- Go to your Azure DevOps organization in your browser.
- Navigate to User Settings > Personal Access Tokens.
- Click on New Token and create a token with the appropriate scopes, typically including "Agent Pools (read, manage)".
Download and Configure the Agent:
- Go to Project Settings in your Azure DevOps project.
- Navigate to Agent Pools and create a new pool if needed.
- Click on the pool, then click New Agent.
- Select Linux as the agent type.
- Download the agent package:
mkdir myagent && cd myagent curl -O https://vstsagentpackage.azureedge.net/agent/2.206.0/vsts-agent-linux-x64-2.206.0.tar.gz - Extract the agent package:
tar zxvf vsts-agent-linux-x64-2.206.0.tar.gz - Configure the agent:
./config.sh- Provide your Azure DevOps URL and PAT when prompted.
- Choose the agent pool you created.
- Set the agent name.
- Confirm the agent configuration.
Run the Agent:
- Start the agent:
./run.sh - Optionally, configure the agent as a service to start automatically:
sudo ./svc.sh install sudo ./svc.sh start
- Start the agent:
3. Set Up Docker-Based Builds
Create a Dockerfile for the Build Agent:
- Example Dockerfile:
FROM mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/sdk:7.0 AS build # Install necessary tools (example: git, curl, etc.) RUN apt-get update && \ apt-get install -y git curl # Create a non-root user RUN useradd -m builduser USER builduser # Set up the working directory WORKDIR /build # Set up any necessary environment variables ENV PATH="/build:${PATH}"
- Example Dockerfile:
Build and Push the Docker Image:
- Build the Docker image:
docker build -t my-build-agent:latest . - Push the image to a Docker registry (e.g., Docker Hub or Azure Container Registry):
docker tag my-build-agent:latest <your-registry>/my-build-agent:latest docker push <your-registry>/my-build-agent:latest
- Build the Docker image:
Configure the Build Pipeline:
- In Azure DevOps, create or edit a pipeline.
- Use the Docker image in the pipeline configuration:
pool: vmImage: 'ubuntu-latest' containers: - container: mybuild image: <your-registry>/my-build-agent:latest steps: - script: echo "Running in container" displayName: 'Run a one-line script'
4. Test Your Setup
- Create a sample pipeline to test if your self-hosted agent is correctly picking up and running jobs.
- Verify that builds are successfully executed and that your Docker-based agent is functioning as expected.
By following these steps, you'll have a self-hosted Linux Docker build agent running in Azure DevOps, which can help you manage and scale your build infrastructure effectively.
