# Failed to process runner error=failed to update executor

**URL:** <https://forum.gitlab.com/t/failed-to-process-runner-error-failed-to-update-executor/136148>\
**Category:** Self-managed\
**Tags:** runner, pipelines\
**Created:** [November 12, 2026, 6:54pm UTC](https://forum.gitlab.com/t/failed-to-process-runner-error-failed-to-update-executor/136148 "2026-11-12T18:54:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![eliassal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/43a26b/32.png) [@eliassal](https://forum.gitlab.com/u/eliassal)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 6:54pm UTC](https://forum.gitlab.com/t/failed-to-process-runner-error-failed-to-update-executor/136148/1 "2026-11-12T18:54:20Z")

</div>

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### Problem to solve

_I followed instruction to run the runner on ubuntu, when I do_

`gitlab-runner --debug run`

I see the following error:

> WARNING: Failed to process runner builds=0 error=failed to update executor: initializing taskscaler: executor requires autoscaler config executor=instance max\_builds=1 runner=nfiGQ8nb4 runner\_name=localrunneronubuntu

I see it is online in th gitlab site but pipelines always in suspended mode

so what is missing? There is no docker on this box.

_Which troubleshooting steps have you already taken? Can you link to any docs or other resources so we know where you have been?_

### debug:

gitlab-runner --debug run

### Versions

_19.5_

- Self-managed
- `GitLab.com` SaaS
- Dedicated

Versions

- GitLab (Web: `/help` or self-managed system information `sudo gitlab-rake gitlab:env:info`):

### there is no self managed information tab

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![dnsmichi](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/gitlab/user_avatar/forum.gitlab.com/dnsmichi/32/50039_2.png) [@dnsmichi](https://forum.gitlab.com/u/dnsmichi)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 7:05pm UTC](https://forum.gitlab.com/t/failed-to-process-runner-error-failed-to-update-executor/136148/2 "2026-11-12T19:05:20Z")

</div>

Thanks for sharing the debug output. This line is the key one:

```auto
initializing taskscaler: executor requires autoscaler config executor=instance

```

Your runner is registered with the `instance` executor. That’s an autoscaling executor: it always goes through taskscaler and needs a `[runners.autoscaler]` section in `config.toml`. That’s why the runner shows as online but never picks up jobs.

On an Ubuntu machine without Docker, you most likely want the `shell` executor. It runs jobs directly on the host.

1. Edit `/etc/gitlab-runner/config.toml` and change the executor:

```toml
   [[runners]]
     name = "localrunneronubuntu"
     executor = "shell"

```

1. Restart the runner:

```shell
   sudo gitlab-runner restart

```

If you’re testing in the foreground, stop `gitlab-runner --debug run` and start it again.

1. Run the pipeline again and check that the job is picked up.

Alternatively, run `sudo gitlab-runner unregister --name localrunneronubuntu` and register again. When the setup asks for the executor, enter `shell`.

Worth knowing:

- With the shell executor, jobs run as the `gitlab-runner` user on the host. Any tools your jobs need (compilers, Node.js, Python, and so on) must be installed there.
- The shell executor ignores `image:` in `.gitlab-ci.yml`.
- If jobs still don’t start, check the runner’s tags in **Settings \> CI/CD \> Runners**. A job without tags only runs on a runner that has **Run untagged jobs** enabled.

The [shell executor docs](https://docs.gitlab.com/runner/executors/shell/) explain how it works and how it compares to the other executors.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![eliassal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/43a26b/32.png) [@eliassal](https://forum.gitlab.com/u/eliassal)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 8:46pm UTC](https://forum.gitlab.com/t/failed-to-process-runner-error-failed-to-update-executor/136148/3 "2026-11-12T20:46:22Z")

</div>

> [@dnsmichi](#):
>
> `sudo gitlab-runner restart`

Thanks dnsmichi, there was no runners section in toml file so I added what you suggested as follows

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/gitlab/original/3X/f/7/f742e8936cba8acdedbe8b0de300d1ff5e37e658.png)

did

sudo gitlab-runner restart

stopped

gitlab-runner --debug stop the run but got same error

`WARNING: Failed to process runner builds=0 error=failed to update executor: initializing taskscaler: executor requires autoscaler config executor=instance max_builds=1 runner=nfiGQ8nb4 runner_name=localrunneronubuntu`  
`Feeding runners to channel builds=0 max_builds=1`  
`Feeding runner to channel builds=0 max_builds=1 runner=nfiGQ8nb4`  
`Processing runner builds=0 max_builds=1 runner=nfiGQ8nb4 runner_name=localrunneronubuntu`  
`Acquiring job slot builds=0 max_builds=1 runner=nfiGQ8nb4`  
`Acquiring request slot builds=0 max_builds=1 runner=nfiGQ8nb4 runner_name=localrunneronubuntu`  
`Acquiring executor from provider builds=0 max_builds=1 runner=nfiGQ8nb4 runner_name=localrunneronubuntu`  
`WARNING: Failed to process runner builds=0 error=failed to update executor: initializing taskscaler: executor requires autoscaler config executor=instance max_builds=1 runner=nfiGQ8nb4 runner_name=localrunneronubuntu`  
`Feeding runners to channel builds=0 max_builds=1`  
`Feeding runner to channel builds=0 max_builds=1 runner=nfiGQ8nb4`  
`Processing runner builds=0 max_builds=1 runner=nfiGQ8nb4 runner_name=localrunneronubuntu`  
`Acquiring job slot builds=0 max_builds=1 runner=nfiGQ8nb4`  
`Acquiring request slot builds=0 max_builds=1 runner=nfiGQ8nb4 runner_name=localrunneronubuntu`  
`Acquiring executor from provider builds=0 max_builds=1 runner=nfiGQ8nb4 runner_name=localrunneronubuntu`  
`WARNING: Failed to process runner builds=0 error=failed to update executor: initializing taskscaler: executor requires autoscaler config executor=instance max_builds=1 runner=nfiGQ8nb4 runner_name=localrunneronubuntu`

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![eliassal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/43a26b/32.png) [@eliassal](https://forum.gitlab.com/u/eliassal)\
**Post date:** [November 12, 2026, 8:54pm UTC](https://forum.gitlab.com/t/failed-to-process-runner-error-failed-to-update-executor/136148/4 "2026-11-12T20:54:07Z")

</div>

> [@dnsmichi](#):
>
> gitlab-runner unregister --name localrunneronubuntu

I tried to unregister but got

```auto
sudo gitlab-runner unregister --name localrunneronubuntu
Runtime platform arch=amd64 os=linux pid=23549 revision=33227fd4 version=19.5.3
Running in system-mode.

There might be a problem with your config based on jsonschema annotations in common/config.go (experimental feature):
jsonschema validation failed with 'file:///home/salam/config_schema.json#'

at '/runners/0/url': minLength: got 0, want 1

at '/runners/0/token': minLength: got 0, want 1

ERROR: Unregistering runner from GitLab client error correlation_id=4c77575b0a9f49dfb8ae3e1fd08248bd runner_name=localrunneronubuntu status=get client: new client: only http or https scheme supported
FATAL: failed to unregister runner error=mutate config: unregister runner: failed to unregister runner "localrunneronubuntu"

```