The Exec runner is a daemon that executes build pipelines directly on the host machine without isolation, using the default shell. This runner is not suitable for un-trusted workloads for security reasons.

Install the Exec Runner for Linux Install the Exec Runner for MacOS Install the Exec Runner for Windows

When to Use?

The Exec runner is recommended for workloads that cannot be executed inside containers, or cannot easily be adapted to container-based pipelines. This runner is especially useful for operating systems and architectures that do not support containers, such as macOS.

When to Avoid?

The Exec runner is not suitable for untrusted workloads due to lack of isolation. We recommend using the Docker runner for all projects by default, and only using the Exec runner for the subset of projects requiring host machine access.