GitHub Actions runner guides
Practical guides to running CI on your own hardware. Choose a host, understand the runner lifecycle and solve the problems that keep jobs waiting.
Start with your hardware
GitHub Actions on bare metal
Choose Macs or Linux hosts, configure a runner pool and route your first workflow to a clean VM on your own machine.
Self-hosted macOS GitHub Actions runners
Use an Apple Silicon Mac for Xcode builds. Plan Tart images, memory, signing and concurrency before moving your Apple workflows.
Operate and evaluate your runners
GitHub Actions job stuck queued? Check your self-hosted runners
Follow a job from its requested labels to a ready runner. Find the missing link before restarting machines or increasing capacity.
Ephemeral self-hosted runners: what survives a CI job?
A single-job registration and a clean machine solve different problems. Plan the full lifecycle, including the data you need after teardown.
Self-hosted vs GitHub-hosted runners: compare the full cost
A lower price per minute is only one part of the decision. Compare the cost of completing the same work, with enough capacity when your team needs it.
Ready to connect a machine? Follow the setup documentation and review the security model.