Path to action in the same repository as workflow

[raquelhortab]

I’d like to explain something I went through as I think the documentation could maybe specify this case a bit more or it could even be a bug (not sure though).

I have a repository with a rails app. The repository has its own action to run tests in a docker container. The workflow’s path would be /.github/workflows/main.yml while the action’s path would be /.github/actions/automatic-tests/action.yml. 

The thing is, I tried following the documentation, where it says:

Selection_306.png866×333 25.3 KB

So, in the workflow’s main.yml I set:

uses: ./.github/actions/automatic-tests@master

However, when the action was triggered, I got the following error:

Can't find 'action.yml' or 'Dockerfile' under
'/home/runner/work/hello_world_github_actions/hello_world_github_actions/.github/actions/automatic-tests@master'.
Did you forget to run actions/checkout before running your local action?

I fond it weird that the repository name got duplicated in the path (…/hello_world_github_actions/hello_world_github_actions/…). I also tried setting it to ./…/.github to workaround this second hello_world_github_actions directory but it still failed, I believe it was because there is no reference to raquelhortab, which is my github account name.

I got it to work by setting the whole repository reference, as I would do if I wanted to use an action in another repository (with a previous checkout as well):

uses: raquelhortab/hello_world_github_actions/.github/actions/automatic-tests@master

However, I’d like to know if this is the expected behaviour or whether I did something wrong.

[Yanjingzhu]

Hi raquelhortab,

When use action in the same repository as workflow, we need to add actions/checkout before running your local action. And you don’t need to add @master behind your action path.

Please see my example:

name: use my action
on: push
jobs:

my_first_job:

runs-on: ubuntu-latest

steps:

- uses: actions/checkout@v1

- name: My first step

uses: ./.github/actions/my-action

>> I fond it weird that the repository name got duplicated in the path (…/hello_world_github_actions/hello_world_github_actions/…).

For this question, the path is as expected. It is the default directory path .

workspace.png765×217 7.96 KB

Please refer to this document: https://help.github.com/en/actions/automating-your-workflow-with-github-actions/using-environment-variables

[gblikas]

This issue seems to be related and was something I ran into. Is there any chance get the a real feature? 

[raquelhortab]

The thing is I did add actions/checkout, and it didn’t work. I tried it again today and it doesn’t work if I use a relative path (./.github/…), only when using the whole path (raquelhortab/hello_world_github_actions/.github/…).

Here’s the code for .github/workflows/main.yml that I can’t get to work with your solution (I know that adding @master it’s not necessary but this is not the problem):

name: CI
on:

push:

branches:

- master
jobs:

build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest

steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@master
  name: Checkout
- uses: ./.github/actions/automatic-tests@master
  name: Test

Meanwhile, this is working perfectly:

name: CI
on:

push:

branches:

- master
jobs:

build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest

steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@master
  name: Checkout
- uses: raquelhortab/hello_world_github_actions/.github/actions/automatic-tests@master
  name: Test

[Yanjingzhu]

When you use relative path,  there is no need to specific branch. It will find the path in the Github workspace.  Just use next code snippet: 

- uses: ./.github/actions/automatic-tests

When adding @master , it will look for a folder named automatic-tests@master.

[raquelhortab]

Thanks for replying, but what should I use instead of @master? If I don’t add any tag it complains.

With the following code:

name: CI
on:

push:

branches:

- master
jobs:

build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest

steps:
- uses: actions/checkout
  name: Checkout
- uses: ./.github/actions/automatic-tests@master
  name: Test

I get:

Your workflow file was invalid: The pipeline is not valid. .github/workflows/main.yml (Line: 14, Col: 13): Expected format {org}/{repo}[/path]@ref. Actual 'actions/checkout',Input string was not in a correct format.

In your first answer you used @v1. I created a release named v3 and used its tag (actions/checkout@v3) and it doesn’t work either. 

Failed to download action 'https://api.github.com/repos/actions/checkout/tarball/v3'

It seemed like the tag was referent to the actions repo not to my repo so I tried your exact example (actions/checkout@v1) and got the original error as well…

The code:

name: CI
on:

push:

branches:

- master
jobs:

build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest

steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v1
  name: Checkout
- uses: ./.github/actions/automatic-tests@master
  name: Test

The errror:

##[error]Can't find 'action.yml' or 'Dockerfile' under '/home/runner/work/hello_world_github_actions/hello_world_github_actions/.github/actions/automatic-tests@master'. Did you forget to run actions/checkout before running your local action?

Using your @v1 option but with the full path it works again.

[airtower-luna]

I think what @yanjingzhu meant was not to use a tag in your action path, like so:

steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v1
      name: Checkout
    - uses: ./.github/actions/automatic-tests
      name: Test

[raquelhortab]

**bleep**, you meant the tag in the tests step… I had really not seen it, thought you were talking about the one in actions/checkout@v1. It works now, thanks! However, what about if I wanted to use another branch different from master? where would I specify it? is that the “@v1” in actions/checkout@v1 ?

[Yanjingzhu]

If you want to checkout other branches, you could specify ref of checkout action:

- uses: actions/checkout@v1
  with:
    ref: my-branch

For more checkout scenarios , please refer to https://github.com/actions/checkout#scenarios 

[hyst3ric41]

For everybody facing this issue, as the official documentation says here https:// docs . github . com/en/actions/using-workflows/reusing-workflows#calling-a-reusable-workflow:

You call a reusable workflow by using the uses keyword. Unlike when you are using actions within a workflow, you call reusable workflows directly within a job, and not from within job steps.

This means that using the form ./.github/workflows/my-workflow.yml will not work if you use it with the structure:

jobs:
  my-job:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: ...
      - uses: ./.github/workflows/my-workflow.yml
      - run: ...
      - uses: ...

You should use instead:

jobs:
  my-job:
    uses: my-job: ./.github/workflows/my-workflow.yml

I know, this makes no sense, anyways…

[neil90]

The docs for this are utterly useless.

[vignesh-desk]

• name: Get azure Test product config
  id: config1
  uses: ./.azure/actions/config/${{ github.event.inputs.stage }}/

Unrecognized named-value: ‘github’. Located at position 1 within expression: github.event.inputs.stage .github/workflows/azure-build.yml (Line: 55, Col: 15): Unrecognized named-value: ‘github’. Located at position 1 within expression: github.event.inputs.stage

how to give the dynamic path to the the uses attribute ? Any idea ?

[BL-marcusrogers]

Solution for me was to use a trailing slash:

uses: ./.github/actions/my-action/

instead of

uses: ./.github/actions/my-action

Also if you aren't committing your build output directory, make sure you are building (tsc) your action in the workflow before you reference it if it's in typescript and you aren't using @master (i.e. the version you want hasn't yet been built and merged to your master branch).

[ZhaoKunLong]

Preview:

-. Your actions yml is in here /.github/actions/automatic-tests/action.yml.
-. In the Main.yml want to use it.

Key point:

1. If we want to use the repo code, need to use checkout to download the repo.
   1. default will use the master/main branch code. If you want another branch, should use ref to define it.
2. The - use support the relative path. and it's based on the root path. Also just need the action.yml folder path.
3. For the action.yml if use Dockerfile, When building the image in the Dcokerfile the root path is the Dockerfile folder.

Solution, I'm doing it in my local and tested it.

• the main workflow
• path: github/workflows/main.yml
• The ref is not necessary

name: use my action
on: push

jobs:
  my_first_job:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v1
      with:
        ref: 'master'
    - name: My first step
    - uses: ./.github/actions/automatic-tests

• This is the action
• path: .github/actions/automatic-tests/action.yml

name: "Hello My Actions"
description: "Greet someone"
author: "xxxxx@github.com"

runs:
  using: "docker"
  image: "Dockerfile"

branding:
  icon: "mic"
  color: "purple"

• If you use Docker, DockerFile should be in the .github/actions/automatic-tests/
• Docker file

FROM debian:9.5-slim
RUN echo 'hello'

[kalanatd]

@ZhaoKunLong @josegpulido @Yanjingzhu Tagging you since all of you have given detailed answers which resembles closely with my issue.

I am facing the same issue when trying to find a workaround for using a Reusable workflow between two private repos:

Context: I am trying to use a central repo for all the Workflows and refer to that location from other repos.

Legend:
Central Repo: Contains all the Reusable Workflows. (If we edit a file in here we should not have to edit each and every repo's workflow files)
Calling Repo: A repo which runs Workflows, This repo will try to refer the workflows from the Central repo.

I executed a 'cat' command of the workflow and I can see that the workflow file exists and it is readable. But the 'uses' command does not identify the file.

Caller Workflow from Calling repo: [There are some comments I added]

name: Calling Reusable Workflows

on: [ push ]

jobs:
  download-remote-repo:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
    - name: Get private repo with action
      uses: actions/checkout@v2
      with:
        repository: kalanatd/central-repo
        ref: main
        token: ${{ secrets.PAT_TOKEN }}
    - name: List Files After remote Checkout
      run: |
        pwd
        ls -a                 // I can see the checked out remote repo files in here
        ls -al .github/workflows
        cat ./.github/workflows/workflow.yml             // Can read the file without any issue
    - name: Run a workflow file
      uses: ./.github/workflows/workflow.yml 

Note: In aboe scenario ./.github/workflows/workflow.yml is dynamically checked out to the Runner's workspace. Even though 'run' commands can see that file 'uses' command does not use it.

[1] Error: Can't find 'action.yml', 'action.yaml' or 'Dockerfile' under '/home/runner/work/caller-repo/caller-repo/workflow.yml'. Did you forget to run actions/checkout before running your local action?

[2] https://github.github.io/actions-cheat-sheet/actions-cheat-sheet.pdf

[airtower-luna]

    - name: Run a workflow file
      uses: ./.github/workflows/workflow.yml

You're trying to run a reusable workflow as a step, that's not possible. A reusable workflow must be called at the job level, contrary to custom actions (which must be called as steps). See: https://docs.github.com/en/actions/using-workflows/reusing-workflows#calling-a-reusable-workflow

As a side note, mentioning people just because they answered similar questions is rather impolite.

[iSuslov]

If you like me can't read long posts about github actions anymore:

For composite actions (not workflows):

Checkout is mandatory. Only on step level.

This works:

      - uses: actions/checkout@v3

      - name: Reuse action
        uses: ./.github/actions/build

      - uses: actions/checkout@v3

      - name: Reuse action
        uses: ./.github/actions/build/

This doesn't work:

      - uses: actions/checkout@v3

      - name: Reuse action
        uses: ./.github/actions/build/action.yml

      - uses: actions/checkout@v3

      - name: Reuse action
        uses: .github/actions/build

PS: Github actions documentation sucks! I wish in the era of AI layoffs those devs who designed github actions won't lose their jobs. Especially those who designed sharing across jobs. Humanity won't make it if these people happen to build cars or houses.

[Dmitry1987]

also a full path doesn't work in a linux machine. i am caching the repo in AMI image specifically to avoid checkout action and shorten build time (gigantic monorepo) but referencing an existing folder somewhere else is impossible with a full path, so I would need to trick it with ./../../../../home/ubuntu/myrepo/.github/etc 😆

[usualdesigner]

Can confirm that ../ does not work on MacOS too.

[iimrx]

Hi,

Am facing same issue here, and opened an issue here https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/59942.

The issue was not there, until i have added the notification script to run and it gives me the issue even on the checkout? any ideas?

[iimrx]

This is my yaml am using and facing issue with!

#Issue Type Name
name: Issue
#Declaring the branches and types
on:
  issues:
    types: 
      - "opened"
#Declaring all jobs and flows
jobs:
  issue:
    name: Issue Opened
    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
    permissions:
      issues: write
    steps:
      #Checkout Code
      - name: Checkout Code
        uses: actions/checkout@v2

      #Auto Assignation
      - name: Auto Assign Issue
        uses: pozil/auto-assign-issue@v1
        with:
            repo-token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
            assignees: iimrx
            numOfAssignee: 1

      #Setting up python version and action setup
      - name: Set up Python
        uses: actions/setup-python@v2
        with:
          python-version: '3.10.6'

      #Installing all needed dependencies
      - name: Installing Dependencies
        run: |
          python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip
          pip install requests argparse

      #Push notification to discord channel
      - name: Push Notification To Discord
        run: python3 extra/scripts/notification/DiscordNotifications.py -u ${{secrets.DOCKER_USER}} -t issues -i ${{github.event.issue.title}} -l ${{secrets.DISCORD_BUILD_WEBHOOK_URL}}

[iimrx]

In my case it was a Permission issue, where in the above script we can see i have added permissions of the issue to be write which overwrites the permissions of content and thats why it cant see the path. So i have added the following permission and it solves the problem (Note: in my case the workflow is running in private repo and thats why it needs the content permissions) :

permissions: contents: read

[axherrm]

In case some does the same mistake getting the described error message but above answers do not help:

My error was that my action was at ./folder/my-action.yml and I called it by ./folder/my-action when the action should've been at ./folder/my-action/action.yml

[thejeff77]

For anyone wanting to know how to run the action in the root (main repo is the action), use this:

      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - id: testLocalAction
        uses: ./

[gardo984]

Here are the details on the official documentation:

• https://docs.github.com/en/actions/using-workflows/workflow-syntax-for-github-actions#example-using-an-action-in-the-same-repository-as-the-workflow

[fhg-isi]

I got

Error: Failed to load /home/runner/work/foo/foo/./.github/actions/my-custom-action/action.yml

and assumed that the path was wrong. However, there has been an issue inside the file.
A clearer error message might be "Error: Invalid syntax in action file /home/runner/work/foo/foo/./.github/actions/my-custom-action/action.yml"

[Lumi669]

in my case, i simply put the name the file as action.yml and put it in .github/actions/aws-credentials dir, then the error is gone.