docs/gitea-runner-setup.md

@@ -0,0 +1,230 @@
+# Gitea Actions Runner Setup — HOALedgerIQ Production Server
+
+This guide walks through setting up a self-hosted Gitea Actions runner on the production server so the deployment workflow (`.gitea/workflows/deploy.yml`) can execute automatically.
+
+The runner uses **host execution mode** — jobs run directly on the server (not inside Docker containers) so the deploy script has access to Docker, the git repo, and the local filesystem.
+
+---
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+- Ubuntu Linux production server
+- Gitea instance (e.g., `https://git.sensetostyle.com`)
+- Docker and Docker Compose installed on the server
+- The HOALedgerIQ repo cloned at `/opt/hoa-ledgeriq`
+
+---
+
+## Step 1: Enable Actions in Gitea
+
+Ensure Actions are enabled in your Gitea configuration (`/etc/gitea/app.ini`):
+
+```ini
+[actions]
+ENABLED = true
+```
+
+Restart Gitea after making changes:
+
+```bash
+sudo systemctl restart gitea
+```
+
+---
+
+## Step 2: Get a Registration Token
+
+1. Log into your Gitea instance
+2. Navigate to **Site Administration** → **Actions** → **Runners**
+3. Copy the **Registration Token**
+
+> **Tip:** For tighter security, you can get a repo-scoped token instead:
+> Repo → **Settings** → **Actions** → **Runners** → copy the token shown there.
+> This limits the runner to only execute workflows from that specific repository.
+
+---
+
+## Step 3: Install the Act Runner Binary
+
+```bash
+# Download the latest act_runner for x86_64 Linux
+wget https://dl.gitea.com/act_runner/latest/act_runner-linux-amd64
+
+# Make executable and install to system path
+chmod +x act_runner-linux-amd64
+sudo mv act_runner-linux-amd64 /usr/local/bin/act_runner
+
+# Verify installation
+act_runner --version
+```
+
+> For ARM64 servers, use `act_runner-linux-arm64` instead.
+
+---
+
+## Step 4: Generate and Edit the Configuration
+
+```bash
+sudo mkdir -p /etc/act_runner
+act_runner generate-config > /tmp/config.yaml
+```
+
+Edit `/tmp/config.yaml` and set the **labels to use host execution mode**:
+
+```yaml
+runner:
+  labels:
+    - "ubuntu-latest:host"
+    - "ubuntu-22.04:host"
+```
+
+The `:host` suffix tells the runner to execute jobs directly on the server rather than spinning up Docker containers. This is required because the deploy script needs access to:
+
+- The Docker socket (to run `docker compose`)
+- The git repository at `/opt/hoa-ledgeriq`
+- The backup scripts and database
+
+Move the config into place and lock down permissions:
+
+```bash
+sudo mv /tmp/config.yaml /etc/act_runner/config.yaml
+sudo chmod 600 /etc/act_runner/config.yaml
+```
+
+---
+
+## Step 5: Register the Runner
+
+```bash
+act_runner register \
+  --no-interactive \
+  --instance "https://git.sensetostyle.com" \
+  --token "YOUR_REGISTRATION_TOKEN_HERE" \
+  --name "hoaledgeriq-prod" \
+  --labels "ubuntu-latest:host,ubuntu-22.04:host" \
+  --config /etc/act_runner/config.yaml
+```
+
+This creates a `.runner` file in the current directory containing the registration state.
+
+> **Interactive alternative:** Run `act_runner register --config /etc/act_runner/config.yaml` and follow the prompts.
+
+---
+
+## Step 6: Set Up as a Systemd Service
+
+Create the service file at `/etc/systemd/system/act_runner.service`:
+
+```ini
+[Unit]
+Description=Gitea Actions Runner (HOALedgerIQ Prod)
+Documentation=https://docs.gitea.com/usage/actions/act-runner
+After=docker.service network-online.target
+
+[Service]
+Type=simple
+User=root
+WorkingDirectory=/opt/hoa-ledgeriq
+ExecStart=/usr/local/bin/act_runner daemon --config /etc/act_runner/config.yaml
+Restart=always
+RestartSec=10
+StandardOutput=journal
+StandardError=journal
+
+[Install]
+WantedBy=multi-user.target
+```
+
+> **Security note on `User=root`:** The deploy script needs to run `docker compose`, `git reset --hard`, etc. If you have a dedicated deploy user in the `docker` group with write access to `/opt/hoa-ledgeriq`, use that instead. Running as root is the simplest option but grants maximum privileges.
+
+Enable and start the service:
+
+```bash
+sudo systemctl daemon-reload
+sudo systemctl enable act_runner
+sudo systemctl start act_runner
+```
+
+---
+
+## Step 7: Verify the Runner Is Online
+
+Check the service is running:
+
+```bash
+sudo systemctl status act_runner
+```
+
+View logs:
+
+```bash
+sudo journalctl -u act_runner -f
+```
+
+Then confirm in Gitea:
+
+1. Go to **Site Administration** → **Actions** → **Runners**
+2. You should see **"hoaledgeriq-prod"** listed with status **Online**
+
+---
+
+## Step 8: Test the Workflow
+
+1. Go to your repo on Gitea → **Actions** tab
+2. Select the **"Deploy to Production"** workflow
+3. Click **Run Workflow**
+4. If this is the first deployment against an existing database, check the **"Mark existing migrations as applied"** box
+5. Monitor the run in the Actions tab
+
+---
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### Runner shows as Offline
+
+```bash
+# Check service status and logs
+sudo systemctl status act_runner
+sudo journalctl -u act_runner -n 50
+
+# Verify the instance URL is reachable from the server
+wget -qO- https://git.sensetostyle.com/api/v1/version
+```
+
+### Workflow stuck on "Waiting for runner"
+
+- Verify the runner labels match what the workflow expects. The workflow uses `runs-on: ubuntu-latest` which must match the `ubuntu-latest:host` label.
+- Check the runner is registered at the correct scope (instance-wide, org-level, or repo-level).
+
+### Permission denied errors during deploy
+
+- Ensure the systemd service `User` has Docker access (`usermod -aG docker <user>`)
+- Ensure the user has write access to `/opt/hoa-ledgeriq`
+
+### Re-registering after token expiry
+
+```bash
+sudo systemctl stop act_runner
+# Get a new token from Gitea admin panel, then:
+act_runner register \
+  --no-interactive \
+  --instance "https://git.sensetostyle.com" \
+  --token "NEW_TOKEN_HERE" \
+  --name "hoaledgeriq-prod" \
+  --labels "ubuntu-latest:host,ubuntu-22.04:host" \
+  --config /etc/act_runner/config.yaml
+sudo systemctl start act_runner
+```
+
+---
+
+## Security Best Practices
+
+| Concern | Recommendation |
+|---------|----------------|
+| Runner user | Use a dedicated user with `docker` group access rather than `root` when possible |
+| Registration token | Rotate periodically in the Gitea admin panel |
+| Config file | Keep `/etc/act_runner/config.yaml` at mode `600` (owner-read only) |
+| Runner scope | Register at the **repo level** instead of instance-wide so only this repo can trigger deployments |
+| Workflow triggers | The deploy workflow uses `workflow_dispatch` (manual only) — no automatic triggers on push |
+| Network | Ensure Gitea is accessed over HTTPS with valid SSL certificates |