docs/content/actions/concepts/runners/github-hosted-runners.md

title, intro, redirect_from, versions

title	intro	redirect_from	versions
GitHub-hosted runners	{% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} offers hosted virtual machines to run workflows. The virtual machine contains an environment of tools, packages, and settings available for {% data variables.product.prodname_actions %} to use.	/articles/virtual-environments-for-github-actions /github/automating-your-workflow-with-github-actions/virtual-environments-for-github-actions /github/automating-your-workflow-with-github-actions/virtual-environments-for-github-hosted-runners /actions/automating-your-workflow-with-github-actions/virtual-environments-for-github-hosted-runners /actions/reference/virtual-environments-for-github-hosted-runners /actions/reference/software-installed-on-github-hosted-runners /actions/reference/specifications-for-github-hosted-runners /actions/using-github-hosted-runners/about-github-hosted-runners /actions/using-github-hosted-runners/about-github-hosted-runners/about-github-hosted-runners /actions/using-github-hosted-runners/using-github-hosted-runners/about-github-hosted-runners /actions/how-tos/using-github-hosted-runners/using-github-hosted-runners/about-github-hosted-runners /actions/concepts/runners/about-github-hosted-runners	fpt ghes ghec * * *

{% data reusables.actions.enterprise-github-hosted-runners %}

Overview of {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}-hosted runners

Runners are the machines that execute jobs in a {% data variables.product.prodname_actions %} workflow. For example, a runner can clone your repository locally, install testing software, and then run commands that evaluate your code.

{% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} provides runners that you can use to run your jobs, or you can host your own runners. {% data reusables.actions.single-cpu-runners %}

Each runner comes with the runner application and other tools preinstalled. {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}-hosted runners are available with Ubuntu Linux, Windows, or macOS operating systems. When you use a {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}-hosted runner, machine maintenance and upgrades are taken care of for you.

{% ifversion not ghes %}

You can choose one of the standard {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}-hosted runner options or, if you are on the {% data variables.product.prodname_team %} or {% data variables.product.prodname_ghe_cloud %} plan, you can provision a runner with more cores, or a runner that's powered by a GPU processor. These machines are referred to as "{% data variables.actions.hosted_runner %}." For more information, see AUTOTITLE.

{% data variables.actions.hosted_runners_caps %} also support custom images, which let you create and manage your own preconfigured VM images. For more information, see Custom images.

Using {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}-hosted runners requires network access with at least 70 kilobits per second upload and download speeds.

{% endif %}

{% ifversion github-hosted-runners-emus-entitlements %}

Note

{% data reusables.actions.entitlement-minutes-emus %} For more information, see AUTOTITLE.

{% endif %}

{% ifversion not ghes %}

Runner images

{% data variables.product.github %} maintains our own set of VM images for our standard hosted runners. This includes the images for macOS, x64 linux and Windows images. The list of images and their included tools are managed in the actions/runner-images repository. Our arm64 images are partner images, and those are managed in the actions/partner-runner-images repository.

Preinstalled software for GitHub-owned images

The software tools included in our GitHub-owned images are updated weekly. The update process takes several days, and the list of preinstalled software on the main branch is updated after the whole deployment ends.

Workflow logs include a link to the preinstalled tools on the exact runner. To find this information in the workflow log, expand the Set up job section. Under that section, expand the Runner Image section. The link following Included Software will describe the preinstalled tools on the runner that ran the workflow.

For more information, see AUTOTITLE.

{% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}-hosted runners include the operating system's default built-in tools, in addition to the packages listed in the above references. For example, Ubuntu and macOS runners include grep, find, and which, among other default tools.

{% ifversion actions-sbom %}

You can also view a software bill of materials (SBOM) for each build of the Windows and Ubuntu runner images. For more information, see AUTOTITLE.

{% endif %}

We recommend using actions to interact with the software installed on runners. This approach has several benefits:

• Usually, actions provide more flexible functionality like version selection, ability to pass arguments, and parameters
• It ensures the tool versions used in your workflow will remain the same regardless of software updates

If there is a tool that you'd like to request, please open an issue at actions/runner-images. This repository also contains announcements about all major software updates on runners.

Note

• You can also install additional software on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}-hosted runners. See AUTOTITLE.
• While nested virtualization is technically possible while using runners, it is not officially supported. Any use of nested VMs is experimental and done at your own risk, we offer no guarantees regarding stability, performance, or compatibility.

Custom images

Custom images let you start with a {% data variables.product.github %}-provided base image and build your own VM image that’s customized to your workflow needs. With custom images, you can:

• Build custom VM images using existing workflow YAML syntax.
• Pre-configure environments with approved tooling, security patches, and dependencies before workflows start.
• Create consistent, validated base environments across all builds.

Custom images can include repository code, container images, binaries, certificates, and other dependencies to create a consistent build environment across workflows. This helps you gain control over your supply chain. They help reduce setup time, improve build performance, and strengthen security by reducing the surface attack vector on your images. Administrators can also apply policies to manage image versions, retention, and age to meet organizational security and compliance requirements.

Custom images can only be used with larger runners and are billed at the same per-minute rates as those runners. Storage for custom images is billed and metered through {% data variables.product.prodname_actions %} storage. For more information about billing, see AUTOTITLE.

To get started with custom images, see AUTOTITLE.

Cloud hosts used by {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}-hosted runners

{% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} hosts Linux and Windows runners on virtual machines in Microsoft Azure with the {% data variables.product.prodname_actions %} runner application installed. The {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}-hosted runner application is a fork of the Azure Pipelines Agent. Inbound ICMP packets are blocked for all Azure virtual machines, so ping or traceroute commands might not work. {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} hosts macOS runners in Azure data centers.

Workflow continuity

{% data reusables.actions.runner-workflow-continuity %}

In addition, if the workflow run has been successfully queued, but has not been processed by a {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}-hosted runner within 45 minutes, then the queued workflow run is discarded.

The etc/hosts file

{% data reusables.actions.runners-etc-hosts-file %}

{% endif %}