In this chapter, we will take a look at the GitLab Runner client architecture. After studying this topic, you will understand the basic flow of control between GitLab CI and Runners. In the second part of this chapter, I will show you how to install Runner software on different operating systems. Since the Runner program is written in Golang, there are many platforms that are capable of running the client. Golang is known for its excellent multi-platform support.

In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:

• The Runner client architecture
• Creating a basic runner with the shell executor