CI workflow (npm/node-semver)

The CI workflow from npm/node-semver, 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.

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Source: npm/node-semver.github/workflows/ci.ymlLicense ISCView source

What it does

This is the CI workflow from the npm/node-semver repository, a real project running GitHub Actions. It is shown here with attribution under its ISC license.

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

The workflow

workflow (.yml)

# This file is automatically added by @npmcli/template-oss. Do not edit.

name: CI

on:
  workflow_dispatch:
  pull_request:
  push:
    branches:
      - main
      - release/v*
  schedule:
    # "At 09:00 UTC (02:00 PT) on Monday" https://crontab.guru/#0_9_*_*_1
    - cron: "0 9 * * 1"

permissions:
  contents: read

jobs:
  lint:
    name: Lint
    if: github.repository_owner == 'npm'
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    defaults:
      run:
        shell: bash
    steps:
      - name: Checkout
        uses: actions/checkout@v6
      - name: Setup Git User
        run: |
          git config --global user.email "npm-cli+bot@github.com"
          git config --global user.name "npm CLI robot"
      - name: Setup Node
        uses: actions/setup-node@v6
        id: node
        with:
          node-version: 26.x
          check-latest: contains('26.x', '.x')
      - name: Install Latest npm
        uses: ./.github/actions/install-latest-npm
        with:
          node: ${{ steps.node.outputs.node-version }}
      - name: Install Dependencies
        run: npm i --ignore-scripts --no-audit --no-fund
      - name: Lint
        run: npm run lint --ignore-scripts
      - name: Post Lint
        run: npm run postlint --ignore-scripts

  test:
    name: Test - ${{ matrix.platform.name }} - ${{ matrix.node-version }}
    if: github.repository_owner == 'npm'
    strategy:
      fail-fast: false
      matrix:
        platform:
          - name: Linux
            os: ubuntu-latest
            shell: bash
          - name: macOS
            os: macos-latest
            shell: bash
          - name: macOS
            os: macos-15-intel
            shell: bash
          - name: Windows
            os: windows-latest
            shell: cmd
        node-version:
          - 10.0.0
          - 10.x
          - 12.x
          - 14.x
          - 16.x
          - 18.x
          - 20.x
          - 22.x
          - 24.x
          - 26.x
        exclude:
          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-latest, shell: bash }
            node-version: 10.0.0
          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-latest, shell: bash }
            node-version: 10.x
          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-latest, shell: bash }
            node-version: 12.x
          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-latest, shell: bash }
            node-version: 14.x
          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-15-intel, shell: bash }
            node-version: 16.x
          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-15-intel, shell: bash }
            node-version: 18.x
          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-15-intel, shell: bash }
            node-version: 20.x
          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-15-intel, shell: bash }
            node-version: 22.x
          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-15-intel, shell: bash }
            node-version: 24.x
          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-15-intel, shell: bash }
            node-version: 26.x
    runs-on: ${{ matrix.platform.os }}
    defaults:
      run:
        shell: ${{ matrix.platform.shell }}
    steps:
      - name: Checkout
        uses: actions/checkout@v6
      - name: Setup Git User
        run: |
          git config --global user.email "npm-cli+bot@github.com"
          git config --global user.name "npm CLI robot"
      - name: Setup Node
        uses: actions/setup-node@v6
        id: node
        with:
          node-version: ${{ matrix.node-version }}
          check-latest: contains(matrix.node-version, '.x')
      - name: Install Latest npm
        if: ${{ !startsWith(matrix.node-version, '22.') }}
        uses: ./.github/actions/install-latest-npm
        with:
          node: ${{ steps.node.outputs.node-version }}
      - name: Install Dependencies
        run: npm i --ignore-scripts --no-audit --no-fund
      - name: Add Problem Matcher
        run: echo "::add-matcher::.github/matchers/tap.json"
      - name: Test
        run: npm test --ignore-scripts

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.

# This file is automatically added by @npmcli/template-oss. Do not edit.
 
name: CI
 
on:
  workflow_dispatch:
  pull_request:
  push:
    branches:
      - main
      - release/v*
  schedule:
    # "At 09:00 UTC (02:00 PT) on Monday" https://crontab.guru/#0_9_*_*_1
    - cron: "0 9 * * 1"
 
permissions:
  contents: read
 
concurrency:
  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: true
 
jobs:
  lint:
    timeout-minutes: 30
    name: Lint
    if: github.repository_owner == 'npm'
    runs-on: latchkey-small
    defaults:
      run:
        shell: bash
    steps:
      - name: Checkout
        uses: actions/checkout@v6
      - name: Setup Git User
        run: |
          git config --global user.email "npm-cli+bot@github.com"
          git config --global user.name "npm CLI robot"
      - name: Setup Node
        uses: actions/setup-node@v6
        id: node
        with:
          cache: 'npm'
          node-version: 26.x
          check-latest: contains('26.x', '.x')
      - name: Install Latest npm
        uses: ./.github/actions/install-latest-npm
        with:
          node: ${{ steps.node.outputs.node-version }}
      - name: Install Dependencies
        run: npm i --ignore-scripts --no-audit --no-fund
      - name: Lint
        run: npm run lint --ignore-scripts
      - name: Post Lint
        run: npm run postlint --ignore-scripts
 
  test:
    timeout-minutes: 30
    name: Test - ${{ matrix.platform.name }} - ${{ matrix.node-version }}
    if: github.repository_owner == 'npm'
    strategy:
      fail-fast: false
      matrix:
        platform:
          - name: Linux
            os: ubuntu-latest
            shell: bash
          - name: macOS
            os: macos-latest
            shell: bash
          - name: macOS
            os: macos-15-intel
            shell: bash
          - name: Windows
            os: windows-latest
            shell: cmd
        node-version:
          - 10.0.0
          - 10.x
          - 12.x
          - 14.x
          - 16.x
          - 18.x
          - 20.x
          - 22.x
          - 24.x
          - 26.x
        exclude:
          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-latest, shell: bash }
            node-version: 10.0.0
          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-latest, shell: bash }
            node-version: 10.x
          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-latest, shell: bash }
            node-version: 12.x
          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-latest, shell: bash }
            node-version: 14.x
          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-15-intel, shell: bash }
            node-version: 16.x
          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-15-intel, shell: bash }
            node-version: 18.x
          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-15-intel, shell: bash }
            node-version: 20.x
          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-15-intel, shell: bash }
            node-version: 22.x
          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-15-intel, shell: bash }
            node-version: 24.x
          - platform: { name: macOS, os: macos-15-intel, shell: bash }
            node-version: 26.x
    runs-on: ${{ matrix.platform.os }}
    defaults:
      run:
        shell: ${{ matrix.platform.shell }}
    steps:
      - name: Checkout
        uses: actions/checkout@v6
      - name: Setup Git User
        run: |
          git config --global user.email "npm-cli+bot@github.com"
          git config --global user.name "npm CLI robot"
      - name: Setup Node
        uses: actions/setup-node@v6
        id: node
        with:
          cache: 'npm'
          node-version: ${{ matrix.node-version }}
          check-latest: contains(matrix.node-version, '.x')
      - name: Install Latest npm
        if: ${{ !startsWith(matrix.node-version, '22.') }}
        uses: ./.github/actions/install-latest-npm
        with:
          node: ${{ steps.node.outputs.node-version }}
      - name: Install Dependencies
        run: npm i --ignore-scripts --no-audit --no-fund
      - name: Add Problem Matcher
        run: echo "::add-matcher::.github/matchers/tap.json"
      - name: Test
        run: npm test --ignore-scripts

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.
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.

This workflow runs 2 jobs (41 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

actions/checkout actions/setup-node