What is the primary benefit of using act for local testing?

It allows you to run GitHub Actions workflows locally, providing immediate feedback and faster iteration without needing to push code to GitHub for every change.

What should I do if an action is not compatible with act?

You can use the 'if: ${{ !env.ACT }}' conditional in your workflow to skip incompatible actions or provide local alternatives when running via act.

How does act handle GitHub secrets locally?

Act supports .secrets files (which should be gitignored) and inline command-line arguments to securely pass sensitive data to your local runners.

Can I simulate different GitHub runner environments?

Yes, act uses Docker images to simulate runners; you can map specific platforms like ubuntu-latest to various Docker images using the -P flag or .actrc file.

Act Local Workflow Testing

Name: Act Local Workflow Testing
Author: TheBushidoCollective

byTheBushidoCollective

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Deployment & DevOps

Enables local execution and debugging of GitHub Actions workflows using the act CLI to speed up CI/CD development.

About

This skill provides comprehensive guidance for using act to run GitHub Actions workflows on your local machine. It streamlines the CI/CD development cycle by allowing developers to validate workflow syntax, test job execution, and debug failures without pushing code to a remote repository. It covers everything from basic CLI commands and Docker configuration to secret management and troubleshooting complex action compatibility issues, ensuring a robust and efficient local testing environment.

Key Features

39 GitHub stars
Local GitHub Actions workflow execution and validation
Docker-based runner configuration and management
Workflow visualization and dry-run capabilities
Secure secrets and environment variable handling
Advanced debugging with verbose logging and interactive modes

Use Cases

Iterating on deployment scripts without waiting for cloud runner queues
Validating GitHub Actions syntax before pushing to production
Debugging complex CI/CD failures locally using real Docker containers

About

Key Features

39 GitHub stars
Local GitHub Actions workflow execution and validation
Docker-based runner configuration and management
Workflow visualization and dry-run capabilities
Secure secrets and environment variable handling
Advanced debugging with verbose logging and interactive modes

Use Cases

Iterating on deployment scripts without waiting for cloud runner queues
Validating GitHub Actions syntax before pushing to production
Debugging complex CI/CD failures locally using real Docker containers