GitHub Actions is a powerful tool that allows developers to automate their software workflows directly from their GitHub repositories. It enables continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) by allowing you to create workflows that build, test, package, release, and deploy your code. GitHub Actions supports both GitHub-hosted runners and self-hosted runners, giving developers flexibility in how they execute their workflows.
One common issue developers encounter is seeing their self-hosted runner listed as 'offline' in the GitHub Actions settings. This means that the runner is not currently connected to GitHub and cannot execute any workflows. This can be frustrating, especially when you rely on self-hosted runners for specific build environments or configurations.
The primary reason a self-hosted runner appears offline is that it is not connected to GitHub. This could be due to several factors, such as the runner machine being powered off, network issues, or the runner service not running. When the runner is offline, GitHub cannot dispatch jobs to it, and any workflows requiring that runner will be queued or fail to execute.
To resolve the issue of a self-hosted runner being offline, follow these steps:
Ensure that the machine hosting the runner is powered on and not in sleep mode. If the machine is off, turn it on and check if the runner comes online.
Ensure that the runner machine has a stable internet connection. You can test this by trying to access GitHub from a web browser on the runner machine. If there are network issues, resolve them by checking the network settings or contacting your network administrator.
On the runner machine, open a terminal or command prompt and navigate to the directory where the runner is installed. Run the following command to restart the runner service:
./svc.sh stop
./svc.sh start
This will stop and start the runner service, potentially resolving any issues with the service not running.
If the runner is still offline, check the runner logs for any error messages. The logs are typically located in the runner's installation directory. Look for any errors that might indicate why the runner is not connecting to GitHub.
For more information on managing self-hosted runners, visit the GitHub documentation on self-hosted runners. If you continue to experience issues, consider reaching out to GitHub Support for further assistance.
(Perfect for DevOps & SREs)
(Perfect for DevOps & SREs)