Build workflow (yaqwsx/Pinion)

The Build workflow from yaqwsx/Pinion, explained and optimized by Latchkey.

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Source: yaqwsx/Pinion.github/workflows/build.ymlLicense MITView source

What it does

This is the Build workflow from the yaqwsx/Pinion 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: Build
on:
  push:
  schedule:
    # Refresh artifacts before the 14-day retention window expires.
    - cron: "0 3 * * 0"
  workflow_dispatch:
jobs:
  build:
    name: "Build pinion documentation"
    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
    strategy:
      fail-fast: false
      matrix:
        kicad: ["9", "10"]
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          fetch-depth: 0
      - name: Install dependencies and Pinion
        run: |
          set -e
          sudo add-apt-repository --yes ppa:kicad/kicad-${{ matrix.kicad }}.0-releases
          sudo apt-get -qq update
          sudo apt-get -qq install --yes --no-install-recommends \
            zip inkscape librsvg2-bin make git \
            kicad kicad-footprints kicad-symbols kicad-packages3d \
            python3 python3-pip \
            npm

          python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages mkdocs
          python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages -e .
          # Temporarily install upstream version of PcbDraw
          python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages --force git+https://github.com/yaqwsx/PcbDraw@master
          cd pinion-widget

          npm install
          cd ..
      -  name: Build pinion package
         run: |
          set -e
          make package
      - name: Upload pinion package artifact
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: pinion-package-kicad${{ matrix.kicad }}
          path: dist
          retention-days: 14
      - name: Upload pinion-widget package artifact
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: pinion-widget-package-kicad${{ matrix.kicad }}
          path: build/widget
          retention-days: 14
      - run: |
          make web
      - name: Deploy to GH Pages
        if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' && matrix.kicad == '10'
        uses: JamesIves/github-pages-deploy-action@v4
        with:
          branch: gh-pages
          folder: site
          single-commit: true

The same workflow, on Latchkey

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

name: Build
on:
  push:
  schedule:
    # Refresh artifacts before the 14-day retention window expires.
    - cron: "0 3 * * 0"
  workflow_dispatch:
concurrency:
  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
  cancel-in-progress: true
 
jobs:
  build:
    timeout-minutes: 30
    name: "Build pinion documentation"
    runs-on: latchkey-small
    strategy:
      fail-fast: false
      matrix:
        kicad: ["9", "10"]
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          fetch-depth: 0
      - name: Install dependencies and Pinion
        run: |
          set -e
          sudo add-apt-repository --yes ppa:kicad/kicad-${{ matrix.kicad }}.0-releases
          sudo apt-get -qq update
          sudo apt-get -qq install --yes --no-install-recommends \
            zip inkscape librsvg2-bin make git \
            kicad kicad-footprints kicad-symbols kicad-packages3d \
            python3 python3-pip \
            npm
 
          python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages mkdocs
          python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages -e .
          # Temporarily install upstream version of PcbDraw
          python3 -m pip install --break-system-packages --force git+https://github.com/yaqwsx/PcbDraw@master
          cd pinion-widget
 
          npm install
          cd ..
      -  name: Build pinion package
         run: |
          set -e
          make package
      - name: Upload pinion package artifact
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: pinion-package-kicad${{ matrix.kicad }}
          path: dist
          retention-days: 14
      - name: Upload pinion-widget package artifact
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: pinion-widget-package-kicad${{ matrix.kicad }}
          path: build/widget
          retention-days: 14
      - run: |
          make web
      - name: Deploy to GH Pages
        if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' && matrix.kicad == '10'
        uses: JamesIves/github-pages-deploy-action@v4
        with:
          branch: gh-pages
          folder: site
          single-commit: true

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.

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

This workflow runs 1 job (2 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/upload-artifact