Create GitHub Release workflow (rubocop/rubocop)

The Create GitHub Release workflow from rubocop/rubocop, explained and optimized by Latchkey.

What it does

This is the Create GitHub Release workflow from the rubocop/rubocop 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: Create GitHub Release

on:
  push:
    tags:
      - "v*"  # Trigger when a version tag is pushed (e.g., v1.0.0)

jobs:
  create-release:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    permissions:
      contents: write

    steps:
      - name: Checkout Code
        uses: actions/checkout@v7

      - name: Create GitHub Release
        uses: ncipollo/release-action@v1
        with:
          tag: ${{ github.ref_name }}
          name: RuboCop ${{ github.ref_name }}
          bodyFile: relnotes/${{ github.ref_name }}.md
          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

The same workflow, on Latchkey

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

name: Create GitHub Release
 
on:
  push:
    tags:
      - "v*"  # Trigger when a version tag is pushed (e.g., v1.0.0)
 
concurrency:
  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: true
 
jobs:
  create-release:
    timeout-minutes: 30
    runs-on: latchkey-small
 
    permissions:
      contents: write
 
    steps:
      - name: Checkout Code
        uses: actions/checkout@v7
 
      - name: Create GitHub Release
        uses: ncipollo/release-action@v1
        with:
          tag: ${{ github.ref_name }}
          name: RuboCop ${{ github.ref_name }}
          bodyFile: relnotes/${{ github.ref_name }}.md
          token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 

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• Cancel superseded runs when a branch or PR gets a newer push.
• 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 per trigger. On Latchkey the same minutes cost up to 58% less than GitHub-hosted, with zero queue time.

Actions used in this workflow