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docs/runner-docs_versioned_docs/version-5/index.md
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silverwind be6aefc7e8 Simplify the runner docs and fix their outdated facts (#600)
The runner pages had drifted from the runner. They claimed Podman is unsupported, a registration retry limit of 10, a `container.env` proxy override that has no effect, and they used the deprecated `generate-config` command, while the actual instructions were buried under implementation details.

The develop and 5.x pages are rewritten from the current runner sources (`main` is `v5.2.0`). They are shorter and aimed at operators, with a new page covering what jobs get. The reference generator now documents the `config` command, and the quickstart pages in every language use the `gitea-runner` binary name.

Reviewed-on: https://gitea.com/gitea/docs/pulls/600
Reviewed-by: Lunny Xiao <[email protected]>
Co-authored-by: silverwind <[email protected]>
2026-10-21 05:25:45 +00:00

1.9 KiB

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Gitea Runner

Gitea Runner runs Gitea Actions jobs. It asks a Gitea instance for jobs, runs them, and sends their logs and results back.

:::info These pages describe the runner 5.x series. Select another release, or the development version, in the Runner Version dropdown. :::

Requirements

  • Gitea 1.21 or later with Actions enabled, the default setting.
  • Git 2.34.1 or later on the runner's PATH.
  • Docker, or Podman with podman.socket enabled, for jobs in containers, Docker actions, and docker:// steps.

Jobs need these tools wherever steps run, in the job image or on the host:

  • bash or sh for run steps, or pwsh or powershell on Windows.
  • node for JavaScript actions and hashFiles().
  • git 2.34.1 or later for builtin:checkout, plus git-lfs for its lfs input and ssh for its ssh-key input.

Where jobs run

The runner's labels determine where each job runs. One runner can use a mix of these environments:

Label Where the job runs
docker://<image> In a container
kubernetes://<image> In a pod in a Kubernetes cluster
host Directly on the runner's machine

Host jobs run as the runner's user without isolation. Use them only for trusted repositories.

Getting started

  1. Install the runner from a binary, with Docker, or on Kubernetes.
  2. Register it with your Gitea instance.
  3. Start it with gitea-runner daemon.

The runner works without a configuration file. Configuration explains when you need one.

The runner is released independently of Gitea. Read Upgrading before moving to a new major version.