This is a fork of actions/runner that adds support for Windows Containers on both x86 and ARM64 architectures.

This fork makes the following changes:

1. Windows Container Support: Removes the requirement for Windows Server. The runner now works in Windows Containers on any edition of Windows with Docker installed (Windows 10/11 Pro, Enterprise, or Server).

2. Hyper-V Isolation: Supports running containers in Hyper-V isolation on Windows Pro/Enterprise with nested virtualization enabled. Read more about Windows Container isolation.

3. Architecture Support: Provides pre-built releases for both Windows x64 and ARM64.

4. Automated Syncing: Automatically syncs with upstream releases daily, maintaining a single commit ahead of upstream for easy diffing and tracking.

All modifications are consolidated into a single commit for maintainability:

• src/Runner.Worker/ContainerOperationProvider.cs: Removes Windows Server edition checks
• src/Runner.Worker/Container/DockerCommandManager.cs: Adjusts Docker command handling for Windows Containers
• src/Runner.Service/Windows/RunnerService.csproj: Updates .NET Framework target from 4.7 to 4.8 for ARM64 compatibility
• src/Runner.Listener/Runner.cs: Version output displays simple version number
• src/Runner.Listener/SelfUpdater.cs: Auto-update redirection to fork releases with SHA256 validation
• src/Runner.Listener/SelfUpdaterV2.cs: Auto-update redirection to fork releases with SHA256 validation

• Windows 1803 or later
• Container support enabled
• Docker installed on Windows (setup guide)
• For Hyper-V isolation: Windows Pro/Enterprise with Hyper-V and Virtual Machine Platform features enabled

Pre-built runner binaries are available for:

• Windows x64: Download from Releases
• Windows ARM64: Download from Releases

Releases track upstream actions/runner versions and are published automatically when new upstream releases are detected.

Windows Container images are available at GitHub Container Registry:

• ghcr.io/sirredbeard/actions-runner:latest-amd64
• ghcr.io/sirredbeard/actions-runner:latest-arm64
• ghcr.io/sirredbeard/actions-runner:2.331.0-amd64
• ghcr.io/sirredbeard/actions-runner:2.331.0-arm64

Images are based on Windows Server Core (ltsc2025).

Running ./config.cmd --version displays the runner version number (e.g., 2.332.0). This version output is compatible with upstream patterns.

The runner automatically checks for updates when idle. Important: This fork is configured to automatically redirect updates from upstream actions/runner to the sirredbeard/runner fork:

• When GitHub's backend sends an update message with an upstream actions/runner URL, the runner intercepts it
• The URL is automatically redirected to the corresponding fork release
• Fork releases are validated using SHA256 checksums before installation
• The redirect only occurs in production RELEASE builds; DEBUG builds use original upstream URLs

Update URL Pattern:

From: https://github.com/actions/runner/releases/download/v{version}/actions-runner-win-{arch}-{version}.zip
To:   https://github.com/sirredbeard/runner/releases/download/v{version}/actions-runner-win-{arch}-{version}.zip

This means:

• ✅ Runners configured with this fork automatically update from the fork
• ✅ No additional configuration needed - updates work transparently
• ✅ All fork releases are validated with SHA256 before installation
• ✓ Version tracking stays in sync with upstream releases

For information about configuring and using self-hosted runners, see:

• Adding self-hosted runners
• Using self-hosted runners in a workflow

This fork maintains minimal changes to stay compatible with upstream:

• Uses upstream's build scripts without modification
• Follows upstream's .NET version and dependencies
• Maintains identical package structure (all scripts, binaries, and tools match upstream exactly)
• Automatically syncs with new upstream releases

This is a personal fork focused on maintaining Windows Container support. The goal is to track upstream as closely as possible with minimal necessary changes.

For issues with the base runner, please report them to actions/runner.

For Windows Container-specific issues, please open an issue in this repository.

• Upstream project: actions/runner by GitHub
• Windows Container support based in part on PR #1801 by Szymon Sobik
• All modifications maintained in a single commit for transparency and ease of maintenance

This fork uses automated workflows to:

• Check for new upstream releases daily
• Build Windows x64 and ARM64 binaries
• Validate packages with SHA256 checksums
• Publish releases and container images automatically

See AGENTS.md for detailed automation documentation.