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This guide walks you through attaching a self-hosted runner directly to your GitHub repository. While organization- and enterprise-level runners are possible, this tutorial focuses on repository-level setup for Linux. Refer to the official GitHub docs for detailed requirements, auto-scaling, limits, and best practices: Hosting your own runners.
The image shows a GitHub Docs page about self-hosted runners, explaining their use in GitHub Actions workflows. It includes navigation links and a detailed description of self-hosted runners.

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1. Add a New Self-Hosted Runner in GitHub

  1. In your repository, go to Settings → Actions → Runners.
  2. Click New self-hosted runner.
  3. Select Linux as the OS and x64 as the architecture. GitHub then displays the setup commands.
The image shows a GitHub repository page with details about branches, files, and a README section discussing GitHub Actions. The interface includes options for code management and repository settings.

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Available Runner Platforms

Operating SystemArchitecture
Linuxx64
macOSx64, ARM
Windowsx64, ARM

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2. Install the Runner on Your Linux VM

Open a terminal and execute: 
# 1. Create and enter a directory for the runner
mkdir actions-runner && cd actions-runner

# 2. Download the latest runner package
curl -o actions-runner-linux-x64-2.310.2.tar.gz -L \
  https://github.com/actions/runner/releases/download/v2.310.2/actions-runner-linux-x64-2.310.2.tar.gz

# 3. (Optional) Verify checksum
echo "fb23a1c715ea0c501fa60beefcf295e26cfbbf849f3  actions-runner-linux-x64-2.310.2.tar.gz" \
  | sha256sum --check

# 4. Unpack the archive
tar xzf ./actions-runner-linux-x64-2.310.2.tar.gz
Ensure your VM meets the runner requirements: at least 2 CPU cores, 8 GB RAM, and Docker if you plan on containerized jobs.
After extraction, verify the scripts: 
ls
# bin  config.sh  env.sh  externals  run-helper.cmd.template \
# run-helper.sh.template  run.sh  safe_sleep.sh

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3. Configure the Runner

Use the registration token provided in the GitHub UI: 
./config.sh --url https://github.com/your-username/your-repo \
  --token YOUR_TOKEN_HERE
By default, running the runner as root is disabled for security. To override (at your own risk), export:
export RUNNER_ALLOW_RUNASROOT=1
Follow the interactive prompts: 
GitHub Actions self-hosted runner registration
✓ Connected to GitHub
Enter the name of runner group: [Default]
Enter name of runner: [press Enter for ubuntu-host] prod-ubuntu-runner
Labels: self-hosted, Linux, X64
Enter additional labels (comma-separated): [skip]
✓ Runner successfully added
✓ Runner connection is good
Enter work folder name: [press Enter for _work]

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4. Verify the Runner in GitHub

Return to Settings → Actions → Runners and refresh. You should see prod-ubuntu-runner listed (initially offline):
The image shows a GitHub Actions runner configuration page for a "prod-ubuntu-runner" with no active jobs running. It displays labels such as "self-hosted," "Linux," and "X64."

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5. Start the Runner

Launch the runner process: 
./run.sh
Sample output: 
Current runner version: '2.310.2'
2023-10-24 14:51:44Z: Listening for Jobs
After a moment, refresh the GitHub Runners page—it should display online and idle, ready to accept jobs.

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