Escaping the ‘Commit-Push-Wait-for-CI-Fail’ Loop with Local GitHub Actions
The ‘commit-push-wait-for-CI-fail’ cycle is a familiar frustration for many developers. You make a small code change, push it to your repository, and then embark on a waiting game. You wait for the GitHub Actions runner to spin up, execute your build, and then, more often than not, you’re greeted with a failing test or a simple linting error. This cycle doesn’t just consume time; it actively disrupts your focus and momentum, hindering your ability to get into a deep work state.
The Problem with Remote CI Wait Times
In a world where rapid iteration is key, waiting for remote CI/CD pipelines to complete can feel like a significant bottleneck. Each minute spent waiting is a minute lost in productivity. …
Escaping the ‘Commit-Push-Wait-for-CI-Fail’ Loop with Local GitHub Actions
The ‘commit-push-wait-for-CI-fail’ cycle is a familiar frustration for many developers. You make a small code change, push it to your repository, and then embark on a waiting game. You wait for the GitHub Actions runner to spin up, execute your build, and then, more often than not, you’re greeted with a failing test or a simple linting error. This cycle doesn’t just consume time; it actively disrupts your focus and momentum, hindering your ability to get into a deep work state.
The Problem with Remote CI Wait Times
In a world where rapid iteration is key, waiting for remote CI/CD pipelines to complete can feel like a significant bottleneck. Each minute spent waiting is a minute lost in productivity. For minor changes, the overhead of a full CI run can be disproportionate to the task at hand. This often leads to developers delaying commits or trying to batch changes, which can introduce its own set of complexities.
The Solution: Local GitHub Actions Execution
What if you could bypass this waiting period entirely? The answer lies in running your GitHub Actions workflows locally. Tools like act (from nektos) enable you to simulate the GitHub Actions environment on your own machine. This means you can test your workflows, catch linting errors, and verify test results before you even push your code.
Benefits of Local Execution:
- Instant Feedback: Get immediate results for your workflow runs.
- Reduced Wait Times: Eliminate the need to wait for remote runners.
- Improved Focus: Stay in your development flow without interruptions.
- Faster Iteration: Quickly test and iterate on your changes.
- Cost Savings: Potentially reduce your CI runner minutes (depending on your plan).
Getting Started with act
The act project provides a fantastic way to run your GitHub Actions locally. It simulates the environment, allowing you to execute your workflows as if they were running on GitHub. This is incredibly powerful for debugging and ensuring your actions are robust before they hit the main branch.
By adopting local execution strategies, you can significantly enhance your development experience, boost your productivity, and contribute to a more agile and efficient software development lifecycle.