You can install Buildbot on a Linux VPS without running it as root. The reliable pattern is a dedicated, least-privilege account, a Python virtual environment, one Buildbot master to coordinate jobs, and at least one worker to execute them. Install the master with pip install 'buildbot[bundle]', install workers with pip install buildbot-worker, and keep the web interface and worker protocol behind deliberate firewall and authentication controls.
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This guide covers an Ubuntu or Debian VPS first, then shows the equivalent prerequisite packages for RHEL-family systems, worker registration, an optional PostgreSQL database, service supervision, security hardening, and troubleshooting. A small test setup can run its master and worker on one VPS; isolation and higher concurrency are better served by separate machines.
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The Tool Desk
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Buildbot is split into two cooperating components:
- Master: stores configuration and build state, schedules jobs, assigns work, and serves the status interface.
- Worker: connects to the master and performs checkout, compilation, tests, packaging, and other build steps.
The master does not compile your software itself. A deployment with only a master can start successfully but cannot execute a build until a worker is configured and connected. You may place both components on one VPS for a small installation, or put workers on separate machines when builds need more CPU, memory, clean environments, or platform diversity.
Buildbot’s official tutorial states: “Buildbot does not require root access.” Use root only for operating-system package installation, firewall rules, database administration, and service setup. Run the Buildbot processes themselves under a dedicated account.
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Choose the VPS layout before installing
Decide whether the first worker will share the VPS with the master. The right choice depends on workload rather than a published CPU or RAM benchmark; the official installation material gives no universal sizing figure.
| Deployment | Isolation | Concurrency and capacity | Network latency | Operational complexity | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single VPS: master and worker together | Low. A build can consume resources needed by the master. | Suitable for a small number of light jobs; capacity is limited by one machine. | Lowest, because worker traffic stays local. | Simplest: one operating system, account, firewall, and backup target. | Lowest infrastructure cost. |
| Separate master and worker VPSs | Higher. Build workloads are isolated from scheduling and web services. | Easier to add workers or dedicate machines to heavy, parallel, or platform-specific jobs. | Depends on the network path between machines and the source or artifact services. | More hosts, credentials, firewall rules, monitoring, and patching. | Higher recurring infrastructure cost. |
Start on one VPS when you are validating a pipeline. Separate the worker when builds become CPU- or memory-intensive, when you need a disposable filesystem, or when several jobs must run concurrently without making the master unresponsive.
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Install operating-system prerequisites
The first-run tutorial lists a compiler, Python development headers, and cryptographic/foreign-function headers because pip may need to build dependencies. Install the packages for your distribution before creating the virtual environment.
| Distribution family | Packages listed by the Buildbot tutorial |
|---|---|
| Debian or Ubuntu | build-essential, python3-dev, libssl-dev, and libffi-dev |
| RHEL, CentOS, or Fedora | gcc, python3-devel, openssl-devel, and libffi-devel |
On Ubuntu or Debian, update package metadata and install the Debian-family set as root:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install build-essential python3-dev libssl-dev libffi-dev python3-venvpython3-venv supplies the standard-library module used to create the virtual environment. Package names can vary with an operating-system release; if your image already provides virtual-environment support through another package, install that equivalent.
On a RHEL-family VPS, use the distribution’s package manager to install the corresponding compiler and development packages:
sudo dnf install gcc python3-devel openssl-devel libffi-develBuildbot also needs outbound internet access while pip downloads packages. The master and workers must later reach your source repositories, artifact stores, and any services used by build steps. DNS, TLS certificate validation, and the VPS provider’s egress policy therefore matter as much as the package installation.
Create a non-root Buildbot account
Create a dedicated account instead of using root or a personal login. The account should own the virtual environments, master configuration, worker directories, checkout trees, and build artifacts. Give it no interactive administrative privileges beyond what your operations policy requires.
sudo useradd --create-home --shell /bin/bash buildbot
sudo -iu buildbotThe exact account-management command differs across distributions. The important properties are a private home directory, a stable UID, and ownership limited to Buildbot’s files. Do not put private SSH keys, cloud credentials, or unrelated application data in a worker directory that build steps can modify.
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Install the Buildbot master in a virtual environment
The documented pip path keeps Buildbot and its Python dependencies separate from the operating system Python. Run these commands as the dedicated account:
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mkdir -p ~/buildbot/master_root
cd ~/buildbot/master_root
python3 -m venv sandbox
source sandbox/bin/activate
pip install --upgrade pip
pip install 'buildbot[bundle]'
buildbot create-master my_master
mv my_master/master.cfg.sample my_master/master.cfg
buildbot start my_masterThe source command activates the virtual environment for the current shell. If you open a new shell later, activate it again or call the binaries by their full path. Installing the bundle extra follows the official tutorial’s master installation sequence and supplies the components used by the simple instance.
buildbot create-master my_master creates a master directory and a sample configuration. Rename the sample to master.cfg before starting. Read that file and adapt its workers, builders, schedulers, repositories, and status reporters to your project; the sample is a starting point, not a production policy.
Verify the master before exposing it
Check the installed version from the same virtual environment:
buildbot --versionStart the simple instance and test the status page locally:
buildbot start my_master
curl -I http://localhost:8010/The tutorial’s simple instance exposes its status page at http://localhost:8010/. A local response confirms that the process is listening, but it does not make the page safe to publish. On a VPS, decide explicitly whether the interface should be private, reachable only through a VPN, or exposed through an authenticated reverse proxy.
Before every start or restart, run the configuration validator when it is available in your installed release:
buildbot checkconfig my_masterTreat a failed configuration check as a deployment failure. Correct syntax, worker definitions, repository settings, and database settings before restarting the running master.
Bind and protect the web interface
Do not open a development listener to the entire internet by accident. Bind the status service to a private address when only local administration is required. If remote access is necessary, put it behind a reverse proxy that provides TLS and authentication, then allow only the proxy’s public port through the VPS firewall.
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- Allow inbound traffic only for services you actually use: the authenticated web endpoint, the worker protocol, SSH administration, and any required package or database traffic.
- Restrict the worker protocol to known worker addresses when your network layout permits it.
- Use long, unique credentials for web authentication and worker registration.
- Keep Buildbot and the operating system patched, and review logs for repeated authentication failures.
- Never place a database password or worker password in a public repository or paste it into a ticket.
The listener’s port and bind address are configuration decisions; the tutorial’s localhost:8010 is a local example, not a recommendation to publish an unauthenticated page.
Install a Buildbot worker
Create the worker in its own directory and virtual environment. This may be on the same VPS as the master or on a second machine.
mkdir -p ~/buildbot/worker_root
cd ~/buildbot/worker_root
python3 -m venv sandbox
source sandbox/bin/activate
pip install --upgrade pip
pip install buildbot-worker
buildbot-worker --versionKeep the worker environment separate from the master’s environment. A worker often needs additional compilers, language runtimes, SDKs, container tools, or test services that are irrelevant to the master. Install only the tools required by the jobs assigned to that worker.
Register and connect the worker
A worker registration has three values that must agree with the master configuration: the master’s reachable address and worker-protocol port, the worker name, and a password. The worker name is an identifier, not a Linux username. Use a distinct name for every worker.
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MASTER_ENDPOINT='master.example.internal:WORKER_PROTOCOL_PORT'
WORKER_NAME='linux-vps-1'
read -r -s WORKER_PASSWORD
buildbot-worker create-worker "$HOME/buildbot/worker_root/linux-vps-1" "$MASTER_ENDPOINT" "$WORKER_NAME" "$WORKER_PASSWORD"Replace the endpoint’s host and port with the worker protocol listener configured on your master; do not assume that the web port is the worker port. Enter the password when prompted rather than putting it directly into shell history. If the command syntax differs in your release, run buildbot-worker --help inside the worker virtual environment and use its displayed create-worker syntax.
Start the worker from its directory after registration. The exact foreground or daemon options depend on the installed release, so inspect the worker command help and use the option that keeps logs available to your supervisor. A successful connection should make the worker appear online in the master’s status interface. If it remains offline, check DNS, routing, firewall rules, the configured worker port, and an exact match for the name and password.
Run master and worker reliably
buildbot start is convenient for an initial test, but a VPS deployment should have a supervisor restart processes after a crash and start them after boot. systemd is the usual choice on modern Linux.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchCreate separate service units for the master and each worker, run them as the dedicated account, and set an explicit PATH that begins with the relevant virtual environment’s bin directory. A unit should use absolute paths for the Buildbot executable and working directory, declare a restart policy, and write logs to the journal. Do not rely on an interactive shell’s activated environment; systemd does not read your shell’s startup files.
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Before enabling a unit at boot, test the same command manually as the service account. Then use your distribution’s normal systemctl daemon-reload, systemctl enable, systemctl start, and systemctl status workflow. If a unit fails, inspect journalctl -u for the service and verify file ownership, paths, the virtual environment, and network availability.
Choose the database: simple local storage or PostgreSQL
A basic installation can use the simple database configuration generated by the tutorial. PostgreSQL is the more durable choice when you need a managed backup plan, concurrent access, or a database service that is independent of the master filesystem.
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|---|---|---|
| Durability | Convenient for a small test instance; durability depends on the local filesystem and your VPS backups. | Designed for a separately managed database with explicit backup and recovery procedures. |
| Concurrent access | Appropriate for a modest single-master workload. | Better suited to heavier state access and operational growth. |
| Backup strategy | Back up the master data directory consistently and test restores. | Back up the database with PostgreSQL-aware tools, and also protect Buildbot configuration. |
| Administration | Few moving parts. | Requires a PostgreSQL service, role, database, credentials, permissions, and upgrades. |
PostgreSQL is optional. If you select it on Ubuntu, install the server with root privileges, create a dedicated role and database, and restrict database access to the master host. A typical administrative session is:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install postgresql
sudo -u postgres psqlInside the PostgreSQL prompt, create a role with a password and a database owned by that role. Use a password generated for this installation and do not publish it:
CREATE ROLE buildbot LOGIN PASSWORD 'use-a-secret-from-your-secret-store';
CREATE DATABASE buildbot OWNER buildbot;
qIn master.cfg, set the SQLAlchemy URL to match the role, password, host, and database. The documented configuration shape is:
c['db'] = {'db_url': 'postgresql://buildbot:[email protected]/buildbot'}Replace the password with the actual secret through your protected configuration process. If PostgreSQL is on another host, use its private address and enforce TLS and network restrictions appropriate to that network.
After changing the database configuration, run the master upgrade command before starting the service:
buildbot upgrade-master my_masterRun the command from the master’s virtual environment and master directory. Confirm that the database role can authenticate, the database exists, and the URL has no quoting or encoding errors. A password containing reserved URL characters must be encoded correctly for a SQLAlchemy URL.
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- Account: run master and workers under the dedicated Buildbot account, not root.
- Worker password: keep it private, rotate it if exposed, and update both master and worker configuration together.
- Filesystem: give each worker only the directories and tools its builds need. Build steps can execute commands, so treat a worker as trusted build-execution capacity.
- SSH: use key-based administration, disable password login where your policy permits, and limit administrative source addresses.
- Ports: open only SSH, the authenticated web endpoint, the worker protocol, and required package or database traffic.
- Backups: protect
master.cfg, custom scripts, credentials held in secret managers, and the selected database. Test restoration on a separate environment. - Updates: update the virtual-environment packages deliberately, run
buildbot checkconfig, and restart through the supervisor after reviewing release notes.
Resource planning without misleading benchmarks
No official universal CPU, RAM, disk, or job-throughput figure is published for a Buildbot VPS. Size the host from the work it will perform:
- Estimate the peak number of simultaneous jobs, not only the daily average.
- Measure compiler and test memory usage; a single large build can exhaust a small VPS even when the master is idle.
- Reserve disk for source checkouts, parallel build trees, test output, packages, and retained artifacts.
- Account for database growth and log retention.
- Watch CPU saturation, memory pressure, swap activity, disk latency, and network throughput after enabling real jobs.
When the master remains responsive but builds queue for lack of execution capacity, add or resize workers. When the master UI and scheduling become sluggish during builds, move workers away from the master or reduce worker concurrency.
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Troubleshooting common installation failures
pip fails while installing dependencies
Confirm that the VPS has outbound DNS and HTTPS access, that the Python version is supported by the Buildbot release you selected, and that the compiler and development headers from the prerequisite table are installed. Reactivate the intended virtual environment and verify which python and which pip point into its sandbox/bin directory.
The master starts but the page is unreachable
Test http://localhost:8010/ on the VPS first. If that works, inspect the configured bind address, the host firewall, the cloud provider firewall, and any reverse-proxy upstream definition. If local access fails, read the master log and run buildbot checkconfig before changing network rules.
The worker stays offline
Verify that the worker process is running under the correct virtual environment and that its master endpoint uses the worker protocol port, not the web port. Check name and password case exactly, confirm that the master allows that worker, and test connectivity from the worker host to the master’s address and port. A firewall rule that permits the web page but blocks the worker port produces an apparently healthy UI with an offline worker.
PostgreSQL authentication or migration errors occur
Check that the role and database exist, the role owns or can access the database, the host in db_url is reachable, and the password is URL-safe. Run buildbot upgrade-master my_master with the master’s virtual environment activated, then rerun the configuration check and inspect PostgreSQL and Buildbot logs for the first error rather than the final cascade.
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Inspect the systemd unit’s absolute paths, account ownership, working directory, and explicit PATH. Ensure the network-online dependency is appropriate for a worker that must contact a remote master. Use journalctl to compare the environment of the failed service with the successful manual command.
Final deployment checklist
- Install the compiler, Python headers, OpenSSL headers, and libffi headers for your distribution.
- Create a dedicated non-root account and separate master and worker directories.
- Create virtual environments and install
buildbot[bundle]for the master andbuildbot-workerfor each worker. - Run
buildbot --versionandbuildbot-worker --versionto verify the intended installations. - Create the master, rename
master.cfg.sample, and runbuildbot checkconfigwhen available. - Register at least one worker with a matching name, password, and worker-protocol endpoint.
- Keep the status interface private or place it behind authenticated HTTPS; firewall every unused port.
- Choose a database deliberately. If using PostgreSQL, create the role and database, set
db_url, and runbuildbot upgrade-master. - Run both components under a supervisor with explicit virtual-environment paths and automatic restart.
- Back up configuration and state, monitor resource usage, and expand to separate workers when isolation or concurrency requires it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Buildbot run entirely without root access?
Yes. The master and worker can run under a dedicated unprivileged account. Root is needed for operating-system packages, firewall changes, PostgreSQL administration, and service installation—not for normal Buildbot processes.
Do the master and worker have to be on the same VPS?
No. A shared VPS is practical for a small installation. Put workers on separate machines when builds need stronger isolation, more concurrency, different toolchains, or additional capacity.
Which ports must be opened?
Open only the ports your design uses: SSH administration, the authenticated web endpoint, the worker protocol, and required package or database traffic. The web port and worker protocol port are separate configuration choices.
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Is PostgreSQL mandatory?
No. It is an optional durability and administration choice. A simple local setup is suitable for a modest test instance; PostgreSQL adds a managed database, backups, credentials, and migration work.
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