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How to run CI economically on open source
Open-source CI is free on GitHub-hosted runners but slow, and self-hosting is unsafe.
5 min read
Open-source CI is free on GitHub-hosted runners but slow, and self-hosting is unsafe.
Why it happens
Fork pull requests can propose workflow changes, so any persistent runner is a security risk.
How to fix it
- Never use persistent self-hosted runners on a public repository
- Use ephemeral single-use VMs if you move off GitHub-hosted
- Require approval before running workflows from first-time contributors
- Apply for an open-source programme — most managed providers have one
Your next build could be twice as fast, at half the price
Start free. Migrating away is the same one line, and we publish that diff too.
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