forgerunner/forgerunner.src/ROADMAP.md

# ROADMAP.md

## Project

**Name:** custom-gitea-runner

**Status:** Planning / bootstrap

**Objective:**
Deliver a self-owned, versioned, Docker-first Gitea runner platform that is reliable on Unraid and Linux, easy to debug, and explicitly documented from image build through runtime operations.

---

## Guiding outcomes

The project is considered successful when it can:

- run as a pinned Docker image,
- execute checkout + Node-based + Docker build/push workflows reliably,
- register and restart predictably,
- surface actionable logs during failure,
- and be upgraded or rolled back cleanly.

---

## Project phases

## Phase 0 — Research and design

**Status:** Complete

### Goals

- Define architecture, scope, and first-release constraints.
- Capture prior failure modes as design inputs.
- Establish documentation and decision-tracking structure.

### Tasks

- [x] Write `AGENT.md`
- [x] Write `README.md`
- [x] Write `ROADMAP.md`
- [x] Create `CHANGELOG.md`
- [x] Create `.env.example`
- [x] Create ADR template under `docs/decisions/`
- [x] Write `docs/architecture.md`
- [x] Decide base image strategy
- [x] Decide socket-mount vs DinD position for v1
- [x] Decide registration mode defaults

### Exit criteria

- Scope is documented.
- Core repo structure is defined.
- Major open decisions are listed.
- First implementation sequence is agreed.

---

## Phase 1 — Base image and bootstrap

**Status:** Complete

### Goals

- Produce the first buildable runner image.
- Eliminate runtime package mutation.
- Establish deterministic startup behavior.

### Tasks

- [x] Create `docker/runner/Dockerfile`
- [x] Pin base image tag
- [x] Pin `act_runner` source/version
- [x] Install required dependencies at build time:
  - [x] bash
  - [x] curl
  - [x] git
  - [x] jq
  - [x] nodejs
  - [x] npm
  - [x] docker CLI
  - [x] ca-certificates
  - [x] tini
  - [x] tzdata
- [x] Create `docker/runner/docker-entrypoint.sh`
- [x] Create `docker/runner/healthcheck.sh`
- [x] Add image metadata labels
- [x] Verify startup prints tool versions

### Notes

- First successful build: `custom-gitea-runner:v0.1.0` (act_runner v0.2.11, node v20.20.2, npm 10.8.2, git 2.34.1, docker CLI 29.6.1).
- Runtime smoke test passes 17/17 via `./scripts/verify-runtime.sh`.

### Exit criteria

- Image builds locally.
- Container starts cleanly.
- `node`, `git`, `docker`, and `act_runner` are all present.
- Healthcheck script returns useful status.

---

## Phase 2 — Registration and config flows

**Status:** Complete

### Goals

- Support both mounted-config and env-driven registration.
- Make bootstrap idempotent.
- Ensure config persistence survives restarts.

### Tasks

- [x] Create `config/runner.example.yaml`
- [x] Create `config/labels.example.env`
- [x] Create `scripts/register-runner.sh`
- [x] Create `scripts/deregister-runner.sh`
- [x] Add config path validation
- [x] Add first-boot registration flow
- [x] Add re-run safe bootstrap logic
- [x] Document required environment variables
- [x] Validate restart behavior with existing config

### Exit criteria

- Runner can register successfully.
- Existing config is reused without duplicate registration.
- Missing configuration fails fast with clear logs.

### Notes

- Validated live against `git.alwisp.com` (Gitea 1.26.4): runner `forgerunner-01` registered as instance-level runner (id 5), came online and healthy, and a container restart reused the existing config with no duplicate registration.
- Registration token obtained via `POST /api/v1/admin/actions/runners/registration-token`; deregistration via `DELETE /api/v1/admin/actions/runners/{id}` (act_runner has no unregister command).

---

## Phase 3 — Docker workflow support

**Status:** Active (host-toolchain validated; registry push pending credentials)

### Goals

- Prove the runner can handle real Docker-centric CI workloads.
- Ensure JavaScript-based actions work out of the box.

### Tasks

- [x] Validate `actions/checkout`
- [x] Validate Node-based action runtime
- [ ] Validate `docker/login-action`
- [ ] Validate `docker build`
- [ ] Validate `docker push`
- [ ] Add support notes for self-hosted Gitea Container Registry
- [x] Validate mounted Docker socket usage
- [ ] Document permission expectations for `/var/run/docker.sock`
- [ ] Evaluate `buildx` as optional enhancement

### Notes

- `.gitea/workflows/ci-smoke.yml` (run 110, `success`) validated on the live runner via the `host` label: `actions/checkout@v4`, bundled node/npm/git/docker versions, and Docker-socket access (`docker info`) all pass.
- Image published: `registry.alwisp.com/jason/custom-gitea-runner:v0.1.0` + `:latest` (login via the jason Gitea account succeeded; push validated the registry round-trip).
- `docker/login-action` + `docker build` + `docker push` **from a workflow** still pending: needs repo Action secrets `REGISTRY_USER`/`REGISTRY_TOKEN`. Recommend a dedicated scoped package token rather than the admin API token. Corrected sample workflows (`test/sample-workflows/docker-login.yml`, `docker-build-push.yml`) are ready to run on the `host` label once the secrets exist.

### Exit criteria

- Standard Docker build/push workflows pass.
- No runtime install hacks are needed.
- Node-based actions work on first boot.

---

## Phase 4 — Test harness and smoke validation

**Status:** Planned

### Goals

- Convert operational pain into repeatable tests.
- Establish confidence before release.

### Tasks

- [x] Create `docker/runner/smoke-test.sh`
- [x] Create `scripts/verify-runtime.sh`
- [x] Create `scripts/test-local-runner.sh`
- [x] Add `test/sample-workflows/checkout.yml`
- [x] Add `test/sample-workflows/node-action.yml`
- [x] Add `test/sample-workflows/docker-login.yml`
- [x] Add `test/sample-workflows/docker-build-push.yml`
- [ ] Add regression test cases for:
  - [ ] missing `node`
  - [ ] broken Docker socket access
  - [ ] invalid registration config
  - [ ] startup tool validation failures
- [ ] Document how to run smoke tests locally

### Exit criteria

- Smoke tests are runnable by an operator.
- Known painful regressions are covered.
- Runtime validation is part of the normal release flow.

---

## Phase 5 — Unraid packaging and docs

**Status:** Planned

### Goals

- Make deployment smooth in the real target environment.
- Provide operational documentation that matches actual host usage.

### Tasks

- [ ] Create `docker/compose/docker-compose.example.yml`
- [ ] Create `docker/compose/unraid-template-notes.md`
- [ ] Write `docs/unraid.md`
- [ ] Write `docs/operations.md`
- [ ] Write `docs/troubleshooting.md`
- [ ] Document update procedure
- [ ] Document rollback procedure
- [ ] Document appdata path recommendations
- [ ] Document Docker socket trust model
- [ ] Optionally create Unraid XML/template artifact

### Exit criteria

- Operator can deploy from docs alone.
- Unraid-specific steps are explicit.
- Upgrade and rollback are documented and tested.

---

## Phase 6 — Hardening and enhancements

**Status:** Backlog

### Goals

- Expand safety and flexibility after the baseline runner is stable.

### Candidate enhancements

- [ ] Rootless variant
- [ ] DinD variant
- [ ] Dedicated BuildKit support
- [ ] Ephemeral single-job runner mode
- [ ] Structured JSON logging
- [ ] Metrics/exporter support
- [ ] Label policy controls
- [ ] Custom CA bootstrap helpers
- [ ] Small helper CLI in TypeScript
- [ ] Multi-runner orchestration concepts

### Exit criteria

- Enhancements are prioritized based on real operational need.
- Stability is not regressed by added flexibility.

---

## Immediate next actions

### Next 10 actions

1. Create `CHANGELOG.md`
2. Create `.env.example`
3. Scaffold repo directories
4. Write `docs/architecture.md`
5. Write first ADR: base image choice
6. Create initial `Dockerfile`
7. Create `docker-entrypoint.sh`
8. Create `healthcheck.sh`
9. Build first local image
10. Verify runtime toolchain inside container

---

## Risks and watch items

### Technical risks

- Upstream `act_runner` behavior may still impose constraints even with a custom wrapper image.
- Docker socket usage is convenient but increases host trust exposure.
- Self-registration flows can become brittle if not made idempotent.
- Docker build/push success does not guarantee all third-party actions behave as expected.

### Process risks

- Letting docs lag implementation will erode the value of the project quickly.
- Overengineering v1 will delay a usable baseline.
- Supporting too many runtime modes too early may reduce stability.

---

## Decision log to create

Create ADRs for:

- [ ] Base image selection
- [ ] Runner binary acquisition strategy
- [ ] Runtime user model
- [ ] Docker socket vs DinD
- [ ] Registration strategy
- [ ] Release and tagging policy

---

## Definition of done for v0.1.0

`v0.1.0` should mean:

- image builds reproducibly,
- runner registers successfully,
- startup validation is clear,
- `actions/checkout` works,
- Node-based actions work,
- Docker login/build/push works,
- docs cover install, operation, upgrade, rollback, and troubleshooting,
- and the release is tagged and documented in `CHANGELOG.md`.