141 lines
6.2 KiB
Markdown
141 lines
6.2 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
stage: none
|
|
group: unassigned
|
|
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
|
|
type: reference, howto
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
# Windows Development
|
|
|
|
There are times in development where a Windows development machine is needed.
|
|
This is a guide for how to get a Windows development virtual machine on Google Cloud Platform
|
|
(GCP) with the same preinstalled tools as the GitLab shared Windows runners.
|
|
|
|
## Why Windows in Google Cloud?
|
|
|
|
Use of Microsoft Windows operating systems on company laptops is banned under the GitLab [Approved Operating Systems policy](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/it/operating-systems/#windows).
|
|
|
|
This can make it difficult to develop features for the Windows platforms. Using GCP allows us to have a temporary Windows machine that can be removed once we're done with it.
|
|
|
|
## Shared Windows runners
|
|
|
|
You can use the shared Windows runners in the case that you don't need a full Windows development machine.
|
|
The [GitLab 12.7 Release Post](https://about.gitlab.com/releases/2020/01/22/gitlab-12-7-released/#windows-shared-runners-on-gitlabcom-beta)
|
|
and [Windows shared runner beta blog post](https://about.gitlab.com/blog/2020/01/21/windows-shared-runner-beta/#getting-started) both
|
|
outline quite a bit of useful information.
|
|
|
|
To use the shared Windows runners add the following `tags` to relevant jobs in your `.gitlab-ci.yml` file:
|
|
|
|
```yaml
|
|
tags:
|
|
- shared-windows
|
|
- windows
|
|
- windows-1809
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
A list of software preinstalled on the Windows images is available at: [Preinstalled software](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/ci-cd/shared-runners/images/gcp/windows-containers/blob/main/cookbooks/preinstalled-software/README.md).
|
|
|
|
## GCP Windows image for development
|
|
|
|
The [shared Windows GitLab runners](https://about.gitlab.com/releases/2020/01/22/gitlab-12-7-released/#windows-shared-runners-on-gitlabcom-beta)
|
|
are built with [Packer](https://www.packer.io/).
|
|
|
|
The Infrastructure as Code repository for building the Google Cloud images is available at:
|
|
[GitLab Google Cloud Platform Shared Runner Images](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/ci-cd/shared-runners/images/gcp/windows-containers).
|
|
|
|
### Build image
|
|
|
|
There is a chance that your Google Cloud group may already have an image
|
|
built. Search the available images before you do the work to build your
|
|
own.
|
|
|
|
Build a Google Cloud image with the above shared runners repository by doing the following:
|
|
|
|
1. Install [Packer](https://www.packer.io/) (tested to work with version 1.5.1).
|
|
1. Install Packer Windows Update Provisioner.
|
|
1. Clone the repository <https://github.com/rgl/packer-provisioner-windows-update> and `cd` into the cloned directory.
|
|
1. Run the command `go build -o packer-provisioner-windows-update` (requires `go` to be installed).
|
|
1. Verify `packer-provisioner-windows-update` is in the `PATH` environment variable.
|
|
1. Add all [required environment variables](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/ci-cd/shared-runners/images/gcp/windows-containers/-/blob/main/packer.json#L2-10)
|
|
in the `packer.json` file to your environment (perhaps use [`direnv`](https://direnv.net/)).
|
|
1. Build the image by running the command: `packer build packer.json`.
|
|
|
|
## How to use a Windows image in GCP
|
|
|
|
1. In a web browser, go to the [Google Cloud Platform console](https://console.cloud.google.com/compute/images).
|
|
1. Filter images by the name you used when creating image, `windows` is likely all you need to filter by.
|
|
1. Select the image's name.
|
|
1. Select **CREATE INSTANCE**.
|
|
1. Important: Change name to what you'd like as you can't change it later.
|
|
1. Optional: Change Region to be closest to you as well as any other option you'd like.
|
|
1. Select **Create** at the bottom of the page.
|
|
1. Select the name of your newly created VM Instance (optionally you can filter to find it).
|
|
1. Select **Set Windows password**.
|
|
1. Optional: Set a username or use default.
|
|
1. Select **Next**.
|
|
1. Copy and save the password as it is not shown again.
|
|
1. Select **RDP** down arrow.
|
|
1. Select **Download the RDP file**.
|
|
1. Open the downloaded RDP file with the Windows remote desktop app (<https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/remote/remote-desktop-services/clients/remote-desktop-clients>).
|
|
1. Select **Continue** to accept the certificate.
|
|
1. Enter the password and select **Next**.
|
|
|
|
You should now be connected into a Windows machine with a command prompt.
|
|
|
|
### Optional: Use GCP VM Instance as a runner
|
|
|
|
- Register the runner with a project: `gitlab-runner.exe register`.
|
|
- Install the runner:`gitlab-runner.exe install`.
|
|
- Start the runner: `gitlab-runner.exe start`.
|
|
|
|
For more information, see [Install GitLab Runner on Windows](https://docs.gitlab.com/runner/install/windows.html)
|
|
and [Registering runners](https://docs.gitlab.com/runner/register/index.html).
|
|
|
|
## Developer tips
|
|
|
|
Here are a few tips on GCP and Windows.
|
|
|
|
### GCP cost savings
|
|
|
|
To minimize the cost of your GCP VM instance, stop it when you're not using it.
|
|
If you do, you must download the RDP file again from the console as the IP
|
|
address changes every time you stop and start it.
|
|
|
|
### chocolatey
|
|
|
|
Chocolatey is a package manager for Windows. You can search for packages on <https://chocolatey.org/>.
|
|
|
|
- `choco install vim`
|
|
|
|
### Visual Studio (install / usage for full GUI)
|
|
|
|
You can install Visual Studio and run it within the Windows Remote Desktop app.
|
|
|
|
Install it by running: `choco install visualstudio2019community`
|
|
|
|
Start it by running: `"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\Community\Common7\IDE\devenv.exe" .`
|
|
|
|
### .NET 3 support
|
|
|
|
You can install .NET version 3 support with the following `DISM` command:
|
|
|
|
`DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:NetFx3 /All`
|
|
|
|
### nix -> Windows `cmd` tips
|
|
|
|
The first tip for using the Windows command shell is to open PowerShell and use that instead.
|
|
|
|
Start PowerShell: `start powershell`.
|
|
|
|
PowerShell has aliases for all of the following commands so you don't have to learn the native commands:
|
|
|
|
- `ls` ---> `dir`
|
|
- `rm` ---> `del`
|
|
- `rm -rf nonemptydir` ---> `rmdir /S nonemptydir`
|
|
- `/` ---> <code>\</code> (path separator)
|
|
- `cat` ---> `type`
|
|
- `mv` ---> `move`
|
|
- Redirection works the same (for example, `>` and `2>&1`)
|
|
- `.\some.exe` to call a local executable
|
|
- curl is available
|
|
- `..` and `.` are available
|