GitHub Actions

Enable GitHub Actions

By default GitHub actions are enabled on any new repo. You can create and access those in Action tab on your repo page.

Adding a Self-hosted Runner

Prerequisites

• SSH connection to the server should be established before hand
• Runner username should ideally not have root access for safety purposes

Follow these steps to add a self-hosted runner in you repo

1. Go to settings page of the repository.

2. In the left sidebar, click Actions.

3. In the left sidebar, under "Actions", click Runners.

   

4. Click on New self-hosted runner

   

5. Select the operating system image and architecture of your self-hosted runner machine.

6. You will see instructions showing you how to download the runner application and install it on your self-hosted runner machine.

Installing the service

1. Stop the self-hosted runner application if it is currently running.
2. Install the service with the following command:

   sudo ./svc.sh install
   

3. Start the service with the following command:

   sudo ./svc.sh start
   

NPM Build Action

This action will build webpack packages and push directly onto the development branch. These packages include:

• react-app
• es6-webpack
• new-react-app
• ckeditor-webpack

Steps for setting up the GitHub action

1. Go to Action tab in repository and add a Node.js workflow

   

2. It will generate a .github/workflows/node.js.yml file

   

3. Modify the file like mentioned below:

   # react-build.yml
   
   name: React App Build
   
   on:
       pull_request:
           types: [closed]
           branches: [development]
           paths:
           - public/react-app/**
           # Changes of these files will trigger the workflow
   
   jobs:
       build:
           runs-on: self-hosted
           if: github.event.pull_request.merged == true
           env:
               CI: false
   
           steps:
             - uses: actions/checkout@v2
   
             - name: Use Node.js 12.x
               uses: actions/setup-node@v1
               with:
                   node-version: 12.x
                   cache: 'npm'
   
             - name: Install dependencies
               run: npm install
               working-directory: public/react-app
   
             - name: Build
               run: npm run build:production
               working-directory: public/react-app
   
             - name: Add & Commit
               uses: EndBug/add-and-commit@v7.5.0
               with:
                   # The arguments for the `git add` command (see the paragraph below for more info)
                   # Default: '.'
                   add: 'public/react-app/build'
   
                   # Determines the way the action fills missing author name and email. Three options are available:
                   # - github_actor -> UserName <UserName@users.noreply.github.com>
                   # - user_info -> Your Display Name <your-actual@email.com>
                   # - github_actions -> github-actions <email associated with the github logo>
                   # Default: github_actor
                   default_author: github_actor
   
                   # The message for the commit.
                   # Default: 'Commit from GitHub Actions (name of the workflow)'
                   message: 'React Build'
   
                   # The name of the branch to use, if different from the one that triggered the workflow.
                   # Default: the branch that triggered the run
                   branch: development
       qa-push:
           runs-on: self-hosted
           needs: [build]
           steps:
             - name: Invoke deployment
               uses: wei/curl@master
               with:
                 args: http://link-to-deployment-server.com
   
   

4. Above mentioned will build react-app and commit the build on development branch

5. This process can be repeated for all the npm apps in the project with separate workflow files

Action References:

• Checkout: https://github.com/marketplace/actions/checkout
• Node Setup: https://github.com/marketplace/actions/setup-node-js-environment
• Add & Commit: https://github.com/marketplace/actions/add-commit
• cUrl: https://github.com/marketplace/actions/github-action-for-curl

Delete Stale Branches Action

This action periodically scans for branches that are older that configured number of days and deletes them.

Steps for setting up the GitHub action

1. Add a new file .github/workflows/delete-stale-branches.yml in repository
2. Modify the file like mentioned below:

    name: Delete Stale Branches
   
    on:
    # Run daily at midnight on 5th of every month
    schedule:
        - cron: "0 0 5 * *"
   
    # Allow workflow to be manually run from the GitHub UI
    workflow_dispatch:
   
    jobs:
        cleanup_old_branches:
            runs-on: self-hosted
            name: Clean up repo
            steps:
            - name: Delete dead branches
                uses: phpdocker-io/github-actions-delete-abandoned-branches@v1
                id: delete_branches
                with:
                github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
                last_commit_age_days: 120
                ignore_branches: 'development,production,staging'
   
                # Disable dry run and actually get stuff deleted
                dry_run: no
   
            - name: Get output
                run: "echo 'Deleted branches: ${{ steps.delete_branches.outputs.deleted_branches }}'"
   

3. Above mentioned workflow should delete the branches that are older than 120 days at every 5th date of the month at mid-night according to UTC time

Action References:

• Delete abandoned branches: https://github.com/marketplace/actions/delete-abandoned-branches