Install Buildbot in a Python virtual environment under a dedicated, non-root account. The master coordinates builds and serves the control interface; one or more workers execute the jobs. On a small VPS, both can run together. For higher concurrency or stronger isolation, place workers on separate machines. The documented path is pip installation, followed by explicit worker registration and, when needed, PostgreSQL configuration.
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What you are installing
Buildbot is split into two operational components:
- Master: schedules builds, stores state, presents the web interface, and tells workers what to do.
- Worker: connects to the master and performs checkout, compilation, tests, packaging, and other build steps.
A master without an available worker can schedule work but cannot execute it. A worker without a correctly configured master has nowhere to receive jobs. Treat their credentials, network paths, and process supervision as separate deployment concerns even when both processes share one VPS.
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| Layout | Isolation | Concurrency and capacity | Network latency | Operational effort | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Master and worker on one VPS | Low: build jobs share the host with the coordinator and its data | Suitable for a small installation; limited by the VPS resources available to builds | Minimal because worker-to-master traffic stays local | Lowest: one operating system, account, firewall, and supervisor | Lowest: one VPS |
| Master and workers on separate machines | Higher: build execution can be isolated from coordination and web services | Workers can be added or sized for different workloads | Depends on the network path between each worker and master | Higher: multiple hosts, credentials, firewalls, and upgrade schedules | Higher: additional worker capacity and hosts |
The official installation material publishes no universal CPU or RAM requirement. Size the VPS from the number and type of simultaneous jobs, compiler memory use, checkout size, artifact retention, and whether other services share the host.
Prerequisites on Linux
Use a dedicated deployment account
Buildbot itself does not need to run as root. Create a normal account for the master and worker, keep their directories under that account’s home, and grant only the permissions needed to read source code, write build directories, and publish the artifacts your pipeline requires. The official tutorial’s key point is: “Buildbot does not require root access.”
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Root or administrative privileges are still needed for operating-system package installation, firewall changes, account creation, and (if selected) PostgreSQL installation. Do those tasks separately, then run the Python and Buildbot commands as the deployment account.
Install compiler and development headers
Buildbot dependencies may need a compiler and Linux development headers. On Debian or Ubuntu, install the packages named by the first-run tutorial:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install build-essential python3-dev libssl-dev libffi-devOn RHEL, CentOS, or Fedora, install the corresponding packages:
sudo dnf install gcc python3-devel openssl-devel libffi-develUse the package manager and package names appropriate to the distribution release on your VPS. The host also needs outbound internet access so pip can download dependencies and the master or workers can reach source repositories.
Confirm Python and network prerequisites
- Verify that
python3and its virtual-environment support are available before creating the sandbox. - Allow outbound DNS and HTTPS (or the protocols used by your source repositories and package indexes).
- Plan inbound firewall rules for only the Buildbot web interface, worker protocol, SSH administration, and any package or database traffic you deliberately use.
Install the Buildbot master
Run this sequence as the dedicated deployment account. It creates an isolated Python environment, installs the master and its bundled dependencies, creates an instance directory, and starts the instance.
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_masterWhat each step does
mkdirandcdkeep the master’s virtual environment and instance files in a predictable location.python3 -m venv sandboxprevents Buildbot’s Python packages from being mixed with the operating system Python.- Activating
sandboxmakes subsequentpipandbuildbotcommands use that environment. - Upgrading
pipreduces installation failures caused by an old package installer. buildbot[bundle]installs the master with the bundled dependencies used by the tutorial path.buildbot create-master my_mastercreates the master instance directory.- The sample configuration is copied to the active
master.cfg, which is the file you edit for builders, workers, schedulers, repositories, and database settings. buildbot start my_masterlaunches the instance from its parent directory.
Keep the virtual environment activated while performing the first setup, or call the executable by its full path. A shell that is no longer activated can otherwise report that buildbot is not found or use a different Python installation.
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Start with the generated configuration
Open ~/buildbot/master_root/my_master/master.cfg and replace the sample settings with your repository, scheduler, builder, and worker definitions. Worker names and passwords in this file must exactly match the credentials used when each worker is created.
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Run a configuration check before starting or restarting the master whenever buildbot checkconfig is available in the installed release:
buildbot checkconfig my_masterIf your release accepts a different argument form, use the syntax shown by buildbot checkconfig --help. A check that succeeds does not prove that a repository is reachable or that a worker has enough disk space; it only catches configuration errors that the command validates.
Understand the status page and network binding
The tutorial’s simple instance exposes its status page at http://localhost:8010/. On a VPS, do not assume that a localhost-only test interface is an appropriate public service. Decide deliberately whether the page should be private or reachable by operators from another network.
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- If it is for local administration, keep it bound to the loopback interface and use an SSH tunnel for remote access.
- If it must be reachable remotely, bind it to the intended interface, allow only the required port in the host firewall, and place it behind an authenticated reverse proxy.
- Do not expose an unauthenticated status and control surface to the public internet merely because the process starts successfully.
The exact listener settings belong in the master configuration for your Buildbot release. Test from an authorized client after changing them, and verify that unauthorized addresses are blocked by both the application or proxy and the firewall.
Install and register a worker
A worker can share the VPS with the master for a small installation, or it can run on another machine when build isolation and capacity matter. Use a separate directory and virtual environment for the worker.
mkdir -p ~/buildbot/worker_root
cd ~/buildbot/worker_root
python3 -m venv sandbox
source sandbox/bin/activate
pip install --upgrade pip
pip install buildbot-workerAfter installation, create the worker directory with the master’s address, the worker name, and the password defined in master.cfg. The standard worker command has this shape:
buildbot-worker create-worker WORKER_DIRECTORY MASTER_HOST:PORT WORKER_NAME WORKER_PASSWORDReplace every uppercase value with your own details. Keep the password out of shell history where possible, restrict the worker directory and configuration files to the deployment account, and never publish the credential in a repository or article. When the worker is on another host, ensure its firewall permits outbound access to the master’s worker protocol port and that any intermediate firewall or security group permits the same connection.
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Check that the master and worker agree
- The worker name must be spelled identically in the master configuration and worker registration.
- The password must match exactly; a mismatch leaves the worker disconnected even when the network route is open.
- The master hostname or address and protocol port must be reachable from the worker.
- The worker process must run with access to its checkout, build, test, and artifact directories.
Confirm the installed command versions before troubleshooting a connection:
buildbot --version
buildbot-worker --versionChoose a database
A simple installation can use the default, SQLite-style local setup. That is convenient for a test or small single-host deployment because there is no separate database service to administer. A more durable deployment can use PostgreSQL, which introduces explicit database credentials, backup planning, and service administration.
| Consideration | Simple local database | PostgreSQL |
|---|---|---|
| Durability and recovery | Few moving parts, but backups center on the master’s local data | Separate database service supports a deliberate backup and restore plan |
| Concurrent access | Best suited to a small, straightforward installation | Designed for a separately managed database service and heavier operational use |
| Administration | Lowest setup effort | Requires PostgreSQL installation, role and database management, credentials, and upgrades |
| Host privileges | Buildbot can be installed in the virtual environment as an unprivileged user | Installing and managing PostgreSQL on Ubuntu requires root or administrative access |
Do not select PostgreSQL merely because it is available. Select it when the database’s durability, backup, or operational separation justifies the additional service.
Configure PostgreSQL on Ubuntu
The official deployment procedure installs PostgreSQL, creates a buildbot role and database, places the matching SQLAlchemy URL in master.cfg, and then upgrades the master. Run package and database administration commands with the required privileges; edit and validate the Buildbot configuration as the deployment account.
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sudo apt update
sudo apt install postgresqlCreate a dedicated role and database using your distribution’s PostgreSQL administration tools. For example, an administrator can create the role with a password prompt and create a database owned by that role:
sudo -u postgres createuser --pwprompt buildbot
sudo -u postgres createdb -O buildbot buildbotChoose a strong password and store it in a protected secret-management process. Do not replace YOUR_PASSWORD in a public document with a real credential.
Set the SQLAlchemy URL
In my_master/master.cfg, set the database URL so that its role, password, host, and database name match what you created:
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c['db'] = {'db_url': 'postgresql://buildbot:[email protected]/buildbot'}For a database on another host, replace 127.0.0.1 with the approved database address and restrict PostgreSQL access to the master’s network identity. Protect the configuration file because it contains the connection credential.
Upgrade the master schema
After saving the configuration, run the Buildbot schema upgrade from the master installation’s virtual environment:
buildbot upgrade-master my_masterRun buildbot checkconfig before starting or restarting the master. If the upgrade fails, inspect the database URL, role password, database ownership, PostgreSQL service status, and local firewall policy before changing application settings.
Run Buildbot reliably after installation
Use a process supervisor
The tutorial’s buildbot start command is useful for initial validation, but a VPS deployment should use systemd or another supervisor for automatic restart and startup at boot. Configure separate services for the master and each worker, run them as the dedicated least-privilege account, and set an explicit PATH that includes the corresponding virtual environment’s bin directory. Relying on an interactive shell’s activation state is a common cause of “command not found” failures after reboot.
Keep logs available to the operator, define a restart policy that does not create a rapid crash loop, and test a controlled reboot so you know both components return without manual activation.
Limit filesystem and build permissions
- Keep the worker password readable only by the worker account.
- Use a dedicated checkout and build directory for each worker where practical.
- Grant write access only to paths that a build actually needs.
- Review scripts from repositories before allowing them to run on a worker; a worker executes build commands with that account’s permissions.
- Separate production credentials from ordinary build credentials and inject secrets only for jobs that need them.
Open only necessary network ports
Document the ports used by your specific master configuration and workers, then allow only those ports in the VPS firewall. Typical categories are SSH administration, the web interface, the worker protocol, package or repository traffic, and PostgreSQL when it is not local. A port being open is not proof that the corresponding service is safely authenticated; combine firewall rules with application authentication and reverse-proxy controls.
Validate the deployment
- From the master virtual environment, run
buildbot --version. - From the worker virtual environment, run
buildbot-worker --version. - Run
buildbot checkconfigbefore every planned master restart when the command is available. - Start the master and verify that its status page responds on the intended local or proxied address.
- Start the worker and confirm that the master reports it as connected and available.
- Run a small test build that checks out the intended repository, executes a harmless command, and records an artifact in the expected directory.
- Stop and restart each supervised service, then verify that the worker reconnects and queued work behaves as expected.
- Test firewall behavior from an unauthorized network and confirm that the web interface is not unintentionally public.
Troubleshoot common failures
buildbot or buildbot-worker is not found
The shell is probably outside the virtual environment, or the supervisor does not have the virtual environment in its PATH. Activate the correct sandbox for interactive work and set an absolute, explicit path in the service definition.
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Dependency installation fails during pip install
Check that the VPS has outbound internet access, refresh the package index, upgrade pip, and verify the compiler and development packages for the distribution. Debian or Ubuntu need build-essential, python3-dev, libssl-dev, and libffi-dev; RHEL-family systems need gcc, python3-devel, openssl-devel, and libffi-devel.
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Check the master address and protocol port from the worker host, then compare the worker name and password character for character with master.cfg. Inspect both firewall paths and confirm that the worker process is running under the account that owns its directory.
The status page works locally but not remotely
That result usually means the service is bound to loopback, the firewall blocks the port, or a reverse proxy is not forwarding the request. Decide whether remote access is actually required. If it is, configure the intended listener, firewall rule, proxy authentication, and TLS policy as one controlled change rather than opening every port.
PostgreSQL setup or upgrade fails
Verify that PostgreSQL is running, the role owns the database, the password in master.cfg is correct, and the host and database names in db_url resolve to the intended service. Run buildbot upgrade-master from the activated master environment, then re-run the configuration check before restarting.
Security and maintenance checklist
- Run master and worker processes under a dedicated least-privilege account, not root.
- Keep the worker password and any database password private.
- Use a reverse proxy with authentication when the web interface must be reachable from the public internet.
- Restrict the host firewall to required ports and trusted sources.
- Keep operating-system packages, Python packages, and Buildbot components maintained in a planned window.
- Back up the master configuration, database data, and important artifacts according to their recovery value.
- Test restoration and worker reconnection instead of assuming that a successful backup command is sufficient.
- Review disk consumption from checkouts, build directories, logs, and retained artifacts before it exhausts the VPS.
When to move beyond a single VPS
A single host is a sensible starting point when the goal is a small test installation, one or a few low-concurrency builders, and simple administration. Move workers away from the master when builds need different operating-system environments, consume enough CPU or memory to affect scheduling, require stronger isolation, or must scale independently. Keep the master on a protected host and treat each worker as an execution environment with its own patching, credentials, disk, and firewall policy.
There is no official one-size-fits-all capacity figure. Measure your own queue times, build duration, peak memory, disk growth, and artifact retention, then add worker capacity or VPS resources based on those observations.
Installation summary
The reliable sequence is: prepare the Linux packages and network, create a non-root deployment account, install the master in a virtualenv, generate and validate master.cfg, install and register at least one worker, choose the simplest database that meets your recovery needs, and place both processes under supervision. Keep the web interface and worker protocol deliberately protected, and use PostgreSQL only when its durability and administration model fit the deployment.
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