How to use the Docker version of Actions Runner？

[pooneyy]

How to write its docker-compose.yaml file? Can you give an example? Be deeply grateful

[amasen02]

Here is a complete, production-ready docker-compose.yml setup for running a containerized GitHub Actions runner, along with Docker-in-Docker support so your workflow jobs can run container steps:

1. docker-compose.yml

services:
  github-runner:
    image: myoung34/github-runner:latest
    container_name: github-runner-01
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      # Use REPO_URL for a single repository or ORG_NAME for an organization
      REPO_URL: "https://github.com/your-user/your-repo"
      # Pass via .env file (never hardcode in this file)
      RUNNER_TOKEN: "${RUNNER_TOKEN}"
      RUNNER_NAME: "docker-runner-01"
      RUNNER_WORKDIR: "/tmp/runner/work"
      LABELS: "self-hosted,linux,x64,docker"
      # ephemereal: set to 'true' if you want a clean container after each job
      EPHEMERAL: "false"
    volumes:
      # Mount the Docker daemon socket so workflows can build and run containers
      - /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
      # Persist the runner workspace across container restarts
      - runner-workspace:/tmp/runner/work

volumes:
  runner-workspace:

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2. Create the .env file

Do not put your registration token directly in the YAML. Create a .env file in the same directory:

RUNNER_TOKEN=AAABBBCCCDDDEEEFFF12345

How to get the token:
Go to your GitHub Repository -> Settings -> Actions -> Runners -> New self-hosted runner. Copy the token listed in the registration command (note that this registration token is valid for 1 hour for setup).

---

3. Start the Runner

# Start in the background
docker compose up -d

# Inspect runner logs to verify connection
docker compose logs -f github-runner

When connected, the logs will show:

√ Connected to GitHub
Listening for Jobs

And in your GitHub repository under Settings > Actions > Runners, you will see docker-runner-01 in the Idle state ready to accept jobs.