# Deploying a Simple HTML Page Using a Self-hosted GitLab Runner
> Push to GitLab → automatically deploy `index.html` on your own machine.
This article walks through setting up **GitLab CI/CD with a self-hosted runner** to deploy a simple **single-page HTML website**. No Docker. No Kubernetes. Just Git, SSH, and GitLab Runner.
### Step 1: Create a Simple HTML page and create `.gitlab-ci.yml`
This is the only time we will need the IDE, just a simple `index.html` and `.gitlab-ci.yml`. Add the project to GitLab.
```xml
Document
Hello World
```
```yaml
stages:
- deploy
deploy_local:
stage: deploy
tags: [local]
only:
- main
script:
- echo "Deploying on local machine"
- cd /var/www/html/myapp
- git pull origin main
```
### Step 2: Install GitLab Runner on Your Server
On the machine where deployment should happen:
```bash
curl -L https://packages.gitlab.com/install/repositories/runner/gitlab-runner/script.deb.sh | sudo bash
sudo apt install gitlab-runner
gitlab-runner --version
```
### Step 3: Register the Runner
In your GitLab project:
* **Settings → CI/CD → Runners**
* Copy the **registration token**
On the server:
```bash
sudo gitlab-runner register
```
Use:
* GitLab URL: [`https://gitlab.com`](https://gitlab.com)
* Executor: **shell**
* Tags: `local`
* Run untagged jobs: **false**
Confirm:
```bash
sudo gitlab-runner list
```
If jobs stay **Pending**, this step was missed or done without `sudo`.
### Step 4: Prepare the Web Directory
Create the deployment directory and give ownership to the runner user:
```bash
sudo mkdir -p /var/www/html/myapp
sudo chown -R gitlab-runner:www-data /var/www/html/myapp
sudo chmod -R 775 /var/www/html/myapp
```
### Step 5: Set Up SSH Access for `gitlab-runner`
The runner pulls code using Git, so it needs SSH access.
```bash
sudo -u gitlab-runner -H ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "gitlab-runner" # Generate SSH key
sudo -u gitlab-runner -H ssh-keyscan -H gitlab.com >> /home/gitlab-runner/.ssh/known_hosts # Add GitLab to known hosts
sudo cat /home/gitlab-runner/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub # Add the public key to GitLab
```
Add this key in:
* **Project → Settings → Repository → Deploy Keys**
(Deploy keys are safer than user keys.)
### Step 6: Clone the Repository as `gitlab-runner`
This step is critical to avoid permission and “dubious ownership” errors.
```bash
sudo -u gitlab-runner -H bash -lc \
'git clone git@gitlab.com:ckasasira/gitlab-runner-test.git /var/www/html/myapp'
```
Verify, You should see `.git/` owned by `gitlab-runner`.
```bash
ls -la /var/www/html/myapp
```
## Step 7: Watch It Deploy
Make any changes to the HTML, commit and push:
```bash
git add .
git commit -m "Add local deployment pipeline"
git push origin main
```
In GitLab:
* Go to **CI/CD → Pipelines**
* The job should move from **Pending → Running → Passed**
Refresh your browser:
```bash
http:///myapp/
```
You should see:
> **Hello World 1**
Change the heading, push again, and watch it update instantly.
---
## Common Errors (and What They Teach You)
* `Job pending`: Runner not registered or tag mismatch.
* `Permission denied`: Files owned by `root`, not `gitlab-runner`.
* `detected dubious ownership`: Repo created with `sudo git init`.
Fix by re-cloning as `gitlab-runner`.
* `Permission denied (publickey)`: Missing SSH deploy key.
## Final Thoughts
CI/CD doesn’t start with Kubernetes.
It starts with **one file, one push, one automated deployment**.
Once you understand this flow, everything else (Docker, cloud runners, pipelines) makes sense.
If you’re learning DevOps: **this is the right place to start.**
If you want, I can:
* Rewrite this for [**Dev.to**](http://Dev.to) **/ Medium tone**
* Add **architecture diagrams**
* Add **rollback support**