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Using Podman with Blink Self-Hosted Runner

Overview​

Blink's self-hosted runner traditionally supports Docker. However, with a few modifications, you can use Podman as well. This guide outlines the necessary steps to configure Podman for use with Blink's self-hosted runner.

Prerequisites​

Ensure you have Podman installed on your system. If not, you can install it using your package manager.

Steps to Enable Podman Support​

1. Enable Podman Socket​

Verify if the Podman socket is enabled by checking for the file /run/user/$UID/podman/podman.sock.

ls /run/user/$UID/podman/podman.sock

If the file does not exist, you need to enable the Podman socket:

systemctl --user start podman.socket

2. Modify the Docker Command​

The Blink UI generates a docker run command for the Self-Hosted Runner. To use Podman instead, make the following changes to the command:

  1. Change the volume mapping:
  • From: -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
  • To: -v /run/podman/podman.sock:/var/run/docker.sock
  1. Change the following:
  • Replace: --add-host "host.docker.internal:host-gateway"
  • With: -e DOCKER_HOST_MACHINE=host.containers.internal

The Original Docker Command:

docker run -d --name blink-runner -e CTRL_URL=<TENANT_DOMAIN> --restart unless-stopped -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock --add-host "host.docker.internal:host-gateway" blinkops/blink-runner:<RUNNER_VERSION> ./blink-runner -auth <TOKEN>

The Adjusted Podman Command

podman run -d --name blink-runner -e CTRL_URL=<TENANT_DOMAIN> --restart unless-stopped -v /run/podman/podman.sock:/var/run/docker.sock -e DOCKER_HOST_MACHINE=host.containers.internal blinkops/blink-runner:<RUNNER_VERSION> ./blink-runner -auth <TOKEN>

3. Run the Adjusted Podman Command​

Execute the adjusted podman run command in your terminal.

Conclusion​

With these adjustments, you can successfully use Podman as the container runtime for Blink's Self-Hosted Runner. If you encounter any issues, ensure all steps are followed correctly and that your system meets all prerequisites.