Build/release workflow (listen1/listen1_desktop)

The Build/release workflow from listen1/listen1_desktop, explained and optimized by Latchkey.

What it does

This is the Build/release workflow from the listen1/listen1_desktop 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/release

on: push

jobs:
  release:
    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}

    strategy:
      matrix:
        os: [macos-latest, ubuntu-latest, windows-latest]
    steps:
      - name: Check out Git repository
        uses: actions/checkout@v2
        with:
          submodules: true

      - name: Install Node.js, NPM and Yarn
        uses: actions/setup-node@v2
        with:
          node-version: 16

      - name: Build/release Electron app
        uses: samuelmeuli/action-electron-builder@v1
        with:
          # GitHub token, automatically provided to the action
          # (No need to define this secret in the repo settings)
          github_token: ${{ secrets.github_token }}

          # If the commit is tagged with a version (e.g. "v1.0.0"),
          # release the app after building
          release: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v') }}

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/release
 
on: push
 
concurrency:
  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: true
 
jobs:
  release:
    timeout-minutes: 30
    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
 
    strategy:
      matrix:
        os: [macos-latest, ubuntu-latest, windows-latest]
    steps:
      - name: Check out Git repository
        uses: actions/checkout@v2
        with:
          submodules: true
 
      - name: Install Node.js, NPM and Yarn
        uses: actions/setup-node@v2
        with:
          cache: 'npm'
          node-version: 16
 
      - name: Build/release Electron app
        uses: samuelmeuli/action-electron-builder@v1
        with:
          # GitHub token, automatically provided to the action
          # (No need to define this secret in the repo settings)
          github_token: ${{ secrets.github_token }}
 
          # If the commit is tagged with a version (e.g. "v1.0.0"),
          # release the app after building
          release: ${{ startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v') }}
 

What changed

• 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.

1 third-party action is referenced by a movable tag. Pin it to the commit SHA (Latchkey resolves and applies this automatically) so a repointed tag cannot change what runs.

This workflow runs 1 job (3 with the matrix expanded) per trigger. On Latchkey the same minutes cost up to 58% less than GitHub-hosted, with zero queue time.

Actions used in this workflow