GitHub Action for workflow cron

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The GitHub Actions for pushing to GitHub repository workflows cron changes authorizing using GitHub token.

With ease:

• Used for GitHub actions workflow with irregular scheduling and running
• Automatically generate random cron expressions, only for hour and minute random generation

Usage

Example Workflow file

Randomly modify the cron expression under the schedule in the current branch workflow file (modify oneself), and keep the historical commit message of files except for workflow files:

name: 'random-cron'

on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '0 0 */17 * *'
  workflow_dispatch:

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Random Cron
        uses: grbnb/random-workflow-cron@v2
        with:
          github_token: ${{ secrets.PAT }}
          keep_history: true

Randomly modify the cron under the schedule in the dev workflow file ci. yml of other branches in the current warehouse (modifying other files): [Not recommended], and keep the historical commit message of files except for workflow files:

name: 'random-cron'

on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '0 0 */17 * *'
  workflow_dispatch:

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Random Cron
        uses: grbnb/random-workflow-cron@v2
        with:
          workflow_name: ".github/workflows/ci.yml"
          github_token: ${{ secrets.PAT }}
          ref_branch: dev
          keep_history: true

Set the random hour range to 1-21 [UTC+8 time zone], running only 7 times a day every 15 days, but not immediately pushing and commit to the repository. This means that there are push operations in the steps after the workflow file, avoiding multiple push operations!!!

name: 'random-cron'

on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '0 0 */17 * *'
  workflow_dispatch:

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout
        uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          token: ${{ secrets.PAT }}
          fetch-depth: 2
      
      - name: Random Cron
        uses: grbnb/random-workflow-cron@v1
        with:
          push_switch: false
          time_zone: "UTC+8"
          hour_start: 1
          hour_end: 21
          interval_count: 7
          cron_dmw: "*/15 * *"

Inputs

name	value	default	description
workflow_name	string	${{ github.workflow_ref }}	The modified workflow file name path defaults to the current workflow path e.g. .github/workflow/cron.yml
push_switch	boolean	true	The modified workflow_file push or not at once
github_token	string	${{ github.token }}	The GitHub PAT key with at least repo and workflow permissions Personal Access Token.
repository	string	${{ github.repository }}	Repository name. The default is the current github repository If you want to push to other repository, you should make a personal access token and use it as the github_token input.
ref_branch	string	${{ github.ref_name }}	The modified workflow_file push to destination branch
keep_history	boolean	false	Keep except workflow_file history commit message outside of the file
author	string	github-actions[bot] <github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>	Author name and email address as Display Name <[email protected]> (defaults to the GitHub Actions bot user)
time_zone	string	UTC+0	The time zone of the user's region, with a range of UTC±12, automatically rounded down e.g. UTC+3.5 => UTC+3
hour_start	number	0	Define the intervals start hour
hour_end	number	23	Define the intervals end hour
interval_count	number	2	Number of intervals to divide the day into, the number of runs per day
cron_dmw	string	"* * *"	Custom Cron DayofMonth Month DayofWeek

Troubleshooting

 ! [remote rejected] dev -> dev (refusing to allow a GitHub App to create or update workflow `.github/workflows/xxxx.yml` without `workflows` permission)
error: failed to push some refs to 'https://github.com/xxx/xxxx.git'
Error: Process completed with exit code 1.

Due to the involvement of modifying and pushing workflow files, the default GITHUB_TOKEN doesn't have corresponding permissions. Please be sure to settings -> Secrets and variables -> New repository secret add a personal private key

name: PAT
secret: ghp_XXXXXXXXXX

If not, the creation method is as follows:

• Click on the icon on the right ，Set token key
• Fill in a name in the Note section -> Select an expiration date at Expiration -> Check the Select scopes in orderrepo、workflow、write:packages和delete:packages -> Click on the bottom Generate token

remote: Permission to xxx/xxxxx.git denied to github-actions[bot].
fatal: unable to access 'https://github.com/xxx/xxxxx.git/': The requested URL returned error: 403
Error: Invalid exit code: 128

Add GitHub API token key to your workflow yml file at uses: actions/checkout@v3 in step

- name: Checkout
  uses: actions/checkout@v4
  with:
    token: ${{ secrets.PAT }}
    fetch-depth: 2

Then add the generated PAT key to the repository's Actions secrets and variables

License

The Dockerfile and associated scripts and documentation in this project are released under the MIT License.

No affiliation with GitHub Inc.

GitHub are registered trademarks of GitHub, Inc. GitHub name used in this project are for identification purposes only. The project is not associated in any way with GitHub Inc. and is not an official solution of GitHub Inc. It was made available in order to facilitate the use of the site GitHub.