GitHub Releases Are Not Being Created By Publish Workflow

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Are you experiencing issues with GitHub Releases not being automatically created after your publish workflow runs? This can be a frustrating problem, especially when you rely on these releases to track versions and provide users with downloadable assets. In this article, we'll dive into a common cause for this issue: an improperly configured publish workflow. We'll specifically focus on a scenario where the ci:publish script is failing to trigger the changeset publish command, which is essential for generating those releases. We'll then walk through the solution, which involves directly calling changeset publish within your workflow.

Understanding the Importance of GitHub Releases

GitHub Releases are a cornerstone of software project management and distribution. They serve as official snapshots of your project at specific points in time, typically corresponding to new versions. Releases provide several key benefits:

  • Version Tracking: Releases clearly demarcate different versions of your software, making it easy for users to identify and download the correct version for their needs.
  • Change Logs: Releases often include detailed change logs, outlining the new features, bug fixes, and other improvements included in each version. This helps users understand what's changed and whether they should upgrade.
  • Downloadable Assets: Releases can be used to package and distribute your software, including binaries, installers, and other relevant files. This simplifies the process of getting your software into the hands of users.
  • Communication: Releases serve as a valuable communication tool, allowing you to announce new versions and highlight important changes to your user base.

Without properly functioning GitHub Releases, your users may struggle to track versions, access the latest features, and stay informed about your project's progress. Ensuring that your publish workflow correctly creates releases is crucial for maintaining a healthy and user-friendly project.

The Problem: ci:publish Script Not Triggering changeset publish

One common culprit behind missing GitHub Releases is an issue within the publish workflow's script. Specifically, if the script intended to trigger the release process fails to execute the changeset publish command, GitHub Releases will not be generated. This often happens when the workflow uses an intermediary script, such as a ci:publish script, that is supposed to call changeset publish but doesn't do so correctly.

Let's imagine a scenario where your package.json file includes a script like this:

"scripts": {
  "ci:publish": "node ./scripts/publish.js"
}

And your workflow might then call this script using npm run ci:publish. However, if the publish.js script doesn't contain the necessary logic to execute changeset publish, the release process will stall. This can be due to various reasons, such as errors in the script's code, incorrect configuration, or missing dependencies.

The consequence of this oversight is that while your code might be successfully published to a package registry (like npm), no corresponding release will be created on GitHub. This leaves your repository without the crucial version markers and downloadable assets that users rely on.

The Solution: Directly Calling changeset publish

The most direct and reliable way to ensure GitHub Releases are created during your publish workflow is to explicitly call the changeset publish command. This eliminates the potential for errors or omissions in intermediary scripts.

Step-by-Step Guide to Implementing the Solution

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to modify your workflow to directly call changeset publish:

  1. Identify Your Publish Workflow: Locate the workflow file responsible for publishing your project. This is typically found in the .github/workflows directory of your repository and often has a name like publish.yml or release.yml.
  2. Locate the Publishing Step: Within the workflow file, find the step that handles the publishing process. This step usually involves commands like npm publish or yarn publish.
  3. Replace the ci:publish Call: If your workflow currently calls a script like npm run ci:publish, remove that line.
  4. Add a changeset publish Step: Insert a new step that directly executes the changeset publish command. This step should be placed after any necessary setup steps (like installing dependencies) and before any cleanup or notification steps.
  5. Configure Permissions (If Necessary): Depending on your workflow setup and the permissions required by changeset publish, you may need to configure the permissions section of your workflow to grant the necessary access. This often involves granting write access to the contents scope, which is required for creating releases.

Example Workflow Snippet

Here's an example of how the relevant section of your workflow might look after implementing the solution:

jobs:
  publish:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - uses: actions/setup-node@v3
        with:
          node-version: 16
      - run: npm install
      # Directly call changeset publish
      - run: npx changeset publish
        env:
          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
      # ... other steps ...

In this example, we've replaced the call to npm run ci:publish with a direct call to npx changeset publish. We've also included the GITHUB_TOKEN environment variable, which is often required for changeset publish to authenticate with GitHub and create releases.

Ensuring Your Workflow Has Necessary Permissions

One critical aspect of getting changeset publish to work correctly within your workflow is ensuring that the workflow has the necessary permissions to create GitHub Releases. GitHub Actions workflows operate with a default set of permissions, which may not be sufficient for all tasks. If your workflow attempts to create a release without the proper permissions, it will likely fail.

Understanding Workflow Permissions

GitHub Actions workflows can be configured with specific permissions that control what resources the workflow can access and modify. These permissions are defined in the permissions section of your workflow file. The most relevant permission for creating GitHub Releases is the contents permission, which controls access to the repository's contents, including releases.

Granting Write Access to Contents

To allow your workflow to create GitHub Releases, you need to grant it write access to the contents scope. This is typically done by adding the following to your workflow file:

permissions:
  contents: write

This configuration explicitly grants the workflow write access to the repository's contents, allowing it to create releases, upload assets, and modify other repository data.

Checking Existing Permissions

Before adding the permissions section to your workflow, it's a good idea to check your repository's default workflow permissions. You can do this by navigating to your repository's settings, then selecting "Actions" and "General". Under the "Workflow permissions" section, you'll see the default permissions granted to workflows in your repository.

If the default permissions already include write access to contents, you may not need to explicitly add the permissions section to your workflow file. However, it's generally a good practice to explicitly define the permissions your workflow requires to ensure clarity and prevent unexpected behavior.

Best Practices for Workflow Permissions

Here are some best practices to keep in mind when configuring workflow permissions:

  • Grant Only Necessary Permissions: Avoid granting more permissions than your workflow actually needs. This helps to minimize the potential security risks associated with workflows.
  • Use Specific Permissions: Instead of granting broad permissions like write-all, use specific permissions like contents: write to limit the scope of access.
  • Review and Update Permissions: Periodically review your workflow permissions to ensure they are still appropriate and that no unnecessary permissions are granted.

By carefully managing workflow permissions, you can ensure that your workflows have the access they need to function correctly while minimizing the risk of security vulnerabilities.

Testing Your Workflow Changes

After implementing the solution, it's essential to test your workflow to ensure that GitHub Releases are being created as expected. This can be done by triggering a new publish run and verifying that a release is generated upon successful completion.

Triggering a Test Run

There are several ways to trigger a test run of your publish workflow:

  • Manually Trigger the Workflow: You can manually trigger the workflow from the "Actions" tab of your repository on GitHub. Select the workflow you want to test and click the "Run workflow" button.
  • Push a Commit: If your workflow is configured to run on pushes to a specific branch (like main), you can trigger a run by pushing a new commit to that branch.
  • Create a Pull Request: If your workflow is configured to run on pull requests, you can trigger a run by creating a new pull request or updating an existing one.

For testing purposes, it's often best to manually trigger the workflow or push a commit to a non-production branch to avoid accidentally publishing changes to your users.

Verifying Release Creation

Once the workflow run has completed, check the "Actions" tab of your repository to see if the run was successful. If the run succeeded, navigate to the "Releases" section of your repository.

You should see a new release listed, corresponding to the version that was published during the workflow run. The release should include:

  • Version Tag: The version number of the release (e.g., v1.2.3).
  • Release Title: A title for the release, often based on the version number.
  • Change Log: A summary of the changes included in the release.
  • Assets: Any files that were uploaded as part of the release (e.g., binaries, installers).

If you see a new release with these elements, congratulations! Your workflow is now correctly creating GitHub Releases.

Troubleshooting Failed Runs

If the workflow run failed or no release was created, you'll need to troubleshoot the issue. Here are some common problems to look for:

  • Workflow Errors: Check the workflow run logs for any error messages or warnings. These messages can provide clues about what went wrong.
  • Permissions Issues: Ensure that your workflow has the necessary permissions to create releases (as discussed earlier). Check the permissions section of your workflow file and verify that the contents scope has write access.
  • changeset publish Errors: If the changeset publish command failed, check its output in the workflow logs for any error messages. These messages may indicate issues with your changeset configuration or environment.
  • GitHub Token Issues: If you're using a GitHub token to authenticate with GitHub, ensure that the token is valid and has the necessary permissions.

By carefully reviewing the workflow logs and addressing any identified issues, you should be able to get your publish workflow working correctly.

Conclusion

Ensuring that your publish workflow correctly creates GitHub Releases is essential for maintaining a well-organized and user-friendly project. By directly calling changeset publish and configuring the necessary permissions, you can avoid common pitfalls and streamline your release process. Remember to test your changes thoroughly to ensure that everything is working as expected. With a properly configured workflow, you can confidently publish new versions of your software and keep your users informed and up-to-date.

If you've been struggling with missing GitHub Releases, we hope this article has provided you with the guidance you need to fix the issue. By following the steps outlined here, you can restore release functionality and ensure that your project's versions are accurately tracked and easily accessible to your users.