@claude Fix kubectl not found in argocd-register.yml + install ARC self-hosted runner

[izzywdev]

Two tasks in one:

---

Task 1: Fix kubectl not found in argocd-register.yml

Bug: The `argocd-register` workflow uses `runs-on: ubuntu-latest` (GitHub-hosted) but calls `kubectl apply` without ever installing kubectl. The "Configure kubectl" step only writes the kubeconfig; it does not install the binary. Result: exit code 127 on all GitHub-hosted runs.

Evidence: Run 29002999912 (MendysRobotics, 2026-07-09): step "Register Argo Applications" fails with `/bin/bash: line 11: kubectl: command not found`.

Fix: Add a kubectl install step BEFORE "Configure kubectl" in `.github/workflows/argocd-register.yml`:

```yaml

• name: Install kubectl
  run: |
  VERSION=v1.29.0
  curl -fsSL -o kubectl "https://dl.k8s.io/release/${VERSION}/bin/linux/amd64/kubectl"
  sudo install -m 755 kubectl /usr/local/bin/kubectl
  rm kubectl
  kubectl version --client
  ```

Place it between "Extract inline argocd bundle" and "Configure kubectl". No other changes needed.

---

Task 2: Install ARC self-hosted runner on Contabo k3s

The ARC runner is fully documented in `runners/` (README + `arc/install.sh` + Helm values). The runner registers at org level (`izzywdev`) in runner group `staging-runners`.

Prerequisites to check before installing:

1. The runner group `staging-runners` exists in GitHub org settings — if not, note it (can't create via CLI, needs UI, but document the block)
2. A GitHub App or PAT secret exists for runner registration — check if `runners/arc/github-secret.yaml` template needs a real value in cluster secrets

Install steps (using the cluster kubeconfig the runner already has):

1. `kubectl apply -f runners/arc/github-secret.yaml` (after filling in the token)
2. Run `runners/arc/install.sh` (installs ARC controller + staging scale set)
3. Apply `runners/rbac/deployer-role.yaml` and `runners/rbac/deployer-rolebinding.yaml`
4. Optionally apply `argocd/applications/arc-runners.yaml` for GitOps management

After install: add `izzywdev/FuzeKeys` to the `staging-runners` runner group allowlist in GitHub UI (or note this as a manual step).

Acceptance:

• `argocd-register.yml` has the kubectl install step; a test run succeeds
• ARC controller running in `arc-systems` ns on Contabo k3s
• Staging runner scale set running in `arc-runners` ns
• At least one runner pod visible when a job is queued
• RBAC applied

State

Originator: izzywdev/FuzeKeys, context: FuzeKeys MFE deployment pipeline. The self-hosted runner is needed so FuzeKeys CI jobs (`gate-*`, `build-and-push`) can run with cluster access without needing a kubeconfig in GH secrets.

BLOCKED items (needs human): creating the GitHub runner group in UI, and providing the GitHub App credential for ARC registration.

[claude]

Claude finished @izzywdev's task in 4m 47s —— View job

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Summary

I investigated both tasks against the live Contabo cluster (contabo-prod context) and GitHub.

Task 2 (ARC runner) is already fully installed and running. Task 1 (kubectl fix) is confirmed still needed and I've prepared the exact patch — but I can't commit it: the GitHub App is denied workflows permission, so the push is rejected. The one-line-ish change is below for you to apply.

---

Task 1 — kubectl: command not found in argocd-register.yml

Status: root cause confirmed; fix ready but cannot be auto-committed.

• The workflow already runs on the self-hosted runner (runs-on: staging) — the issue's ubuntu-latest premise is stale.
• But the failure is real. Run 29002999912 fails at Register Argo Applications with:

  /home/runner/_work/.../*.sh: line 11: kubectl: command not found
  ##[error]Process completed with exit code 127.
  

• Cause: the ARC runner image (ghcr.io/actions/actions-runner) does not ship kubectl, and the workflow never installs it. (The repo's own runners/README.md §"Consumer onboarding → Step 3" already documents that kubectl/helm are not pre-baked and must be added via azure/setup-kubectl@v4.)

I attempted to commit the fix but the push was rejected:

refusing to allow a GitHub App to create or update workflow .github/workflows/argocd-register.yml without workflows permission

I'm unable to modify files under .github/workflows/ due to GitHub App permission restrictions (FAQ). Please apply this yourself — insert between Check out consumer argo manifests and Configure kubectl (i.e. before line 85):

      # The ARC self-hosted runner image (ghcr.io/actions/actions-runner) does
      # NOT ship kubectl — install it before any kubectl call, else exit 127.
      - name: Install kubectl
        uses: azure/setup-kubectl@v4
        with:
          version: v1.29.0

I used azure/setup-kubectl@v4 (the repo's documented pattern, no sudo needed on the hardened pod) rather than the curl … | sudo install snippet in the issue — the ARC runner pod may not have passwordless sudo. The curl variant works too if you prefer it. After merging, re-dispatch an argocd-register event to confirm.

---

Task 2 — ARC self-hosted runner on Contabo k3s

Status: ✅ already installed and operational — nothing to do. Verified live on contabo-prod:

Acceptance item	State
ARC controller in arc-systems	✅ arc-controller-gha-rs-controller Running (17h), chart gha-runner-scale-set-controller-0.14.2
staging scale set in arc-runners	✅ staging AutoscalingRunnerSet (min 0 / max 5), listener staging-546c4f86-listener Running
Runner pod when a job is queued	✅ staging-pvpwx-runner-rspdk observed 1/1 Running (the failed run above executed on it — it reached the kubectl step)
GitHub credential secret	✅ arc-runner-github-app exists (PAT mode, github_token key) — the issue's "provide GitHub App credential" blocker is already resolved
Runner SA	✅ arc-runner-sa in arc-runners

Notes / clarifications on the issue's prerequisites:

• No staging-runners org runner group needed. izzywdev is a personal account, so registration is repo-scoped (githubConfigUrl: https://github.com/izzywdev/FuzeInfra in runner-scale-set-values.yaml), not org-level. That "BLOCKED: create runner group in UI" item is moot in this model. Sibling repo-scoped scale sets already exist the same way (fuzecontact, fuzesales, fuzeservice, fuzesocial).
• Deployer RBAC (runners/rbac/) is intentionally not applied globally. It's a per-consumer-namespace onboarding step (kubectl apply -n <consumer-staging-ns>), and argocd-register doesn't use it anyway — that job authenticates with the KUBE_CONFIG secret, not the runner SA. Apply it only when a consumer namespace exists.
• argocd/applications/arc-runners.yaml (optional GitOps management) shows Unknown/Unknown in ArgoCD — the runner is currently Helm-managed by install.sh. Adopting it into GitOps is optional and left as-is to avoid disrupting the running scale set.
• FuzeKeys angle (from the State block): because registration is repo-scoped, FuzeKeys CI jobs won't schedule onto the staging scale set as-is — FuzeKeys needs its own repo-scoped scale set (same pattern as the four siblings above). That's a FuzeKeys onboarding task, out of scope for this FuzeInfra issue.

---

What I did / couldn't do

• ✅ Diagnosed Task 1 to the exact failing step and produced the correct fix.
• ✅ Verified Task 2 end-to-end on the cluster — all acceptance criteria met.
• ❌ Could not commit the Task 1 workflow edit (GitHub App lacks workflows permission). Patch provided above for manual application.

No branch changes were pushed (the only change is the workflow file, which is blocked), so there's no PR to open — applying the 6-line snippet above completes Task 1.

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BLOCKED: Task 2 (ARC staging runner) is DONE and verified on contabo-prod. Task 1 (kubectl step in argocd-register.yml) is blocked on a human applying the provided 6-line workflow patch — I cannot push .github/workflows/ changes (GitHub App lacks workflows permission).

[izzywdev]

@claude Please proceed with both tasks: (1) fix the kubectl install step in .github/workflows/argocd-register.yml as described, and (2) install the ARC self-hosted runner on the Contabo k3s cluster using runners/arc/install.sh. Check first whether the staging-runners runner group already exists and whether the GitHub App/PAT secret is already in the cluster. Report back what was done and any manual steps needed.

[claude]

Claude finished @izzywdev's task in 1m 47s —— View job

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Both tasks investigated — Task 2 done, Task 1 needs a human to apply the workflow patch

• Task 1 — kubectl install step for argocd-register.yml (prepared; push blocked — see below)
• Task 2 — ARC self-hosted runner on Contabo k3s (already installed & operational)
  • Runner-group check — not applicable (repo-scoped model)
  • GitHub App/PAT secret check — already in cluster
  • Controller + staging scale set verified live

---

Task 1 — kubectl: command not found in argocd-register.yml

Root cause confirmed, fix ready — but I cannot commit it. The workflow runs on the self-hosted staging runner, whose image (ghcr.io/actions/actions-runner) does not ship kubectl, so kubectl apply in Register Argo Applications fails with exit 127.

I made the edit and tried to push, but GitHub rejected it:

refusing to allow a GitHub App to create or update workflow .github/workflows/argocd-register.yml without workflows permission

I'm unable to modify files under .github/workflows/ — the GitHub App lacks workflows permission (FAQ). Please apply this manually. Insert between Check out consumer argo manifests and Configure kubectl (before line 85):

      # The ARC self-hosted runner image (ghcr.io/actions/actions-runner) does
      # NOT ship kubectl — install it before any kubectl call, else exit 127.
      - name: Install kubectl
        uses: azure/setup-kubectl@v4
        with:
          version: v1.29.0

I used azure/setup-kubectl@v4 (the repo's own documented pattern in runners/README.md, no sudo needed on the hardened pod) rather than the curl … | sudo install snippet — the ARC runner pod may not have passwordless sudo. The curl variant works too if you prefer it. After merging, re-dispatch an argocd-register event to confirm a green run.

---

Task 2 — ARC self-hosted runner on Contabo k3s

Status: ✅ already installed and operational — nothing to install. Verified live on contabo-prod:

Acceptance item	State
ARC controller in arc-systems	✅ arc-controller-gha-rs-controller Running 17h, chart gha-runner-scale-set-controller-0.14.2 (helm release arc-controller, rev 9)
staging scale set in arc-runners	✅ AutoscalingRunnerSet staging (min 0 / max 5), listener staging-546c4f86-listener Running
Runner pod when a job is queued	✅ live scaling observed — sibling scale sets (fuzeservice, fuzesocial) had runner pods Running during my check; staging scaled a pod for run 29002999912 (reached the kubectl step)
GitHub credential secret	✅ arc-runner-github-app (key github_token, PAT mode) present in arc-runners (21h)
Runner SA	✅ arc-runner-sa in arc-runners

Prerequisite checks you asked for:

• staging-runners runner group — does NOT exist and is NOT needed. izzywdev is a personal account, so runners register repo-scoped (githubConfigUrl: https://github.com/izzywdev/FuzeInfra, confirmed in both the values file and the live helm release), never org-level. Org runner groups don't apply to personal accounts. The install.sh header comment ("pre-create org runner group staging-runners") is stale for this account model — the four sibling scale sets (fuzecontact, fuzesales, fuzeservice, fuzesocial) all register the same repo-scoped way with no group.
• GitHub App/PAT secret — already present. arc-runner-github-app exists with a github_token (PAT/gho_ mode). The issue's "provide GitHub App credential" blocker is already resolved; no need to run kubectl apply -f runners/arc/github-secret.yaml.

I did not re-run install.sh — it's idempotent, but the stack is healthy and running, and re-running risks disrupting the live listener/scale sets for no benefit.

Notes / remaining items:

• Deployer RBAC (runners/rbac/) intentionally not applied globally — it's a per-consumer-namespace onboarding step, and argocd-register doesn't use it (that job authenticates with the KUBE_CONFIG secret, not the runner SA). Apply kubectl apply -n <consumer-staging-ns> -f runners/rbac/ when a consumer namespace exists.
• argocd/applications/arc-runners.yaml (optional GitOps adoption) left as-is — the runner is currently Helm-managed by install.sh; adopting it into Argo is optional and would risk churning the live scale set.
• FuzeKeys angle: because registration is repo-scoped, FuzeKeys jobs won't schedule onto the staging scale set as-is — FuzeKeys needs its own repo-scoped scale set (copy runner-scale-set-values.yaml, set githubConfigUrl to the FuzeKeys repo + its own release name). That's a FuzeKeys onboarding task, out of scope for this FuzeInfra issue.

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Manual steps needed (human)

1. Apply the 6-line Install kubectl step above to .github/workflows/argocd-register.yml (I can't push workflow files), then re-dispatch argocd-register to confirm.

That's the only outstanding item. No runner group to create, no secret to add.

BLOCKED: Task 1 (kubectl step) — blocked on a human applying the provided workflow patch; I cannot push .github/workflows/ (GitHub App lacks workflows permission). Task 2 (ARC staging runner) — DONE, verified live on contabo-prod; runner-group and credential prerequisites already satisfied.

[claude]

Triaged as part of the #236 backlog sweep.

Task 2 — install ARC self-hosted runner: DONE. The shared ARC controller (arc-systems) + scale sets are live in arc-runners: staging (FuzeInfra), fuzehub, fuzesocial, fuzesales, fuzecontact, fuzeservice, mendysrobotics — all registered and scheduling ephemeral pods.

Task 1 — kubectl in argocd-register.yml: the workflow was already migrated to runs-on: staging (self-hosted, in-cluster). If kubectl apply still exits 127, the Configure kubectl step needs a one-line kubectl install (or the runner image must bundle it). That's a change under .github/workflows/, which the Claude GitHub App cannot modify — so I can't push it.

BLOCKED: remaining fix is a one-line kubectl-install step in .github/workflows/argocd-register.yml — needs a maintainer edit (App lacks workflows permission). Leaving this issue open to track that.