Rultor
DevOps team assistant that helps you merge, deploy, and release GitHub-hosted apps and libraries
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What is Rultor?
Rultor is a DevOps team assistant that automates routine merge, deploy, and release operations for GitHub-hosted applications and libraries. It functions as an interactive chatbot that listens to commands in GitHub issues and pull requests, responding to three simple commands: merge, deploy, and release. When triggered, Rultor reads the .rultor.yml configuration file from your repository, starts a new Docker container, executes your pre-configured scripts, and reports back with full logs directly in the GitHub ticket.
The core functionality includes pre-flight builds that merge pull requests into master only after all tests pass, ensuring the master branch remains clean and unbroken. Every build runs in its own isolated Docker container, which substantially reduces external state that could affect builds and makes errors more easily reproducible. Rultor integrates seamlessly with existing continuous integration solutions like Jenkins, Go, Travis, Drone, Snap, Codeship, or Wercker, acting as a powerful addition rather than a replacement.
Rultor is designed for programmers and release managers who work in teams and need to automate routine DevOps operations with an easy-to-use intuitive chatbot interface. A human-readable sentence like '@rultor merge' or '@rultor release, tag=0.1' is sufficient to trigger complex operations. All logs are stored and published to the GitHub ticket where Rultor was mentioned, making vital information easily accessible to all developers on the team.
Rultor pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
Rultor is absolutely free for both open source and commercial projects. It is sponsored by teamed.io. There are no paid tiers, no usage limits mentioned, and no cost for either personal or business use.
Rultor pros
- Automates merge, deploy, and release operations with simple chat commands
- Every build runs in its own isolated Docker container for reproducibility
- Pre-flight builds prevent master branch from being broken by failed tests
- Integrates directly with GitHub issues and pull requests
- All build logs published back to the GitHub ticket for team visibility
- Works alongside existing CI solutions like Jenkins, Travis, Drone
- Free for both open source and commercial projects
- Simple YAML configuration file (.rultor.yml) for setup
- Human-readable chat interface instead of complex CLI commands
- Supports encrypted secrets for secure deployment credentials
- Automated tagging and versioning for releases
- Works with multiple deployment targets (Maven Central, RubyGems, Heroku, CloudBees)
- Programmer-friendly interface reduces fear of breaking builds
- Reads configuration from repository root for project-specific settings
- Sponsored by teamed.io for reliable hosting
Rultor cons
- Requires a separate server with Docker installed and SSH access
- Only works with GitHub repositories, not other version control systems
- Single server hosting at b4.rultor.com may be a single point of failure
- Requires understanding of Docker containers and bash scripting
- Configuration requires encrypting sensitive files manually before committing
- Limited to three main commands: merge, deploy, and release
- No built-in web dashboard, all interaction through GitHub comments
- Java-based implementation may be heavier than simpler alternatives
Frequently asked questions about Rultor
What is Rultor and what does it do?
Rultor is a DevOps team assistant that helps programmers and release managers automate routine merge, deploy, and release operations. It works as a chatbot in GitHub issues, responding to commands like @rultor merge, @rultor deploy, and @rultor release. It reads your .rultor.yml configuration, runs scripts in isolated Docker containers, and reports results back to your GitHub ticket.
How do I start using Rultor?
To start working with Rultor, simply give it commands via one of your GitHub tickets. Try posting '@rultor hello' in any GitHub issue and the conversation will start. You'll also need to create a .rultor.yml configuration file in your repository root that defines your deployment scripts and settings.
What commands does Rultor understand?
Rultor understands three main commands: 'merge' for merging pull requests after testing, 'deploy' for deploying to production or stage environments, and 'release' for creating releases and tags. All commands start with '@rultor' followed by the command name and optional parameters like '@rultor release, tag=0.1'.
How does Rultor's pre-flight merge work?
When Rultor finds a merge command in a pull request, it checks out the master branch, applies your changes to it, runs all configured tests in a Docker container, and only if everything passes does it push the merged master to GitHub. This prevents broken code from being merged into master.
Does Rultor replace my CI solution like Jenkins or Travis?
No, Rultor is not a replacement but rather a powerful addition to your existing continuous integration solution. It works alongside Jenkins, Go, Travis, Drone, Snap, Codeship, or Wercker, adding automated merge/deploy/release capabilities with a chatbot interface on top of your existing CI.
How much does Rultor cost?
Rultor is absolutely free for both open source and commercial projects. It is sponsored by teamed.io, so there are no costs, no usage limits, and no paid tiers to worry about.
How are secrets and credentials handled securely?
Rultor supports encrypted secrets through its decrypt configuration. You create a YAML file with credentials (like RubyGems API keys), encrypt it using the 'rultor encrypt' command with your repository name, and the encrypted .asc file is committed to your repo. Only the Rultor server can decrypt it during builds.
What Docker image does Rultor use by default?
The default Docker image is yegor256/rultor-image. Inside the Docker container, your scripts are executed by the user 'r' with its home directory at /home/r. Each build runs in its own fresh Docker container for complete isolation.
Where are build logs stored?
All logs are stored and published directly to the GitHub ticket or pull request where Rultor was mentioned. This makes vital build information easily accessible to all developers on the team without needing to check a separate dashboard or log server.
What repositories can use Rultor?
Rultor works with GitHub-hosted apps and libraries. It requires a server with Docker installed that Rultor can access via SSH. The hosted service currently works with a single server at b4.rultor.com. You need to configure your server with Docker, create a rultor user, and set up SSH authorized keys.