Rultor, a DevOps team assistant, is designed to automate routine operations like merging, deploying, and releasing with a simple and intuitive chat-bot interface. In this article, we will explore how to set up Rultor and utilize its features effectively.

What Problems Does Rultor Solve?

Manual deployment scripts can often lead to errors and inconsistencies. Rultor provides several key benefits:

• Isolation of Deployments: By utilizing Docker containers, Rultor isolates deployment scripts in their own virtual environments, allowing for more stable builds.
• Accessible Logs: Rultor integrates with issue trackers, allowing easy access to logs associated with any deployment.
• Pre-flight Builds: Rultor performs checks on the master branch before merging changes, preventing errors before they affect the main codebase.
• Humanized Commands: Instead of complex commands, a simple human-readable sentence can trigger merges or releases.

How Rultor Works

Rultor follows a systematic process when a merge command is issued in your GitHub pull request. Here’s how it operates, akin to a well-oiled assembly line:

1. Reads the configuration file ('.rultor.yml').
2. Executes the automated build command.
3. Checks out the repository into a temporary directory.
4. Merges the pull request into the master branch.
5. Runs the build command in a new Docker container.
6. Confirms success and pushes the master branch to GitHub.
7. Reports the outcome back to your GitHub pull request.

This sequence ensures smooth operations, much like a factory producing goods efficiently without any quality control issues.

In analogy, consider a bakery where each step—from mixing ingredients to baking—is tightly controlled to ensure that no defective cakes (errors) leave the shop. Rultor operates in a similar fashion, minimizing the chances of errors in your codebase.

How to Create a New Server for Rultor

Setting up Rultor requires a server with Docker installed. Here’s how to configure a server from scratch, especially on Ubuntu 20.04:

$ apt-get install -y bc
$ groupadd docker
$ adduser rultor
$ gpasswd -a rultor docker
$ echo rultor ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL >> /etc/sudoers
$ mkdir /home/rultor/.ssh
$ cat /home/rultor/.ssh/authorized_keys
$ chown rultor:rultor -R /home/rultor/.ssh
$ chmod 600 /home/rultor/.ssh/authorized_keys

Make sure that b4.rultor.com is directed to the server, as the hosted app is currently optimized for a single server setup.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you encounter any issues while using Rultor, consider the following troubleshooting ideas:

• Ensure Docker is correctly installed and running on your server.
• Check the syntax of your .rultor.yml file for errors.
• Verify that the server is accessible via the specified domain.
• Look for permissions issues with the Rultor user on the server.

For more insights, updates, or to collaborate on AI development projects, stay connected with fxis.ai.

Conclusion

Implementing Rultor can greatly streamline your DevOps processes, allowing your team to focus on innovation rather than repetitive tasks. At fxis.ai, we believe that such advancements are crucial for the future of AI, as they enable more comprehensive and effective solutions. Our team is continually exploring new methodologies to push the envelope in artificial intelligence, ensuring that our clients benefit from the latest technological innovations.