GitHub Actions Runner on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

You get a GitHub Actions self-hosted runner on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (long-term support), installed and ready to configure. The runner application, Docker and Git are in place at first boot, without a manual install; add a registration token from your GitHub repository or organization and it starts picking up workflow jobs.

Who it's for

• Teams on GitHub Actions that want build machines in their own Azure subscription
• Workflows that need private network access, a VM size you choose, or tools you install yourself
• Platform teams that want a repeatable runner image instead of hand-built hosts

What's included

• GitHub Actions runner 2.337.0, checked against a pinned SHA-256 checksum (a fingerprint proving the download is the published release), with its native dependencies installed
• A dedicated ghrunner account that owns the runner and has no sudo (administrator) rights
• Docker and Git from Ubuntu's package archive; ghrunner is in the docker group for container-based jobs
• UFW (Ubuntu's host firewall) on, allowing only SSH in: the runner connects outbound to GitHub and needs no open ports

After deployment

• No password is created. The runner authenticates outbound with a registration token you create under Settings > Actions > Runners > New self-hosted runner; it expires after one hour.
• Register by hand: SSH in, run sudo su - ghrunner, cd ~/actions-runner and ./config.sh --url <repo-or-org-url> --token <token>. Type exit to return to your admin account, then install the service as root: sudo sh -c 'cd /home/ghrunner/actions-runner && ./svc.sh install ghrunner && ./svc.sh start'. The login message repeats these steps.
• Or deploy with the VM tags GithubUrl and GithubToken and first boot registers the runner and starts its service. An expired token leaves it unregistered without an on-screen error; check with systemctl list-units 'actions.runner.*'.

Why this image

• A pinned, checksum-verified runner version, compared weekly with GitHub's newest release
• Ubuntu security updates applied at build time; no credentials or machine keys baked into the image
• Each image build is deployed to a test VM and checked against these setup steps before release
• Get started with the step-by-step guide at www.dcassociatesgroup.com/support (GitHub Actions Runner page)

How it runs on Azure

A Generation 2 VM image that supports Trusted Launch (Azure's Secure Boot and virtual TPM security-chip protection). It runs in your own subscription and VNet (virtual network), so jobs can reach private resources there; recommended sizes start at Standard_D2as_v5. Charges are billed through your Azure subscription; see Plans + Pricing.