Should I Run Jenkins on My Distro or as a Docker Swarm Service?

Let me guess: your company is tech-oriented but doesn't actually want to invest in proper tech support anymore? Sounds about right, hiring interns to sort everything out just because it's cheaper than keeping experienced staff around.

For a product that's already serving big industries, I'd recommend using a setup you're comfortable with. There are a lot of discussions around the best tools, but ultimately, if you can’t manage them, they’re not much use. I'd need a lot more details to give tailored advice. Running Jenkins on your local distro is vague—what are your specific needs? Are you handling this alone?

Starting with a Docker Swarm service could be a solid move. If Jenkins is too complex at first, CI tools like Drone or Woodpecker CI might be worth exploring as they allow you to scale your deployment more efficiently. Even basic setups with Docker Compose can handle a lot—I've managed many repos with it without diving deep into Kubernetes. That said, keep resource management in mind; optimize as you go instead of rushing into K8s right away.

Honestly, finding a straightforward yes or no here is tough. Depending on what you're doing with Jenkins, it might just be impossible to provide a solid answer without knowing more.

You should really consult with the senior engineers on your team. If they expect you to manage such complex setups like Jenkins in production, it might be that they don't have the most reasonable expectations. Better to get their insights first.