My workflow is never assigned a runner

[blackears]

Why are you starting this discussion?

Question

What GitHub Actions topic or product is this about?

Misc

Discussion Details

I spent a couple of days putting together and debugging a workflow for building my project. One of the workflows was for a Linux build, and earlier in the development process I was able to run the workflow. However, the last few times I've tried to run it, it gets timed out because no runner is ever assigned to it. It just stays in queue until it gets timed out 24 hours later.

https://github.com/blackears/parrotLipsync/actions/runs/17351717284

I'd like to run my workflow, since i think it is debugged now and would like to create a Linux build. How do I get this workflow to run?

[NagurDiwakar]

Hey ! , its due to the runner unavailability

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/70187174/github-actions-self-hosted-runner-the-job-running-has-exceeded-the-maximum-exe

Below are the currently available runners config for public repos

https://docs.github.com/en/actions/reference/runners/github-hosted-runners#standard-github-hosted-runners-for-public-repositories

for the private repos - https://docs.github.com/en/actions/reference/runners/github-hosted-runners#standard-github-hosted-runners-for--private-repositories

I hope its this might be helpful

[a-ariff]

Great troubleshooting from @Genious07 and @NagurDiwakar! Building on their analysis, here are some additional enterprise-level considerations for runner assignment issues:

🔍 Advanced Diagnostics Beyond Invalid Labels

While @Genious07 correctly identified the ubuntu-15 label issue, here are additional checks when runners still won't assign:

# First, verify your runner requirements in the workflow
runs-on: ubuntu-latest  # ✅ Valid as mentioned
# But also check for conflicting requirements:
container: 
  image: ubuntu:20.04  # Could conflict with ubuntu-latest

🏢 Enterprise Runner Strategy

@NagurDiwakar mentioned runner availability - for production workloads, consider:

Self-hosted runners for:

• Faster builds (your hardware)
• Custom environment needs
• Cost optimization for high-volume workflows

GitHub-hosted runners for:

• Quick setup and maintenance-free operation
• Compliance (automatically updated and secured)

🛠️ Additional Debugging Steps

# Check workflow run API for detailed status
curl -H "Authorization: token $GITHUB_TOKEN" \
  https://api.github.com/repos/{owner}/{repo}/actions/runs/{run_id}

# Look for specific error patterns:
# "waiting_for_runner" vs "queued" vs "in_progress"

⚡ Quick Fix Validation

After applying @Genious07's ubuntu-latest fix:

1. Force re-run (don't just commit) - sometimes queue state persists
2. Check Actions quotas in repo Settings → Billing
3. Verify workflow permissions in repo Settings → Actions → General

Pro tip: For Blender automation like yours, consider using larger runners (GitHub Pro/Team feature) - ubuntu-latest-4-cores significantly speeds up 3D rendering tasks.