feat(runner): add always-on systemd unit + wire into runbook step 5

System service running as the desktop user (already in docker group); starts
at boot, auto-restarts, auto-claims queued jobs. WorkingDirectory under $HOME
because snap Docker can't read build contexts outside home. README step 5 now
covers binary install, registration, and enabling the service.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
This commit is contained in:
Josh Bairstow 2026-06-02 22:42:52 +10:00
parent 74b1c3fcbb
commit d02844366a
2 changed files with 67 additions and 7 deletions

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@ -127,18 +127,31 @@ Then:
- Create a **Personal Access Token** with **`write:package`** scope
(`Settings → Applications`). The automatic Actions token CANNOT push packages.
### 5. Register the desktop runner
On the **home desktop** (has Docker + ssh):
### 5. Register the desktop runner (always-on)
On the **home desktop** (already has Docker + is in the `docker` group). Put the
binary in place, register in a home-dir working folder (snap Docker needs the
build context under `$HOME`), then install the systemd unit so it survives
reboots and auto-claims jobs:
```sh
# Get a registration token: Forgejo → Site Admin → Actions → Runners → Create
sudo install -m 0755 forgejo-runner /usr/local/bin/forgejo-runner
mkdir -p ~/forgejo-runner && cp runner/config.yml ~/forgejo-runner/
cd ~/forgejo-runner
# Registration token: Forgejo → Site Admin → Actions → Runners → Create
forgejo-runner register --no-interactive \
--instance https://git.joshbairstow.com \
--token <REGISTRATION_TOKEN> \
--name desktop --labels desktop:host
forgejo-runner daemon --config /path/to/jb-infra/runner/config.yml
--name desktop --labels desktop:host # ':host' => run jobs on the host, use host Docker
sudo cp runner/forgejo-runner.service /etc/systemd/system/
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl enable --now forgejo-runner
systemctl status forgejo-runner # expect active (running); runner shows green in Forgejo
```
(For always-on, wrap the daemon in a systemd user service.) See
[`runner/config.yml`](runner/config.yml).
The `:host` label is what lets the `docker build` step work (the job runs on the
host using its Docker, not in a socket-less container). See
[`runner/config.yml`](runner/config.yml) and
[`runner/forgejo-runner.service`](runner/forgejo-runner.service).
### 6. Wire the jb-website repo
In the `jb-website` repo settings on Forgejo (`Settings → Actions`):

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@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# forgejo-runner.service — always-on Forgejo Actions runner on the home desktop.
#
# System service: starts at boot, no login required. Runs as your user (already
# in the `docker` group) so host-execution jobs can run `docker build`.
#
# Install:
# sudo install -m 0755 forgejo-runner /usr/local/bin/forgejo-runner # the binary
# mkdir -p ~/forgejo-runner && cp config.yml ~/forgejo-runner/
# cd ~/forgejo-runner
# forgejo-runner register --no-interactive \
# --instance https://git.joshbairstow.com \
# --token <REGISTRATION_TOKEN> --name desktop --labels desktop:host
# # ^ writes ./.runner (credentials) into ~/forgejo-runner
# sudo cp forgejo-runner.service /etc/systemd/system/
# # (edit User=/paths below if your username differs)
# sudo systemctl daemon-reload
# sudo systemctl enable --now forgejo-runner
# systemctl status forgejo-runner # expect: active (running)
# journalctl -u forgejo-runner -f # watch it claim jobs
#
# Why WorkingDirectory is under $HOME: this machine's Docker is snap-based, and
# snap confinement blocks the daemon from reading build contexts outside the
# user's home — so the checkout/build must happen there, not in /opt.
# ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Unit]
Description=Forgejo Actions runner (jb CI)
Documentation=https://forgejo.org/docs/latest/admin/actions/runner-installation/
After=network-online.target snap.docker.dockerd.service docker.service
Wants=network-online.target
# Disable the start-rate limiter so it keeps retrying until Docker is ready at boot.
StartLimitIntervalSec=0
[Service]
Type=simple
User=joshbairstow
SupplementaryGroups=docker
WorkingDirectory=/home/joshbairstow/forgejo-runner
Environment=HOME=/home/joshbairstow
Environment=PATH=/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin:/snap/bin
ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/forgejo-runner daemon --config /home/joshbairstow/forgejo-runner/config.yml
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=5
[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target