How to Install Jenkins Agent on Windows

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Timecodes ⏱:
00:00 Introduction
00:06 Starting point
00:22 Determine Java version running controller process
01:21 Create agent definition on controller
02:59 Verify basic configuration of Windows agent
04:09 Download WinSW
05:29 Create XML configuration file
10:20 Install the service
12:50 Troubleshoot the service configuration
14:33 Review the agent status in the controller
15:12 Specify a user to run the service
20:53 Conclusion
#jenkinstutorial #jenkinsagent
Information referenced in this video:
Link to Gist:
gist.github.com/darinpope/a69...
Jenkins LTS 2.332.2
www.jenkins.io/changelog-stab...
CloudBees on Twitter:
/ cloudbees
Darin on Twitter:
/ darinpope

[@mathieup3765]

Such a clear and easy to follow tutorial! Thank you for your time!

[@victoriaweilei3949]

Very clear tutorial. It makes it so easy to create a Jenkins agent. I struggled a lot when I was trying to install Jenkins agent a couple of years ago. Wish I had such a helpful tutorial to follow at that time.

[@Anilkumar-py1pk]

Thank you Sir! Great article !! I have successfully configured Windows service using this.

[@danielneamtiu707]

Great tutorial! Easy to understand and follow! Thank you :)

[@evemuhia2]

Clear and concise! Love this presentation

[@ride_it_]

Very much helpful. Thanks a lot for this video

[@NathanTidwell]

This was excellent! Thanks for sharing the knowledge

[@BJ-ru2cl]

Great tutorial! Thanks for your work.

[@Lugge1999]

I start my Windows agent via SSH from the Controller. Very comfortable once set up

[@dhasanka]

clear step by step , thanks

[@BarelyPayingattention]

Awesome tutorial. Great job!

[@luisbetancourt1949]

Thank you! Great tutorial

[@diogomenezes7447]

GREAAAATTT! Thank you so much!

[@waleedsaeed7521]

Really helpful.. Thanks man.

[@bubblerings9337]

Wow he's good. Excellent tutorial.

[@joshuaandresblancojerez6455]

great tutorial

[@ashok2831]

Thanks a lot !!!

[@YankeezeFan]

fantastic

[@gabrielwisniewski5857]

awesome

[@danielcohen3276]

Is setting this up as a service any better than just running that "Run from agent command line" code from the command line manually?

[@jjunm2650]

I enjoyed the video. I'm trying to get help because I encountered the following problem while trying to practice.
1. Manage Jenkins
2. Manage nodes and clouds
3. Add New Node
4. Launch method: Launch agent by connectong ot to the controller
> Use WebSocket
> 'WebSocket support is not enabled in this jenkins installation'

[@a_suslov]

I encountered error 1064: an exception occurred in the service when handling the control request. Does anyone know how to resolve it? I try to start it via the terminal and it says that the service starts successfully... but it doesn't.

[@saulofigueiredo6162]

Hello, if Jenkins is already configured and running on a node in a folder, what do I need to change the folder?

[@shubhamgupta7652]

Anonymous read is turned on that's why you are not getting 403, Is there any method we can do the authentication without tokens/passwords for agent connection.

[@landolsi]

Hello,
After Windows Restart the Agent not started Automatically, what can I do please?

[@NastyWicked]

I've been using winsw for 2 years now with fully automated auto-(re)connecting agents, I don't see a way to accomplish this if I have to manually type in the windows account password.
Also, how secure is it having the agent secret in the winsw xml file on the filesystem?

[@turbobobi]

Technically, you can keep the secret in a separate file and just make the command line consume that file - there's an example of this in examples GitHub repo for WinSW.
Also, using a custom local account is completely optional in my view - the default (Local System) is good enough in most situations.

[@tinnu.universe]

There used to be an easy way "launch the agent from browser and click on install it as windows service" without the steps for us to do. what happened to it? Why did you remove it?

[@rigomatezoltan4302]

It has to do with some Java 11 Voodoo if I remember correct.

[@noahwh]

It used Java Web Start, which was removed by Oracle starting in Java 11.

[@justmak777]

Dont remove manual jnlp install agents pls.

[@ulman8829]

i try , but i get Handshake error ?

[@BJ-ru2cl]

Maybe you can open the agent configuration page, enable "Use WebSocket" and try again.

[@KoljaMineralka]

I'm getting the same error !!! tried both TCP and Websocket, did you fix it ???

[@cedric13071974]

Same error for me because Jenkins is behind a Apache which provide https. Adding the certificate to the keystore, or trying to force to use port 8080 doesn’t seems to work. The configuration for using a Windows agent is over-complicated.

[@cedric13071974]

Oh ho. Adding the certificate chain to the keystore solve my issue but now i have a Handshake error. So the SSL Handshake error i solved was different than yours.

[@sandorbuda5909]

But for the service setup the simple Jenkins "solution" still exists (Tested on Jenkins 2.332.1)
1. download the %JENKINS_URL%/computer/AGENt_name/jenkins-agent.jnlp to the agent wher you want to run the agent
2. On the agent run javaws jenkins-agent.jnlp
3. from the started GUI : File -> install as a service
And it will create the windows service

[@muddyboy999]

I tried this but unfortunately I'm using OpenJDK which doesn't include javaws :(

[@sandorbuda5909]

@@muddyboy999 I guess I used openjdk 1.8

[@sandorbuda5909]

@@muddyboy999 I have checked that. Adopt openjdk has "javaws" the icedtea-web

[@gergelysandorjakab2549]

Thank you very much for this easy and well detailed tutorial. :)

[@user-nh9ql1qr1o]

Great tutorial! Thanks for your work.