SEC.01
The playbook
The run starts read-only: the recon probes decide what happens next. The steps that follow are adapted to the distribution and state found — a real machine is rarely clean.
- 01reconis a runner already installed and registered? (.runner present → do not re-register, check the service)
- 02reconexisting runner services and their state
- 03recondoes the dedicated github-runner user exist? (the runner never runs as root)
- 04recondistro, version, architecture and package manager (apt-get → Debian/Ubuntu, dnf → RHEL/Fedora/Rocky/Alma)
- 05reconDocker present? (if so, add github-runner to the docker group for container jobs)
- 06actCreate the github-runner userverify
- 07actDownload the runnerverify
- 08actInstall the runner dependenciesverify
- 09actRegister the runnerverify
- 10actInstall the systemd serviceverify
SEC.02
What it verifies
Each step ships its own check. The run only moves on when the check passes, so what the recipe reports as done is what is actually on the server.
- 01verifyCreate the github-runner userVerified by
id github-runner - 02verifyDownload the runnerVerified by
test -x /opt/actions-runner/config.sh && echo ok - 03verifyInstall the runner dependenciesVerified by
ldd /opt/actions-runner/bin/Runner.Listener | grep -c "not found" - 04verifyRegister the runnerVerified by
test -f /opt/actions-runner/.runner && echo ok - 05verifyInstall the systemd serviceVerified by
systemctl is-active "$(cat /opt/actions-runner/.service)"
SEC.03
Guardrails
Non-negotiable instructions the run must respect, whatever it finds on the server.
The registration token is a single-use secret: never display or log it. The runner runs as github-runner, never as root (no RUNNER_ALLOW_RUNASROOT). Do not re-register an existing runner (.runner present) and do not use --replace without consent. Not recommended on a public repo (untrusted code would run on it).
SEC.04
Variables
What you choose before launching — the recipe fills in the rest.
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ${repo_url} | Repo/org URL |
| ${token} | Registration token |
SEC.05
How a recipe runs in Servor
Servor is zero-knowledge: the platform cannot execute anything on its own. When you launch this recipe, a run reads the reconnaissance, plans the steps and asks for your approval. Each approved command is signed by your browser — with a key the server never sees — then relayed verbatim to the agent, which verifies the signature locally before executing.
search by intent — type “firewall”, get ufw
- 01Read-only reconnaissance before any change
- 02Every command signed by your browser, approved by you
- 03Each step verified before the run moves on, every run kept in the history
SEC.06
Deploy on Servor button
Maintain GitHub Actions Runner or a project that needs it? Put this button in your README or on your site: one click and your users install it on their own server.
SEC.07
More ci/cd recipes
- 01GitLab RunnerGitLab Runner from the official repo, registered with the Docker or shell executor.
- 02Woodpecker CILightweight Woodpecker CI (server + agent) via Docker Compose, behind an HTTPS reverse proxy.
- 03Ansible (control node)Ansible installed as a control node from the distro packages.
- 04systemd serviceDaemonize a command into a managed systemd service (auto-restart, at boot).
- 05Scheduled task (cron)Add a scheduled task via a systemd timer (logged, catches up if missed).
Verified recipe
Run this recipe on your server
Connect a server, launch the recipe, and approve each step as Servor executes and verifies it. Free plan, no card required.