Docker Build and Push to GHCR workflow (taylorwilsdon/google_workspace_mcp)

The Docker Build and Push to GHCR workflow from taylorwilsdon/google_workspace_mcp, explained and optimized by Latchkey.

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Source: taylorwilsdon/google_workspace_mcp.github/workflows/docker-publish.ymlLicense MITView source

What it does

This is the Docker Build and Push to GHCR workflow from the taylorwilsdon/google_workspace_mcp 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

workflow (.yml)

name: Docker Build and Push to GHCR

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main
    tags:
      - 'v*.*.*'
  pull_request:
    branches:
      - main
  workflow_dispatch:

permissions: {}

env:
  REGISTRY: ghcr.io
  IMAGE_NAME: ${{ github.repository }}

jobs:
  build-and-push:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    permissions:
      contents: read
      packages: write
      id-token: write

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

      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3

      - name: Log in to GitHub Container Registry
        if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
        uses: docker/login-action@v3
        with:
          registry: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}
          username: ${{ github.actor }}
          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

      - name: Extract metadata (tags, labels) for Docker
        id: meta
        uses: docker/metadata-action@v5
        with:
          images: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}
          tags: |
            type=ref,event=branch
            type=ref,event=pr
            type=semver,pattern={{version}}
            type=semver,pattern={{major}}.{{minor}}
            type=semver,pattern={{major}}
            type=sha,prefix=sha-
            type=raw,value=latest,enable={{is_default_branch}}

      - name: Build and push Docker image
        uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
        with:
          context: .
          push: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' }}
          tags: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}
          labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
          cache-from: type=gha
          cache-to: type=gha,mode=max
          platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64

The same workflow, on Latchkey

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

name: Docker Build and Push to GHCR
 
on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main
    tags:
      - 'v*.*.*'
  pull_request:
    branches:
      - main
  workflow_dispatch:
 
permissions: {}
 
env:
  REGISTRY: ghcr.io
  IMAGE_NAME: ${{ github.repository }}
 
concurrency:
  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: true
 
jobs:
  build-and-push:
    timeout-minutes: 30
    runs-on: latchkey-small
    permissions:
      contents: read
      packages: write
      id-token: write
 
    steps:
      - name: Checkout repository
        uses: actions/checkout@v6
 
      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3
 
      - name: Log in to GitHub Container Registry
        if: github.event_name != 'pull_request'
        uses: docker/login-action@v3
        with:
          registry: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}
          username: ${{ github.actor }}
          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
      - name: Extract metadata (tags, labels) for Docker
        id: meta
        uses: docker/metadata-action@v5
        with:
          images: ${{ env.REGISTRY }}/${{ env.IMAGE_NAME }}
          tags: |
            type=ref,event=branch
            type=ref,event=pr
            type=semver,pattern={{version}}
            type=semver,pattern={{major}}.{{minor}}
            type=semver,pattern={{major}}
            type=sha,prefix=sha-
            type=raw,value=latest,enable={{is_default_branch}}
 
      - name: Build and push Docker image
        uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
        with:
          context: .
          push: ${{ github.event_name != 'pull_request' }}
          tags: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.tags }}
          labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
          cache-from: type=gha
          cache-to: type=gha,mode=max
          platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64

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.

4 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 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

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