Execute script from templates repository on Github Actions

Question

I am trying to build out some pipeline templates for my team but I am having some trouble executing a common script that lives in the templates repository.

My application and actions repository structure is as follows:

App-Repo

• main.yaml -> uses pipeline.yaml

Template Repo

• pipeline.yaml -> run: ./github/scripts/test.sh
• .github/scripts/test.sh

When I run the action in the App-Repo it says that the file or directory is not found. The problem here is that the runner is using App-Repo as its directory.

I want to keep this script in the templates because it will be common across many projects. Is there any way to pull this file/s in? Other than manually importing that repo.

Thanks, Craig

Answer 1

I have setup a similar layout with multiple shared repositories for workflows, scripts, and composite actions.

There is no magic to have anything to be immediately available inside of a runner, so the simplest way is just to use actions/checkout with your template repo.

    steps:
      - name: 'Checkout: local'
        uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - name: 'Checkout: Template Repo'
        uses: actions/checkout@v3
        with:
          repository: org/templates
          path: 'templates'
      - run: ./templates/./github/scripts/test.sh

In this example the path is irrelevant, but it is where the the repo will be cloned into.