Build and publish macOS Installer workflow (containers/ramalama)
The Build and publish macOS Installer workflow from containers/ramalama, explained and optimized by Latchkey.
CI health: D - needs work
Point runs-on at Latchkey and get caching, run de-duplication, job timeouts, self-healing for flaky steps, and up to 58% lower cost, applied automatically.
What it does
This is the Build and publish macOS Installer workflow from the containers/ramalama repository, a real project running GitHub Actions. It is shown here with attribution under its MIT license.
Below, Latchkey shows a faster, safer version produced by its optimization engine.
The workflow
name: Build and publish macOS Installer
on:
push:
branches:
- main
tags:
- "v*"
pull_request:
branches:
- main
release:
types:
- published
workflow_dispatch:
inputs:
ref:
description: 'Git ref to checkout (branch, tag, or commit SHA)'
required: false
type: string
default: 'main'
tag_name:
description: 'Tag name for release upload (e.g., v0.1.0)'
required: false
type: string
default: ''
upload_to_release:
description: 'Upload to specified release tag'
required: false
type: boolean
default: false
jobs:
build-macos-pkg:
name: Build macOS installer
runs-on: macos-latest
environment: macos-installer
outputs:
version: ${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}
pkg_name: ${{ steps.build.pkg_name }}
sha256: ${{ steps.build.sha256 }}
steps:
- name: Checkout repository
uses: actions/checkout@v7
with:
ref: ${{ github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && github.event.inputs.ref || '' }}
- name: Set up Python
uses: actions/setup-python@v6
with:
python-version: '3.14'
- name: Set up Go
uses: actions/setup-go@v6
with:
go-version: 'stable'
- name: Install dependencies
run: |
python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip
pip3 install pyinstaller
pip3 install .
- name: Get version
id: get_version
run: |
VERSION=$(cd ramalama && python3 -c "import version; print(version.version())")
echo "version=$VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
echo "RamaLama version: $VERSION"
- name: Build macOS package
id: build
run: |
make -C docs install-tools
make docs-manpages
./scripts/build_macos_pkg.sh
PKG_FILE="build/macos-pkg/RamaLama-${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}-macOS-Installer.pkg"
PKG_NAME="$(basename $PKG_FILE)"
echo "pkg_file=$PKG_FILE" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
echo "pkg_name=$PKG_NAME" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
SHA256=$(shasum -a 256 "$PKG_FILE" | cut -d' ' -f1)
echo "sha256=$SHA256" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
echo "SHA256: $SHA256"
echo "$SHA256 $PKG_NAME" > "$PKG_FILE.sha256"
- name: Upload artifact
uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7
with:
name: macos-installer
path: |
${{ steps.build.outputs.pkg_file }}
${{ steps.build.outputs.pkg_file }}.sha256
retention-days: 30
- name: Summary
run: |
echo "## macOS Installer Build Complete! π" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
echo "- **Version**: ${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
echo "- **Package**: ${{ steps.build.outputs.pkg_name }}" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
echo "- **SHA256**: ${{ steps.build.outputs.sha256 }}" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
publish-installer-to-release:
name: Publish macOS installer to Github release
if: |
github.repository_owner == 'containers' && (
github.event.action == 'published' || (
github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && github.event.inputs.upload_to_release == 'true'
)
)
permissions:
contents: write
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
needs: build-macos-pkg
steps:
- name: Fetch build artifacts
uses: actions/download-artifact@v8
with:
name: macos-installer
path: macos
- name: Upload artifacts to Github release
env:
GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }}
RELEASE_NAME: ${{ github.event_name == 'release' && github.event.release.tag_name || github.event.inputs.tag_name }}
REPOSITORY: ${{ github.repository }}
run: >-
gh release upload "$RELEASE_NAME" macos/* --repo "$REPOSITORY"
- name: Summary
env:
VERSION: ${{ needs.build-macos-pkg.outputs.version }}
PKG_NAME: ${{ needs.build-macos-pkg.outputs.pkg_name }}
SHA256: ${{ needs.build-macos-pkg.outputs.sha256 }}
run: |
echo "## macOS Installer Release Complete! π" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
echo "- **Version**: $VERSION" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
echo "- **Package**: $PKG_NAME" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
echo "- **SHA256**: $SHA256" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
echo "### Installation" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
echo '```bash' >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
echo "# Download and install" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
echo "curl -LO https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/releases/download/v$VERSION/$PKG_NAME" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
echo "sudo installer -pkg $PKG_NAME -target /" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
echo '```' >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
The same workflow, on Latchkey
Estimated ~20% faster on cache hits, plus fewer wasted runs and a safer supply chain. Added and changed lines are highlighted.
name: Build and publish macOS Installer on: push: branches: - main tags: - "v*" pull_request: branches: - main release: types: - published workflow_dispatch: inputs: ref: description: 'Git ref to checkout (branch, tag, or commit SHA)' required: false type: string default: 'main' tag_name: description: 'Tag name for release upload (e.g., v0.1.0)' required: false type: string default: '' upload_to_release: description: 'Upload to specified release tag' required: false type: boolean default: false concurrency: group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }} cancel-in-progress: true jobs: build-macos-pkg: timeout-minutes: 30 name: Build macOS installer runs-on: macos-latest environment: macos-installer outputs: version: ${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }} pkg_name: ${{ steps.build.pkg_name }} sha256: ${{ steps.build.sha256 }} steps: - name: Checkout repository uses: actions/checkout@v7 with: ref: ${{ github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && github.event.inputs.ref || '' }} - name: Set up Python uses: actions/setup-python@v6 with: cache: 'pip' python-version: '3.14' - name: Set up Go uses: actions/setup-go@v6 with: go-version: 'stable' - name: Install dependencies run: | python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip pip3 install pyinstaller pip3 install . - name: Get version id: get_version run: | VERSION=$(cd ramalama && python3 -c "import version; print(version.version())") echo "version=$VERSION" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT echo "RamaLama version: $VERSION" - name: Build macOS package id: build run: | make -C docs install-tools make docs-manpages ./scripts/build_macos_pkg.sh PKG_FILE="build/macos-pkg/RamaLama-${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}-macOS-Installer.pkg" PKG_NAME="$(basename $PKG_FILE)" echo "pkg_file=$PKG_FILE" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT echo "pkg_name=$PKG_NAME" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT SHA256=$(shasum -a 256 "$PKG_FILE" | cut -d' ' -f1) echo "sha256=$SHA256" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT echo "SHA256: $SHA256" echo "$SHA256 $PKG_NAME" > "$PKG_FILE.sha256" - name: Upload artifact uses: actions/upload-artifact@v7 with: name: macos-installer path: | ${{ steps.build.outputs.pkg_file }} ${{ steps.build.outputs.pkg_file }}.sha256 retention-days: 30 - name: Summary run: | echo "## macOS Installer Build Complete! π" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY echo "- **Version**: ${{ steps.get_version.outputs.version }}" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY echo "- **Package**: ${{ steps.build.outputs.pkg_name }}" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY echo "- **SHA256**: ${{ steps.build.outputs.sha256 }}" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY publish-installer-to-release: timeout-minutes: 30 name: Publish macOS installer to Github release if: | github.repository_owner == 'containers' && ( github.event.action == 'published' || ( github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' && github.event.inputs.upload_to_release == 'true' ) ) permissions: contents: write runs-on: latchkey-small needs: build-macos-pkg steps: - name: Fetch build artifacts uses: actions/download-artifact@v8 with: name: macos-installer path: macos - name: Upload artifacts to Github release env: GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ github.token }} RELEASE_NAME: ${{ github.event_name == 'release' && github.event.release.tag_name || github.event.inputs.tag_name }} REPOSITORY: ${{ github.repository }} run: >- gh release upload "$RELEASE_NAME" macos/* --repo "$REPOSITORY" - name: Summary env: VERSION: ${{ needs.build-macos-pkg.outputs.version }} PKG_NAME: ${{ needs.build-macos-pkg.outputs.pkg_name }} SHA256: ${{ needs.build-macos-pkg.outputs.sha256 }} run: | echo "## macOS Installer Release Complete! π" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY echo "- **Version**: $VERSION" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY echo "- **Package**: $PKG_NAME" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY echo "- **SHA256**: $SHA256" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY echo "" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY echo "### Installation" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY echo '```bash' >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY echo "# Download and install" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY echo "curl -LO https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/releases/download/v$VERSION/$PKG_NAME" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY echo "sudo installer -pkg $PKG_NAME -target /" >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY echo '```' >> $GITHUB_STEP_SUMMARY
What changed
- Run on Latchkey managed runners with one line (
runs-on), which apply the fixes below automatically and self-heal transient failures. This example useslatchkey-small; pick the runner size that fits the job. - Cancel superseded runs when a branch or PR gets a newer push.
- Cache dependency installs on the setup step so they are served from cache.
- Add a job timeout so a hung step cannot burn hours of runner time.
What Latchkey heals here
This workflow has steps that commonly fail on transient issues (network, registries, flaky browsers). On Latchkey managed runners they are detected, retried, and self-healed instead of failing your build:
- Dependency installs
This workflow runs 2 jobs per trigger. On Latchkey the same minutes cost up to 58% less than GitHub-hosted, with zero queue time.