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Runme – Interactive Runbooks Built with Markdown

runme.dev

41–47 of 47 posts

Re: Runme – Interactive Runbooks Built with Markdown

#41
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ok, so from the front page I got the impression it was only bash. I'm hitting cloud APIs via python so Jupyter works for that, and I'm using the python to ssh into systems and run bash there. The two missing things from Jupyter are 1. ssh-ing to remote hosts and running shell scripts (we do it with a bunch of code) and 2. running cells concurrently. But python is a hard requirement.

I've just added the currently supported languages you can execute to runme.dev in the features section (Javascript, Typescript, Shell, Lua, Perl, Python and Ruby for now). Also, the Runme CLI ( https://github.com/stateful/runme ) also supports running cells in parallel with `runme run -all -p`. We'd be interested to know how we can help Runme satisfy your use cases, join us on Discord! https://discord.gg/runme

I wonder if you'd get some mileage from my https://p3rl.org/Object::Remote module (or at least stealing the ideas therein ;) - it effectively applies https://p3rl.org/App::FatPacker on-demand over the wire so the remote code can use any (pure perl) module you've got installed locally without needing to be able to write to the disk.

(at https://shadow.cat/ we use it to investigate things on new customers' platforms with only an ssh login and a perl core install as requirements, along with as an ad-hoc "I need to run this on lots of machines without being intrusive" tool)

Re: Runme – Interactive Runbooks Built with Markdown

#42

My company is investing heavily in interactive runbooks (their own impl) and while I kinda dislike the idea of runbooks in general this is a nice implementation. Interactive Runbooks exist in some sort of tech-debt limbo where you have enough time to write a nice little runbook but apparently not enough time to properly automate whatever the task is. Ideally automation is easy and all change flows through a SDLC and…

Runbooks are about eliminating toil incrementally. If you or your team find there's some process that needs to be done regularly, you're right, it should be automated. But there are often barriers to doing that immediately, and you may not even agree on what all the steps are. Here's how you do it then: 1. Write the runbook. 2. Execute the runbook multiple times. 3. Modify and improve the runbook. 4. Automate parts o…

Step 0. Explain the process, end-to-end, in plain written English.

It's amazing how many people jump directly from "oh here's a problem" to "let's automate it" without a suitable definition of the problem. A runbook as you've described it above, is a perfect intermediate step. You can refine the process, add error handling and special cases, tune it based on empirical data, and adjust the process on the fly until it's boring. Then you can automate it :-)

Re: Runme – Interactive Runbooks Built with Markdown

#43
post #26

My company is investing heavily in interactive runbooks (their own impl) and while I kinda dislike the idea of runbooks in general this is a nice implementation. Interactive Runbooks exist in some sort of tech-debt limbo where you have enough time to write a nice little runbook but apparently not enough time to properly automate whatever the task is. Ideally automation is easy and all change flows through a SDLC and…

Wouldn't Ansible be the better runbook then?

I thought the same but about leaving Ansible for Runme. Not sure it's a wise idea but I like Runme DX/UX.

Re: Runme – Interactive Runbooks Built with Markdown

#44
post #32

Is that video on the homepage a Fiverr gig?

Haha now that you mention it, sure does feel like it. I think the music plays a big part as to why

It is not a fiverr video. Runme’s very own Lizz Parody wrote, recorded, and edited the video with input from the team. She did a fantastic job.

Re: Runme – Interactive Runbooks Built with Markdown

#45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Runbooks are about eliminating toil incrementally. If you or your team find there's some process that needs to be done regularly, you're right, it should be automated. But there are often barriers to doing that immediately, and you may not even agree on what all the steps are. Here's how you do it then: 1. Write the runbook. 2. Execute the runbook multiple times. 3. Modify and improve the runbook. 4. Automate parts o…

I worked at Rundeck on the core engineering team through the PagerDuty acquisition. Left my job start of the year to bootstrap a reboot, StepWise, that embraces and leans into that iterative approach to automation. We are looking for early adopters to try it out and give feedback soon here. Would love to get your thoughts; https://stepwisehq.com .

Joined your waitlist. Looks and feels very intuitive and promising. Even more refined and polished than Rundeck and your competitors. Good job and thanks for sharing.

Re: Runme – Interactive Runbooks Built with Markdown

#46

For those who don't know, Jupyter has a bash kernel: https://github.com/takluyver/bash_kernel And you can run Jupyter notebooks from the CLI with Ploomber: https://github.com/ploomber/ploomber

That's how GitLab thinks about that problem, too: https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/clusters/runbooks/#e...

> The JupyterHub app offered via the GitLab Kubernetes integration now ships with Nurtch’s Rubix library, providing a simple way to create DevOps runbooks

although this is another case of the "don't use the word 'simple' in your description unless it actually is"

Re: Runme – Interactive Runbooks Built with Markdown

#47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Interactive Runbooks exist in some sort of tech-debt limbo where you have enough time to write a nice little runbook but apparently not enough time to properly automate whatever the task is I think this is a really common place to fall into. Automating 100% of conditions is hard, but having a google-doc full of bash commands is kinda meh. One of my previous teams decided on a "Maintainer Lambda" which would help wi…

Sorry for off-topic, but was "runback" a typo? Because it happens to be a brand ... related to the sport of curling. Amazing coincidence if yes.

Sorry. Supposed to be run book.
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