Name: runpod-usage
Author: runpod

How Runpod works and how to work it — pods vs serverless, GPU/VRAM selection, storage, building a container, networking, plus the agentic pod development loop (provision → ssh-exec → set up → poll readiness) and on-pod install hygiene (uv/apt). Use to answer "how does X work", "which GPU", "how do I

Runpod usage (concepts) Background knowledge for making the right choice before you act. This skill runs nothing — once you know what to do, execute with runpod mcp / runpodctl (infra), flash (your own code), or companion clis (models/images/data). This skill explains; the golden paths demonstrate. When the question is really "how do I do X" rather than "how does X work", the verified end to end example is the faster answer — [runpod/golden paths/README.md](../runpod/golden paths/README.md). Read the concept here, then follow the path. To author files for a custom template, use [runpod build template](../runpod build template/SKILL.md); this lane supplies the shared concepts, not a competing packaging workflow. Read the one reference file that matches the question: Question Read First run setup / auth — get + set RUNPOD API KEY , SSH, companion creds reference/getting started.md Pods vs serverless, workers, cold starts, FlashBoot, queue vs load balanced reference/concepts.md The development loop for ANY workload (start here) — plan → prefer prebuilt → provision → verify → teardown reference/development loop.md Stand up / iterate a workload on a pod — the pod sub loop reference/pod workflows.md Deploy / iterate a serverless endpoint — Hub vs flash vs custom, invoke + verify reference/endpoint workflows.md Install software on a pod — package hygiene, uv , non interactive, caching reference/on pod setup.md Build a Docker image Runpod can run (handler contract, Dockerfile, platform=linux/amd64 ) reference/docker.md How to build an image well — base image, layering, bake in vs volume, pod vs serverless (queue/LB) contract reference/building images.md Where data lives — container disk vs network volume, model caching, S3 access reference/storage.md Which GPU / how much VRAM / which CUDA version / cost & availability / data centers reference/gpu selection.md Why a stopped pod may not restart with a GPU — pods are bound to one machine; what else is per machine reference/pods and machines.md Endpoint releases, rolling updates, version overlap, GitHub builds reference/endpoint builds and releases.md Storing API tokens and keys as secrets and referencing them from env vars reference/secrets.md Reaching a pod or endpoint over HTTP (proxy URLs, exposed ports) reference/networking.md Common mistakes and how to avoid them reference/gotchas.md Exact facts: the concept files The reference files explain. For a precise fact, or a rule an action must satisfy, read the concept files in concepts/ next to this file. There is one YAML file per concept ( pod.yaml , network volume.yaml , machine.yaml , …), each with its fields, states, relations and rules, and every rule cites the public source it comes from. rules[].statement is the fact. see: points at related rules on other concepts. A rule with conflict: true records two public sources that disagree. Give both readings. A kind: process file explains a flow step by step. pod deployment.yaml covers deploy, stop and restart, including why a restart can fail while the data center has stock.