Docker workflow (mujocolab/mjlab)

The Docker workflow from mujocolab/mjlab, explained and optimized by Latchkey.

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Source: mujocolab/mjlab.github/workflows/docker.ymlLicense Apache-2.0View source

What it does

This is the Docker workflow from the mujocolab/mjlab repository, a real project running GitHub Actions. It is shown here with attribution under its Apache-2.0 license.

Below, Latchkey shows a faster, safer version produced by its optimization engine.

The workflow

workflow (.yml)

name: Docker

on:
  workflow_dispatch:

  push:
    branches:
      - "main"

  pull_request:
    types:
      - opened
      - reopened
      - synchronize
      - ready_for_review

concurrency:
  group: docker-${{ github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: true

defaults:
  run:
    shell: bash

env:
  FORCE_COLOR: 1
  REGISTRY: ghcr.io
  IMAGE_NAME: mujocolab/mjlab

permissions:
  id-token: write
  packages: write

jobs:
  check_paths:
    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04
    outputs:
      build: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.any }}
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
      - id: filter
        uses: dorny/paths-filter@v3
        with:
          list-files: shell
          filters: |
            any:
              - ".github/workflows/docker.yml"
              - "Dockerfile"

  build:
    needs: check_paths
    if: ${{ needs.check_paths.outputs.build == 'true' }}
    runs-on: ubuntu-22.04

    steps:
      - name: Checkout repo
        uses: actions/checkout@v6

      - name: Setup Docker buildx
        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3

      - name: Log into registry
        uses: docker/login-action@v3
        with:
          registry: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}
          username: ${{ github.actor }}
          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

      - name: Extract Docker metadata
        id: meta
        uses: docker/metadata-action@v5
        with:
          images: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}
          tags: |
            type=ref,event=branch
            type=raw,value=latest,enable={{is_default_branch}}

      - name: Build and push Docker image
        uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
        with:
          context: .
          push: ${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' }}
          tags: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}
          labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
          cache-from: |
            type=gha
            type=registry,ref=ghcr.io/mujocolab/mjlab/mjlab:buildcache
          cache-to: |
            type=gha,mode=max
            type=registry,ref=ghcr.io/mujocolab/mjlab/mjlab:buildcache,mode=max
          platforms: linux/amd64

The same workflow, on Latchkey

Removes redundant runs and caps runaway jobs. Added and changed lines are highlighted.

name: Docker
 
on:
  workflow_dispatch:
 
  push:
    branches:
      - "main"
 
  pull_request:
    types:
      - opened
      - reopened
      - synchronize
      - ready_for_review
 
concurrency:
  group: docker-${{ github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: true
 
defaults:
  run:
    shell: bash
 
env:
  FORCE_COLOR: 1
  REGISTRY: ghcr.io
  IMAGE_NAME: mujocolab/mjlab
 
permissions:
  id-token: write
  packages: write
 
jobs:
  check_paths:
    timeout-minutes: 30
    runs-on: latchkey-small
    outputs:
      build: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.any }}
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
      - id: filter
        uses: dorny/paths-filter@v3
        with:
          list-files: shell
          filters: |
            any:
              - ".github/workflows/docker.yml"
              - "Dockerfile"
 
  build:
    timeout-minutes: 30
    needs: check_paths
    if: ${{ needs.check_paths.outputs.build == 'true' }}
    runs-on: latchkey-small
 
    steps:
      - name: Checkout repo
        uses: actions/checkout@v6
 
      - name: Setup Docker buildx
        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
 
      - name: Log into registry
        uses: docker/login-action@v3
        with:
          registry: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}
          username: ${{ github.actor }}
          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
      - name: Extract Docker metadata
        id: meta
        uses: docker/metadata-action@v5
        with:
          images: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}
          tags: |
            type=ref,event=branch
            type=raw,value=latest,enable={{is_default_branch}}
 
      - name: Build and push Docker image
        uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
        with:
          context: .
          push: ${{ github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' }}
          tags: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}
          labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
          cache-from: |
            type=gha
            type=registry,ref=ghcr.io/mujocolab/mjlab/mjlab:buildcache
          cache-to: |
            type=gha,mode=max
            type=registry,ref=ghcr.io/mujocolab/mjlab/mjlab:buildcache,mode=max
          platforms: linux/amd64

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 uses latchkey-small; pick the runner size that fits the job.
Add a job timeout so a hung step cannot burn hours of runner time.

5 third-party actions are referenced by a movable tag. Pin them to the commit SHA (Latchkey resolves and applies this automatically) so a repointed tag cannot change what runs.

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:

Container pulls and builds

This workflow runs 2 jobs per trigger. On Latchkey the same minutes cost up to 58% less than GitHub-hosted, with zero queue time.

Actions used in this workflow

actions/checkout dorny/paths-filter docker/setup-buildx-action docker/login-action docker/metadata-action docker/build-push-action