docs: document hero-git image and installer-based release pipeline

- add README for hero-git Docker image usage (local + CI) - explain Dockerfile/entrypoint behavior and horus_full_install workflow - describe new release process using hero-git image and horus_full_install.vsh
chore: use hero-git installer to build release binaries
2025-11-20 12:06:41 +00:00 · 2025-11-20 11:46:01 +00:00 · 2025-11-19 18:47:16 +00:00
6 changed files with 973 additions and 0 deletions
--- a/.gitea/workflows/README.md
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,392 @@
+# Gitea Actions Workflows Documentation
+
+This directory contains the CI/CD workflows for the Horus project using Gitea Actions.
+
+## Overview
+
+The Horus project uses two main workflows:
+
+1. **[ci.yml](./ci.yml)** - Continuous Integration workflow
+2. **[release.yml](./release.yml)** - Release automation workflow
+
+## Workflow Files
+
+### ci.yml - Continuous Integration
+
+**Purpose**: Automatically build, test, and validate code quality on every push and pull request.
+
+**Triggers**:
+- Push to any branch
+- Pull request events (opened, synchronized, reopened)
+
+**What it does**:
+1. Sets up Rust toolchain
+2. Caches dependencies for faster builds
+3. Runs code quality checks (check, test, clippy, fmt)
+4. Builds all 7 binaries in release mode
+5. Uploads binaries as artifacts
+
+**Duration**: ~5-15 minutes (first run), ~2-5 minutes (cached runs)
+
+**Artifacts**: Binaries are stored for 7 days and can be downloaded from the Actions tab
+
+---
+
+### release.yml - Release Automation
+
+**Purpose**: Automatically create GitHub-style releases with downloadable binaries when version tags are pushed.
+
+**Triggers**:
+- Tags matching `v*.*.*` pattern (e.g., `v1.0.0`, `v2.1.3`)
+
+**What it does**:
+1. Builds optimized release binaries
+2. Strips debug symbols to reduce size
+3. Packages each binary as a tarball
+4. Generates SHA256 checksums
+5. Creates a Gitea release with all artifacts attached
+
+**Duration**: ~5-10 minutes
+
+**Artifacts**: Permanently attached to the release
+
+---
+
+## Binaries Built
+
+Both workflows build the following 7 binaries:
+
+| Binary Name | Description |
+|-------------|-------------|
+| `supervisor` | Hero Supervisor service |
+| `coordinator` | Hero Coordinator service |
+| `horus` | Horus main binary |
+| `osiris` | Osiris server |
+| `herorunner` | Hero runner |
+| `runner_osiris` | Osiris runner |
+| `runner_sal` | SAL runner |
+
+---
+
+## Usage Guide
+
+### Testing Code Changes
+
+Every time you push code or create a pull request, the CI workflow automatically runs:
+
+```bash
+# Make your changes
+git add .
+git commit -m "Your changes"
+git push origin your-branch
+
+# Or create a pull request
+# The CI workflow will run automatically
+```
+
+**Check Results**:
+1. Go to your Gitea repository
+2. Click on the **Actions** tab
+3. Find your workflow run
+4. Click to see detailed logs
+
+---
+
+### Creating a Release
+
+To create a new release with binaries:
+
+```bash
+# 1. Ensure your code is ready for release
+# 2. Create a version tag (use semantic versioning)
+git tag v1.0.0
+
+# 3. Push the tag
+git push origin v1.0.0
+
+# 4. The release workflow will automatically:
+#    - Build all binaries
+#    - Create a release
+#    - Attach binaries and checksums
+```
+
+**View Release**:
+1. Go to your Gitea repository
+2. Click on the **Releases** tab
+3. Your new release will be listed with downloadable artifacts
+
+---
+
+### Downloading Release Binaries
+
+Users can download binaries from releases:
+
+```bash
+# Download a specific binary
+wget https://git.ourworld.tf/peternashaat/horus/releases/download/v1.0.0/supervisor-v1.0.0-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
+
+# Extract
+tar -xzf supervisor-v1.0.0-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
+
+# Make executable
+chmod +x supervisor
+
+# Optionally move to system path
+sudo mv supervisor /usr/local/bin/
+
+# Verify it works
+supervisor --help
+```
+
+**Verify Integrity**:
+```bash
+# Download checksums
+wget https://git.ourworld.tf/peternashaat/horus/releases/download/v1.0.0/checksums.txt
+
+# Verify a binary
+sha256sum -c checksums.txt
+```
+
+---
+
+## Workflow Requirements
+
+### Runner Configuration
+
+Your Gitea Actions runner must be configured with these labels:
+- `ubuntu-latest` (recommended)
+- `ubuntu-22.04` (alternative)
+- `ubuntu-20.04` (alternative)
+
+### Permissions
+
+The workflows require:
+- Read access to repository code
+- Write access to create releases (for release.yml)
+- Access to `GITHUB_TOKEN` secret (automatically provided by Gitea)
+
+### Dependencies
+
+The workflows automatically install:
+- Rust stable toolchain
+- rustfmt (code formatter)
+- clippy (linter)
+
+No manual setup required!
+
+---
+
+## Caching Strategy
+
+The CI workflow uses three levels of caching to speed up builds:
+
+1. **Cargo Registry Cache** - Downloaded crate metadata
+2. **Cargo Index Cache** - Git index of crates.io
+3. **Build Cache** - Compiled dependencies
+
+**Benefits**:
+- First build: ~10-15 minutes
+- Cached builds: ~2-5 minutes
+- Saves bandwidth and runner resources
+
+---
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### CI Workflow Fails
+
+**Check these common issues**:
+
+1. **Compilation Errors**
+   - Review the "Check code" step logs
+   - Fix Rust compilation errors locally first
+
+2. **Test Failures**
+   - Review the "Run tests" step logs
+   - Run `cargo test --workspace` locally to reproduce
+
+3. **Clippy Warnings**
+   - Review the "Run clippy" step logs
+   - Fix with: `cargo clippy --workspace --fix`
+
+4. **Formatting Issues**
+   - Review the "Check formatting" step logs
+   - Fix with: `cargo fmt --all`
+
+5. **Runner Offline**
+   - Check if your Gitea Actions runner is running
+   - Verify runner labels match workflow requirements
+
+### Release Workflow Fails
+
+**Check these common issues**:
+
+1. **Tag Format**
+   - Ensure tag matches `v*.*.*` pattern
+   - Examples: `v1.0.0`, `v2.1.3`, `v0.1.0-beta`
+
+2. **Binary Not Found**
+   - Check if all binaries built successfully
+   - Review the "Build release binaries" step logs
+
+3. **Permission Denied**
+   - Ensure runner has write access to create releases
+   - Check repository settings
+
+4. **Release Already Exists**
+   - Delete the existing release first
+   - Or use a different version tag
+
+---
+
+## Best Practices
+
+### Version Tagging
+
+Use [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/):
+- `v1.0.0` - Major release (breaking changes)
+- `v1.1.0` - Minor release (new features)
+- `v1.0.1` - Patch release (bug fixes)
+- `v1.0.0-beta.1` - Pre-release
+
+### Commit Messages
+
+Write clear commit messages for better release notes:
+```bash
+git commit -m "feat: Add new authentication system"
+git commit -m "fix: Resolve memory leak in supervisor"
+git commit -m "docs: Update installation guide"
+```
+
+### Testing Before Release
+
+Always test before creating a release:
+```bash
+# Run all checks locally
+cargo check --workspace
+cargo test --workspace
+cargo clippy --workspace -- -D warnings
+cargo fmt --all -- --check
+
+# Build release binaries locally
+cargo build --workspace --release
+
+# Test the binaries
+./target/release/supervisor --help
+```
+
+---
+
+## Workflow Customization
+
+### Changing Rust Version
+
+Edit the toolchain in both workflows:
+```yaml
+- name: Setup Rust toolchain
+  uses: actions-rust-lang/setup-rust-toolchain@v1
+  with:
+    toolchain: 1.75.0  # Specify exact version
+```
+
+### Adding More Binaries
+
+If you add new binaries to the workspace:
+
+1. Update `ci.yml` - Add to the upload artifacts step
+2. Update `release.yml` - Add to strip and package steps
+3. Update this README
+
+### Changing Artifact Retention
+
+In `ci.yml`, modify the retention period:
+```yaml
+retention-days: 30  # Keep for 30 days instead of 7
+```
+
+### Adding Build Matrix
+
+To build for multiple platforms, add a matrix strategy:
+```yaml
+jobs:
+  build:
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        os: [ubuntu-latest, macos-latest, windows-latest]
+    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
+```
+
+---
+
+## Monitoring
+
+### View Workflow Status
+
+**In Gitea UI**:
+1. Repository → Actions tab
+2. See all workflow runs
+3. Click any run for detailed logs
+
+**Via Git**:
+```bash
+# List recent tags
+git tag -l
+
+# Show tag details
+git show v1.0.0
+```
+
+### Workflow Badges
+
+Add status badges to your README:
+```markdown
+![CI Status](https://git.ourworld.tf/peternashaat/horus/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg)
+```
+
+---
+
+## Security Considerations
+
+### Secrets
+
+The workflows use `GITHUB_TOKEN` which is automatically provided by Gitea. This token:
+- Has repository-scoped permissions
+- Expires after the workflow run
+- Cannot be accessed by pull requests from forks (for security)
+
+### Binary Verification
+
+Always verify downloaded binaries:
+```bash
+# Check SHA256 hash
+sha256sum binary-name
+# Compare with checksums.txt
+```
+
+### Supply Chain Security
+
+The workflows:
+- Use pinned action versions (`@v4`, `@v1`)
+- Build from source (no pre-built binaries)
+- Generate checksums for verification
+
+---
+
+## Additional Resources
+
+- [Gitea Actions Documentation](https://docs.gitea.com/usage/actions/overview)
+- [GitHub Actions Syntax](https://docs.github.com/en/actions/using-workflows/workflow-syntax-for-github-actions) (Gitea is compatible)
+- [Rust CI Best Practices](https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/guide/continuous-integration.html)
+- [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/)
+
+---
+
+## Support
+
+For issues with:
+- **Workflows**: Check the troubleshooting section above
+- **Horus Project**: See the main [README.md](../../README.md)
+- **Gitea Actions**: Consult [Gitea documentation](https://docs.gitea.com)
+
+For detailed line-by-line explanation of the workflows, see [WORKFLOW_EXPLAINED.md](./WORKFLOW_EXPLAINED.md).
+
--- a/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+name: CI
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - '**'
+  pull_request:
+    types: [opened, synchronize, reopened]
+
+jobs:
+  build-and-test:
+    name: Build & Test
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      
+      - name: Setup Rust toolchain
+        uses: actions-rust-lang/setup-rust-toolchain@v1
+        with:
+          toolchain: stable
+          components: rustfmt, clippy
+      
+      - name: Cache cargo registry
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: ~/.cargo/registry
+          key: ${{ runner.os }}-cargo-registry-${{ hashFiles('**/Cargo.lock') }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            ${{ runner.os }}-cargo-registry-
+      
+      - name: Cache cargo index
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: ~/.cargo/git
+          key: ${{ runner.os }}-cargo-index-${{ hashFiles('**/Cargo.lock') }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            ${{ runner.os }}-cargo-index-
+      
+      - name: Cache cargo build
+        uses: actions/cache@v4
+        with:
+          path: target
+          key: ${{ runner.os }}-cargo-build-target-${{ hashFiles('**/Cargo.lock') }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            ${{ runner.os }}-cargo-build-target-
+      
+      # 👇 Don't fail CI on hero-runner's warnings
+      - name: Check code (all crates under bin/)
+        env:
+          RUSTFLAGS: "--cap-lints=warn"
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          find bin -name Cargo.toml -print0 | while IFS= read -r -d '' manifest; do
+            echo "=== cargo check --manifest-path $manifest ==="
+            cargo check --manifest-path "$manifest" --verbose
+          done
+      
+      # 👇 Same trick for tests, otherwise they’d fail for the same reason
+      - name: Run tests (all crates under bin/)
+        env:
+          RUSTFLAGS: "--cap-lints=warn"
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          find bin -name Cargo.toml -print0 | while IFS= read -r -d '' manifest; do
+            echo "=== cargo test --manifest-path $manifest ==="
+            cargo test --manifest-path "$manifest" --verbose
+          done
+      
+      # Clippy stays strict (still uses -D warnings for clippy lints).
+      # If this later fails because of hero-runner, we can also add RUSTFLAGS here.
+      - name: Run clippy (all crates under bin/)
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          find bin -name Cargo.toml -print0 | while IFS= read -r -d '' manifest; do
+            echo "=== cargo clippy --manifest-path $manifest ==="
+            cargo clippy --manifest-path "$manifest" -- -D warnings
+          done
+      
+      - name: Check formatting
+        run: cargo fmt --all -- --check
+      
+      # Build was already succeeding; leaving it without cap-lints is fine.
+      - name: Build release binaries (all crates under bin/)
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          find bin -name Cargo.toml -print0 | while IFS= read -r -d '' manifest; do
+            echo "=== cargo build --manifest-path $manifest --release ==="
+            cargo build --manifest-path "$manifest" --release --verbose
+          done
+      
+      - name: List built binaries
+        run: |
+          echo "Built binaries:"
+          ls -lh target/release/ | grep -E '^-.*x.*'
+      
+      - name: Upload build artifacts
+        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
+        with:
+          name: binaries-${{ github.sha }}
+          path: |
+            target/release/supervisor
+            target/release/coordinator
+            target/release/horus
+            target/release/osiris
+            target/release/herorunner
+            target/release/runner_osiris
+            target/release/runner_sal
+          retention-days: 7
+          if-no-files-found: warn
--- a/.gitea/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.gitea/workflows/release.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,115 @@
+name: Release
+
+on:
+  push:
+    tags:
+      - 'v*.*.*'
+
+jobs:
+  build-release:
+    name: Build Release Binaries via hero-git installer
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    env:
+      IMAGE_NAME: hero-git:latest
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout code
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Extract version from tag
+        id: version
+        run: echo "VERSION=${GITHUB_REF#refs/tags/}" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
+
+      - name: Ensure hero-git image exists
+        run: |
+          if ! docker image inspect "$IMAGE_NAME" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            echo "ERROR: Docker image '$IMAGE_NAME' not found on runner."
+            echo "Build it manually on the runner with:"
+            echo "  docker build -t $IMAGE_NAME -f Dockerfile ."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+      - name: Prepare bin output dir
+        run: mkdir -p hero-bin
+
+      - name: Run horus_full_install installer in container
+        run: |
+          set -euxo pipefail
+
+          docker run --rm \
+            -v "$PWD/hero-bin:/root/hero/bin" \
+            -e HEROLIB_REF=development_nile_installers \
+            "$IMAGE_NAME" \
+            bash -lc '
+              set -euxo pipefail
+              cd /opt/herolib
+              ./examples/installers/horus/horus_full_install.vsh
+              echo "===== AFTER INSTALL, ls -R /root/hero ====="
+              ls -R /root/hero || true
+            '
+
+      - name: List built binaries
+        run: ls -al hero-bin
+
+      - name: Create release directory
+        run: mkdir -p release-artifacts
+
+      - name: Package binaries
+        run: |
+          for binary in supervisor coordinator horus osiris herorunner runner_osiris runner_sal; do
+            if [ -f "hero-bin/$binary" ]; then
+              tar -czf "release-artifacts/${binary}-${{ steps.version.outputs.VERSION }}-linux-x86_64.tar.gz" \
+                -C hero-bin "$binary"
+              echo "Packaged $binary"
+            else
+              echo "Warning: $binary not found, skipping"
+            fi
+          done
+
+      - name: Generate checksums
+        run: |
+          cd release-artifacts
+          if ls *.tar.gz >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+            sha256sum *.tar.gz > checksums.txt
+            cat checksums.txt
+          else
+            echo "ERROR: no .tar.gz artifacts were produced; check previous steps (likely the installer didn’t build any binaries)."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+
+      - name: Create Release
+        uses: akkuman/gitea-release-action@v1
+        with:
+          files: release-artifacts/*
+          token: ${{ secrets.TOKEN_GITEA }}
+          tag_name: ${{ steps.version.outputs.VERSION }}
+          name: Release ${{ steps.version.outputs.VERSION }}
+          body: |
+            ## Horus Release ${{ steps.version.outputs.VERSION }}
+
+            ### Binaries
+            Built via the herolib V installer (`horus_full_install.vsh`) inside
+            the `hero-git:latest` image and packaged for Linux x86_64:
+            - `supervisor`
+            - `coordinator`
+            - `horus`
+            - `osiris`
+            - `herorunner`
+            - `runner_osiris`
+            - `runner_sal`
+
+            ### Installation (example)
+            ```bash
+            wget https://git.ourworld.tf/herocode/horus/releases/download/${{ steps.version.outputs.VERSION }}/supervisor-${{ steps.version.outputs.VERSION }}-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
+            tar -xzf supervisor-${{ steps.version.outputs.VERSION }}-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
+            chmod +x supervisor
+            sudo mv supervisor /usr/local/bin/
+            ```
+
+            ### Verification
+            ```bash
+            sha256sum -c checksums.txt
+            ```
+          draft: false
+          prerelease: false
--- a/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+FROM ubuntu:24.04 AS base
+
+# Includes a bunch of stuff hero will try to install later, so we don't have to
+# do that on each new container launch
+RUN apt update && apt install -y ssh wget unzip build-essential git redis-server sudo autoconf libtool iputils-ping net-tools rsync curl mc tmux libsqlite3-dev xz-utils git-lfs ufw libpq-dev
+
+RUN wget https://github.com/vlang/v/releases/latest/download/v_linux.zip && \
+    unzip v_linux.zip && \
+    cd v && \
+    ./v symlink
+
+# Install bun.sh for docusaurus
+RUN curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash
+
+# Make a new stage so we can invalidate the cache by passing --no-cache-filter
+FROM base AS clone
+
+RUN git clone https://github.com/Incubaid/herolib /opt/herolib
+
+RUN git clone https://github.com/incubaid/docusaurus_template /root/code/github/incubaid/docusaurus_template
+
+# Warm the bun node modules cache
+RUN cd /root/code/github/incubaid/docusaurus_template/template && /root/.bun/bin/bun install
+
+RUN mkdir -p /root/.vmodules/incubaid
+
+# Make a place for users to mount their ssh key file. We will copy to .ssh and
+# change permissions in entrypoint script
+RUN mkdir -p /root/ssh
+
+COPY entrypoint.sh /bin/entrypoint.sh
+
+RUN chmod +x /bin/entrypoint.sh
+
+# Make a new stage so we can invalidate the cache by passing --no-cache-filter
+FROM clone AS fetch
+
+# Fetch to freshen the repos with minimal work
+RUN cd /opt/herolib && git fetch
+RUN cd /root/code/github/incubaid/docusaurus_template && git fetch
+
+
+ENTRYPOINT ["/bin/entrypoint.sh"]
--- a/docker/Readme.md
+++ b/docker/Readme.md
@@ -0,0 +1,268 @@
+# `hero-git` Docker Image
+
+This directory contains a reusable Docker image and entrypoint script used to build Hero / Horus binaries via the V-based **herolib** installers.
+
+It is designed for two main use cases:
+
+1. **Local development / testing** – run the herolib CLI (`hero`) and Horus installers in a clean, reproducible environment.
+2. **CI / Release builds** – build Horus binaries inside this image (using `horus_full_install.vsh`) and export them as release artifacts.
+
+---
+
+## Files
+
+### `Dockerfile`
+
+The `Dockerfile` builds an Ubuntu-based image with all dependencies needed for `herolib` and its installers.
+
+Key points:
+
+* Base: `ubuntu:24.04`
+* Installs system tooling:
+
+  * `ssh`, `wget`, `curl`, `unzip`, `build-essential`, `git`, `git-lfs`
+  * `redis-server`, `libsqlite3-dev`, `libpq-dev`, `autoconf`, `libtool`, `net-tools`, `iputils-ping`, `rsync`, `mc`, `tmux`, `ufw`, `xz-utils`
+* Installs **V** compiler:
+
+  * Downloads `v_linux.zip` from the official V GitHub releases
+  * Unzips it and runs `./v symlink` so `v` is on the `PATH`
+* Installs **Bun** (used for the docusaurus docs template):
+
+  * `curl -fsSL https://bun.sh/install | bash`
+* Clones:
+
+  * `https://github.com/Incubaid/herolib` into `/opt/herolib`
+  * `https://github.com/incubaid/docusaurus_template` into `/root/code/github/incubaid/docusaurus_template`
+* Warms Bun dependencies for the docusaurus template (for faster re-use):
+
+  * `cd /root/code/github/incubaid/docusaurus_template/template && bun install`
+* Prepares directories:
+
+  * `/root/.vmodules/incubaid` – used by V module resolution
+  * `/root/ssh` – optional mount point for SSH keys
+* Copies `entrypoint.sh` into the image and marks it executable.
+
+The container’s entrypoint is set to the custom script `/bin/entrypoint.sh`.
+
+---
+
+### `entrypoint.sh`
+
+The entrypoint script is responsible for:
+
+1. Starting **Redis** in the background.
+2. Optionally configuring **SSH** (if keys are provided).
+3. Selecting the correct `herolib` source (mounted or cloned).
+4. Checking out the desired `herolib` branch.
+5. Building the `hero` CLI with V and making it available as `/bin/hero`.
+6. Finally, executing any command passed to `docker run`.
+
+#### Behavior in detail
+
+```bash
+#!/bin/bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# Start Redis in the background
+redis-server --daemonize yes
+
+# Optional SSH setup: only if /root/ssh has keys
+if [ -d /root/ssh ] && compgen -G "/root/ssh/*" > /dev/null; then
+    mkdir -p /root/.ssh
+    cp -r /root/ssh/* /root/.ssh/
+    chmod 600 /root/.ssh/*
+    eval "$(ssh-agent)"
+    ssh-add /root/.ssh/*
+fi
+
+# Support optionally bind-mounting a local herolib into the container.
+# If /opt/herolib_mount exists, we use that; otherwise we use the cloned /opt/herolib
+rm -f /root/.vmodules/freeflowuniverse/herolib
+if [ -d "/opt/herolib_mount" ]; then
+    ln -s /opt/herolib_mount/lib /root/.vmodules/incubaid/herolib
+    cd /opt/herolib_mount
+else
+    ln -s /opt/herolib/lib /root/.vmodules/incubaid/herolib
+    cd /opt/herolib
+    git fetch
+    git checkout "${HEROLIB_REF:-development}"
+    git pull
+fi
+
+cd cli
+echo "Building hero..."
+v -enable-globals hero.v > build.log 2>&1 || (cat build.log && exit 1)
+ln -s "$(realpath hero)" /bin/hero
+
+cd /root
+
+# If a command was provided to `docker run`, execute it as-is.
+# Example: docker run hero-git:latest bash -lc 'cd /opt/herolib && ./examples/installers/horus/horus_full_install.vsh'
+if [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; then
+    exec "$@"
+else
+    # No command passed → give an interactive shell
+    exec bash
+fi
+```
+
+#### Important environment variables
+
+* `HEROLIB_REF`
+
+  * Git ref (branch, tag, or commit) used when checking out `/opt/herolib`.
+  * Default: `development`.
+  * Example for CI: `HEROLIB_REF=development_nile_installers`.
+
+#### Optional mounts
+
+* `/opt/herolib_mount`
+
+  * If you bind-mount your local `herolib` repo here, the container will use it instead of the cloned `/opt/herolib`.
+  * Useful for local development when you want to test uncommitted changes.
+* `/root/ssh`
+
+  * Optional directory containing SSH keys (e.g. `id_ed25519`) if you need to access private repositories.
+  * If present and non-empty, keys are copied to `/root/.ssh` and added to an SSH agent.
+
+---
+
+## What this image is used for
+
+### 1. Local development / experimentation
+
+You can drop into the container and manually run installers or commands against `herolib`:
+
+```bash
+# Interactive shell with default branch
+docker run -it --rm hero-git:latest
+
+# Use a specific herolib ref
+docker run -it --rm -e HEROLIB_REF=development_nile_installers hero-git:latest
+
+# Mount a local herolib repo and use that instead of the cloned one
+docker run -it --rm \
+  -v "$PWD/herolib:/opt/herolib_mount" \
+  hero-git:latest
+```
+
+Inside the container you can then run:
+
+```bash
+cd /opt/herolib
+./examples/installers/horus/horus_full_install.vsh
+```
+
+### 2. CI / Release builds for Horus
+
+In CI (e.g. the `release.yml` workflow), this image is used to build Horus binaries via the V-based installer script:
+
+* The workflow:
+
+  1. Ensures `hero-git:latest` is available on the self-hosted runner.
+  2. Creates a local directory (e.g. `hero-bin/`) on the runner.
+  3. Runs the container, mounting `hero-bin/` into `/root/hero/bin`.
+  4. Inside the container, executes `./examples/installers/horus/horus_full_install.vsh` from `/opt/herolib`.
+  5. The installer writes the compiled Horus binaries into `/root/hero/bin`, which appear on the host inside `hero-bin/`.
+  6. The workflow then packages those binaries into `.tar.gz` archives and uploads them as release artifacts.
+
+Example CI step:
+
+```yaml
+- name: Run horus_full_install installer in container
+  run: |
+    set -euxo pipefail
+
+    docker run --rm \
+      -v "$PWD/hero-bin:/root/hero/bin" \
+      -e HEROLIB_REF=development_nile_installers \
+      hero-git:latest \
+      bash -lc '
+        set -euxo pipefail
+        cd /opt/herolib
+        ./examples/installers/horus/horus_full_install.vsh
+        echo "===== AFTER INSTALL, ls -R /root/hero ====="
+        ls -R /root/hero || true
+      '
+```
+
+After this step, `hero-bin/` on the host should contain binaries like:
+
+* `supervisor`
+* `coordinator`
+* `horus`
+* `osiris`
+* `herorunner`
+* `runner_osiris`
+* `runner_sal`
+
+These are then packaged and attached to the Gitea release.
+
+---
+
+## How to build the image
+
+From the directory containing the `Dockerfile` and `entrypoint.sh`:
+
+```bash
+# Build the image (force a clean rebuild)
+docker build --no-cache -t hero-git:latest .
+
+# Verify entrypoint contents
+docker run --rm --entrypoint cat hero-git:latest /bin/entrypoint.sh | tail -n 20
+```
+
+You should see the `exec "$@"` block at the end of the script, which ensures that commands passed to `docker run` are executed as-is inside the container.
+
+---
+
+## How to run the image (examples)
+
+### Basic interactive usage
+
+```bash
+# Default branch (HEROLIB_REF=development)
+docker run -it --rm hero-git:latest
+
+# Specific herolib ref
+export HEROLIB_REF=development_nile_installers
+
+docker run -it --rm \
+  -e HEROLIB_REF=$HEROLIB_REF \
+  hero-git:latest
+```
+
+### Build Horus binaries into a host directory
+
+```bash
+mkdir -p hero-bin
+
+docker run --rm \
+  -v "$PWD/hero-bin:/root/hero/bin" \
+  -e HEROLIB_REF=development_nile_installers \
+  hero-git:latest \
+  bash -lc '
+    set -euxo pipefail
+    cd /opt/herolib
+    ./examples/installers/horus/horus_full_install.vsh
+    ls -al /root/hero/bin
+  '
+
+ls -al hero-bin
+```
+
+You should now see the built Horus binaries on the host in `hero-bin/`.
+
+---
+
+## Summary
+
+* The `hero-git:latest` image encapsulates all dependencies required to build Horus via `herolib`.
+* `entrypoint.sh`:
+
+  * Starts Redis
+  * Optionally configures SSH
+  * Selects and updates the `herolib` checkout
+  * Builds the `hero` CLI once
+  * Runs any command passed to the container (e.g. Horus installers)
+* CI uses this image to run `horus_full_install.vsh` and collect Horus binaries from `/root/hero/bin` for releases.
--- a/docker/entrypoint.sh
+++ b/docker/entrypoint.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# Start Redis in the background
+redis-server --daemonize yes
+
+# Optional SSH setup: only if /root/ssh has keys
+if [ -d /root/ssh ] && compgen -G "/root/ssh/*" > /dev/null; then
+    mkdir -p /root/.ssh
+    cp -r /root/ssh/* /root/.ssh/
+    chmod 600 /root/.ssh/*
+    eval "$(ssh-agent)"
+    ssh-add /root/.ssh/*
+fi
+
+# Support optionally bind-mounting a local herolib into the container.
+# If /opt/herolib_mount exists, we use that; otherwise we use the cloned /opt/herolib
+rm -f /root/.vmodules/freeflowuniverse/herolib
+if [ -d "/opt/herolib_mount" ]; then
+    ln -s /opt/herolib_mount/lib /root/.vmodules/incubaid/herolib
+    cd /opt/herolib_mount
+else
+    ln -s /opt/herolib/lib /root/.vmodules/incubaid/herolib
+    cd /opt/herolib
+    git fetch
+    git checkout "${HEROLIB_REF:-development}"
+    git pull
+fi
+
+# Build hero CLI once so it's available as /bin/hero
+cd cli
+echo "Building hero..."
+v -enable-globals hero.v > build.log 2>&1 || (cat build.log && exit 1)
+ln -s "$(realpath hero)" /bin/hero
+
+cd /root
+
+# If a command was provided to `docker run`, execute it as-is.
+if [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; then
+    exec "$@"
+else
+    # No command passed → give an interactive shell
+    exec bash
+fi