Node.js CI workflow (RaspberryPiFoundation/blockly)

The Node.js CI workflow from RaspberryPiFoundation/blockly, explained and optimized by Latchkey.

CI health: D - needs work

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Source: RaspberryPiFoundation/blockly.github/workflows/build.ymlLicense Apache-2.0View source

What it does

This is the Node.js CI workflow from the RaspberryPiFoundation/blockly 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)

# This workflow will do a clean install, start the selenium server, and run
# all of our tests.

name: Node.js CI

on:
  pull_request:
  workflow_call:

permissions:
  contents: read

jobs:
  build:
    timeout-minutes: 10
    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}

    strategy:
      matrix:
        # TODO (#2114): re-enable osx build.
        # os: [ubuntu-latest, macos-latest]
        os: [ubuntu-latest]
        node-version: [22.x, 24.x]
        # See supported Node.js release schedule at
        # https://nodejs.org/en/about/releases/

    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
        with:
          ref: ${{ github.ref }}
          persist-credentials: false

      - name: Reconfigure git to use HTTP authentication
        run: >
          git config --global url."https://github.com/".insteadOf
          ssh://git@github.com/

      - name: Use Node.js ${{ matrix.node-version }}
        uses: actions/setup-node@v6
        with:
          node-version: ${{ matrix.node-version }}

      - name: Npm Clean Install
        run: npm ci

      - name: Setup Chrome
        if: runner.os == 'Linux'
        uses: browser-actions/setup-chrome@v2

      - name: Linux Test Setup
        if: runner.os == 'Linux'
        run: source ./tests/scripts/setup_linux_env.sh
        working-directory: ./packages/blockly

      - name: Run
        run: npm run test

        env:
          CI: true

  lint:
    timeout-minutes: 5
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
        with:
          ref: ${{ github.ref }}

      - name: Use Node.js 24.x
        uses: actions/setup-node@v6
        with:
          node-version: 24.x

      - name: Npm Install
        run: npm install

      - name: Lint
        run: npm run lint

  format:
    timeout-minutes: 5
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
        with:
          ref: ${{ github.ref }}

      - name: Use Node.js 24.x
        uses: actions/setup-node@v6
        with:
          node-version: 24.x

      - name: Npm Install
        run: npm install

      - name: Check Format
        run: npm run format:check

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 workflow will do a clean install, start the selenium server, and run
# all of our tests.
 
name: Node.js CI
 
on:
  pull_request:
  workflow_call:
 
permissions:
  contents: read
 
concurrency:
  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: true
 
jobs:
  build:
    timeout-minutes: 10
    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
 
    strategy:
      matrix:
        # TODO (#2114): re-enable osx build.
        # os: [ubuntu-latest, macos-latest]
        os: [ubuntu-latest]
        node-version: [22.x, 24.x]
        # See supported Node.js release schedule at
        # https://nodejs.org/en/about/releases/
 
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
        with:
          ref: ${{ github.ref }}
          persist-credentials: false
 
      - name: Reconfigure git to use HTTP authentication
        run: >
          git config --global url."https://github.com/".insteadOf
          ssh://git@github.com/
 
      - name: Use Node.js ${{ matrix.node-version }}
        uses: actions/setup-node@v6
        with:
          cache: 'npm'
          node-version: ${{ matrix.node-version }}
 
      - name: Npm Clean Install
        run: npm ci
 
      - name: Setup Chrome
        if: runner.os == 'Linux'
        uses: browser-actions/setup-chrome@v2
 
      - name: Linux Test Setup
        if: runner.os == 'Linux'
        run: source ./tests/scripts/setup_linux_env.sh
        working-directory: ./packages/blockly
 
      - name: Run
        run: npm run test
 
        env:
          CI: true
 
  lint:
    timeout-minutes: 5
    runs-on: latchkey-small
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
        with:
          ref: ${{ github.ref }}
 
      - name: Use Node.js 24.x
        uses: actions/setup-node@v6
        with:
          cache: 'npm'
          node-version: 24.x
 
      - name: Npm Install
        run: npm install
 
      - name: Lint
        run: npm run lint
 
  format:
    timeout-minutes: 5
    runs-on: latchkey-small
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v7
        with:
          ref: ${{ github.ref }}
 
      - name: Use Node.js 24.x
        uses: actions/setup-node@v6
        with:
          cache: 'npm'
          node-version: 24.x
 
      - name: Npm Install
        run: npm install
 
      - name: Check Format
        run: npm run format:check

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.

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.

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
End-to-end and browser tests

This workflow runs 3 jobs (4 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