github-runner
Files
SKILL.mdagentsreferences
Install
Install only this skill with npx skills
npx skills add alisonaquinas/llm-ci-dev --skill 'github-runner' -g -y
Install the containing skill bundle
/plugin install ci-cd@llm-skills
This skill is bundled inside ci-cd. Use
npx skills when you only want this skill, or install the bundle once to make every included skill available through the plugin marketplace flow. Browse the full skill bundle repository at github.com/alisonaquinas/llm-ci-dev.Invoke
Invoke this skill after installation
/ci-cd:github-runner
SKILL.md
name: github-runner description: > Install, register, configure, and maintain GitHub Actions self-hosted runners on Linux, macOS, Windows, and Kubernetes via Actions Runner Controller (ARC). Cover runner binary installation, service setup, token management, ARC deployment, scaling, and operational management.
GitHub Actions Runner
Install, register, and operate GitHub Actions self-hosted runners to execute jobs on your infrastructure. This skill covers runner binary installation, registration, service management, Kubernetes ARC deployment, and operations.
Intent Router
Load reference files for depth on specific topics:
| Topic | File | Load when... |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | references/installation.md | Installing runner binary, setting up services on Linux, macOS, Windows, or containers |
| Registration & Configuration | references/registration-and-config.md | Registering runners, token management, labels, groups, and proxy configuration |
| ARC and Scaling | references/arc-and-scaling.md | Deploying Actions Runner Controller on Kubernetes, ephemeral runners, auto-scaling |
| Operations | references/operations.md | Service control, token rotation, updates, firewall, and troubleshooting |
Quick Start
Core Concepts
GitHub Actions Runner is a self-hosted agent that executes workflow jobs from GitHub repositories. The lifecycle: download → configure (obtain token from GitHub) → run (execute workflow jobs).
Minimal Installation & Registration (Linux)
# Create directory for runner
mkdir -p ~/runner && cd ~/runner
# Download latest runner for x64
curl -o actions-runner-linux-x64-latest.tar.gz \
-L https://github.com/actions/runner/releases/download/v2.414.0/actions-runner-linux-x64-2.414.0.tar.gz
# Extract
tar xzf actions-runner-linux-x64-latest.tar.gz
# Generate a token from GitHub (repo/org settings → Runners)
# Then configure
./config.sh \
--url https://github.com/owner/repo \
--token <GITHUB_TOKEN> \
--name "my-runner" \
--labels "linux,docker" \
--runnergroup "default" \
--work "_work"
# Install service
./svc.sh install
# Start service
./svc.sh start
Runner Scope and Tokens
Runners can be registered at three GitHub levels:
| Scope | URL | Token Source |
|---|---|---|
| Repository | https://github.com/owner/repo | Repo → Settings → Actions → Runners |
| Organization | https://github.com/owner | Org → Settings → Actions → Runners |
| Enterprise | https://github.com/enterprises/name | Enterprise → Settings → Actions → Runners |
Each scope level has its own authentication tokens.
config.sh Flags
./config.sh \
--url <GITHUB_URL> \ # GitHub repo, org, or enterprise URL
--token <TOKEN> \ # PAT or fine-grained token
--name <RUNNER_NAME> \ # Display name for runner
--labels docker,linux,ubuntu \ # Comma-separated labels
--runnergroup "default" \ # Runner group assignment
--work "_work" \ # Workspace directory
--ephemeral \ # Ephemeral runner (runs one job then exits)
--disableupdate # Prevent auto-update
Cross-References
Use alongside these skills for deeper context:
- github-ci — Write and maintain GitHub Actions workflows that trigger runner jobs
- github-docs — Deep syntax reference for GitHub Actions workflow keywords
- ci-architecture — Design patterns for multi-runner deployments and runner group management
Related References
- Load Installation for platform-specific setup (Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, Kubernetes)
- Load Registration & Configuration to understand tokens, labels, groups, and proxy configuration
- Load ARC and Scaling to deploy Kubernetes-based runners with auto-scaling
- Load Operations for service management, updates, token rotation, and troubleshooting