Supporting Node.js 14 and 16 LTS as the runtime of JavaScript action

[peaceiris]

Describe the enhancement

Node.js v14.15.0 has been released and the 14.x release line now moves into Active LTS. Can the GitHub Actions runner support it as the runtime of a JavaScript (TypeScript) action? Is there a roadmap for this?

Code Snippet

Today, we can set node12 to runs.using.

runs:
  using: 'node12'
  main: 'main.js'

Can we set node14 (or node16) as follows?

runs:
  using: 'node14'
  main: 'main.js'

Additional information

https://docs.github.com/en/actions/creating-actions/metadata-syntax-for-github-actions#runs-for-javascript-actions

We also need to update the documentation when node14 is available.

[viceice]

Looks like this is not easy 😭

runner/src/Runner.Worker/ActionManifestManager.cs

Lines 454 to 471 in 89a13db

	else if (string.Equals(usingToken.Value, "node12", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
	{
	if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(mainToken?.Value))
	{
	throw new ArgumentNullException($"You are using a JavaScript Action but there is not an entry JavaScript file provided in {fileRelativePath}.");
	}
	else
	{
	return new NodeJSActionExecutionData()
	{
	Script = mainToken.Value,
	Pre = preToken?.Value,
	InitCondition = preIfToken?.Value ?? "always()",
	Post = postToken?.Value,
	CleanupCondition = postIfToken?.Value ?? "always()"
	};
	}
	}

[ad-m]

Is it done via actions/runner-images#1953 ?

[peaceiris]

No. This is a problem of the actions/runner.

peaceiris/actions-gh-pages#539

https://github.com/peaceiris/actions-gh-pages/pull/539/checks?check_run_id=1437553870#step:19:20
Error: System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException: Specified argument was out of the range of valid values. (Parameter ''using: node14' is not supported, use 'docker' or 'node12' instead.')

[TingluoHuang]

We need:

• compile alpine node14
• update the ./external.sh script to download the node14
• update C# code and yaml schema to support node14
• update documentation

[littlewall]

Hello,
Is there any update on this or timeline of when to expect this feature?

Thank you,
Milan Zítka

[ianwalter]

@TingluoHuang I started working on this but I don't have any significant experience with C# so any help or direction would be much appreciated.

[TingluoHuang]

Should we just wait for node.js 16 to become LTS and then directly goes to node 16? I don't see too many benefits that go to node 14.

[mktcode]

"Active LTS Start: 2021-10-26"
https://nodejs.org/en/about/releases/

not that far away 👍🏻

[bryanmacfarlane]

... we could even start much sooner with using: node14 support in preview to find and flush out any potential issues. no need to wait till October ... we'll just have to turn the crank it least a couple of times. But I do like going straight to 16.

[rethab]

What would be the benefit of supporting node 14? Any features that would be unlocked by using it?