Improved production Docker image loading in CI

[9larsons]

Summary

• avoids loading the pushed full production image into the local Docker daemon on trusted CI runs
• skips the non-gating Docker image size/layer summary on trusted runs, because it depends on the image being loaded locally
• keeps local loading and image inspection for artifact-based fork/cross-repo PR runs

Why

The full image is already pushed to GHCR on trusted runs. Loading it locally is only needed for artifact transfer/reporting and was adding roughly 45-60s of export/import overhead after BuildKit cache hits.

The skipped reporting is informational only: it runs docker inspect and docker history to write image size and layer details to the GitHub Step Summary. It does not enforce thresholds, alert, or gate CI.

Testing

• git diff --check -- .github/workflows/ci.yml

[coderabbitai]

Walkthrough

This PR updates the CI workflow in .github/workflows/ci.yml to optimize Docker artifact handling in the job_build_artifacts step. The load parameter for the "full" image build is now conditional: it is set to true only when should-push is false, rather than always loading. Additionally, the "Inspect image size and layers" step is now gated behind a condition checking steps.strategy.outputs.use-artifact == 'true', ensuring the inspection only runs when an image is available locally.

Possibly related PRs

• TryGhost/Ghost#28078: Overlaps directly in job_build_artifacts by conditionally running image/artifact-related steps based on steps.strategy.outputs.use-artifact == 'true' and adjusting Docker load behavior.
• TryGhost/Ghost#28001: Modifies .github/workflows/ci.yml to add conditional gating around job_build_artifacts execution and related steps via build/E2E lane gates.

🚥 Pre-merge checks | ✅ 5

✅ Passed checks (5 passed)

Check name	Status	Explanation
Title check	✅ Passed	The title accurately reflects the main change: improving Docker image loading behavior in CI by conditionally skipping local load for trusted runs while maintaining it for artifact-based runs.
Docstring Coverage	✅ Passed	No functions found in the changed files to evaluate docstring coverage. Skipping docstring coverage check.
Linked Issues check	✅ Passed	Check skipped because no linked issues were found for this pull request.
Out of Scope Changes check	✅ Passed	Check skipped because no linked issues were found for this pull request.
Description check	✅ Passed	The PR description clearly explains the changes: avoiding Docker image loading on trusted CI runs to reduce overhead, while retaining it for artifact-based runs where needed.

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✨ Finishing Touches

📝 Generate docstrings

• Create stacked PR
• Commit on current branch

🧪 Generate unit tests (beta)

• Create PR with unit tests
• Commit unit tests in branch skip-local-docker-load

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[codecov]

Codecov Report

✅ All modified and coverable lines are covered by tests.
✅ Project coverage is 73.81%. Comparing base (4269498) to head (34dd2c9).
⚠️ Report is 1 commits behind head on main.

Additional details and impacted files

@@            Coverage Diff             @@
##             main   #28105      +/-   ##
==========================================
- Coverage   73.82%   73.81%   -0.01%     
==========================================
  Files        1528     1528              
  Lines      129417   129417              
  Branches    15509    15506       -3     
==========================================
- Hits        95537    95527      -10     
- Misses      32924    32934      +10     
  Partials      956      956              

Flag	Coverage Δ
admin-tests	54.03% <ø> (ø)
e2e-tests	73.81% <ø> (-0.01%)	⬇️

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