Bitbucket Pipelines now supports running CI/CD pipelines on Linux ARM architecture using self-hosted runners, enabling developers to build and test across diverse platforms while avoiding additional charges for build minutes.
- Supports Linux ARM Docker and shell self-hosted runners
- Enables use of own ARM infrastructure without build minute charges
- Requires ARM-compatible Docker images and pipes for pipelines
What happened
Atlassian announced that Bitbucket Pipelines now officially supports Linux Docker ARM self-hosted runners. This allows developers to run pipelines on their own ARM hardware, expanding the range of supported platforms beyond the traditional x86 Intel architecture. Users can configure these runners through repository or workspace settings by selecting the ARM64 architecture.
In addition, Bitbucket Pipelines moved from beta to official release support for non-containerized Linux Shell self-hosted runners. This means pipelines can run on Linux infrastructure without the constraints imposed by containers. Both runner types give users control over their build environment and avoid billed build minutes since the infrastructure belongs to the user.
Why it matters
This development is significant because ARM architecture is increasingly popular for efficient, cost-effective computing in cloud and edge environments. By supporting ARM runners, Bitbucket Pipelines enables teams to build and test software on hardware that matches their deployment targets more closely.
Additionally, allowing users to run self-hosted runners without container restrictions or build minute fees grants greater flexibility and cost control. This can lead to optimized CI/CD workflows, especially for organizations with ARM infrastructure or specific build requirements.
What to watch next
Teams must ensure that their Docker build images and service images fully support ARM, as only compatible images can run successfully on ARM runners. Atlassian has updated their default build image to support both ARM and Intel architectures and encourages users to report needed pipe support for ARM on their community forums.
Going forward, users should explore detailed Atlassian documentation and actively participate in community discussions to help Atlassian expand ARM pipeline component support, maximizing the value of this new capability in Bitbucket Pipelines.