Composite actions have empty values for important environment variables: GITHUB_ACTION_REF and GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY

[JamesMGreene]

Describe the bug

⚠️ For composite actions, the $GITHUB_ACTION_REF and $GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY environment variables are showing up as empty for the run step execution environment.

⚠️ Similarly, but at a different point in the lifecycle, the ${{ github.action_ref }} and ${{ github.action_repository }} expression variable references are also showing up as empty at the time of expression evaluation for the run block.

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

My annotations show up inlined below as one of the following:

• # missing
• # expected
• # corrected

Assuming the composite action is referenced as uses: paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages@main in a workflow:

With composite action steps:

runs:
  using: composite
  steps:
    - shell: sh
      env:
        GITHUB_ACTION_REF_EXP: ${{ github.action_ref }}
        GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY_EXP: ${{ github.action_repository }}
        GITHUB_ACTION_PATH_EXP: ${{ github.action_path }}
        GITHUB_ACTION_EXP: ${{ github.action }}
      run: |
        echo "github.action_ref = ${{ github.action_ref }}"
        echo "GITHUB_ACTION_REF_EXP = $GITHUB_ACTION_REF_EXP"
        echo "GITHUB_ACTION_REF = $GITHUB_ACTION_REF"
        echo "github.action_repository = ${{ github.action_repository }}"
        echo "GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY_EXP = $GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY_EXP"
        echo "GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY = $GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY"
        echo "github.action_path = ${{ github.action_path }}"
        echo "GITHUB_ACTION_PATH_EXP = $GITHUB_ACTION_PATH_EXP"
        echo "GITHUB_ACTION_PATH = $GITHUB_ACTION_PATH"          
        echo "github.action = ${{ github.action }}"
        echo "GITHUB_ACTION_EXP = $GITHUB_ACTION_EXP"
        echo "GITHUB_ACTION = $GITHUB_ACTION"

Output is:

github.action_ref =             # missing
GITHUB_ACTION_REF_EXP = main    # expected
GITHUB_ACTION_REF =             # missing
github.action_repository =                                     # missing
GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY_EXP = paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages    # expected
GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY =                                     # missing

### The rest all work as expected
github.action_path = /home/runner/work/_actions/paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages/main
GITHUB_ACTION_PATH_EXP = /home/runner/work/_actions/paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages/main
GITHUB_ACTION_PATH = /home/runner/work/_actions/paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages/main
github.action = __paper-spa_jekyll-build-pages
GITHUB_ACTION_EXP = __paper-spa_jekyll-build-pages
GITHUB_ACTION = __paper-spa_jekyll-build-pages

Logs show the command evaluated as:

echo "github.action_ref = "                             # missing
echo "GITHUB_ACTION_REF_EXP = $GITHUB_ACTION_REF_EXP"   # expected
echo "GITHUB_ACTION_REF = $GITHUB_ACTION_REF"           # expected
echo "github.action_repository = "                                    # missing
echo "GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY_EXP = $GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY_EXP"   # expected
echo "GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY = $GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY"           # expected

### expected - The rest all work as expected
echo "github.action_path = /home/runner/work/_actions/paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages/main" 
echo "GITHUB_ACTION_PATH_EXP = $GITHUB_ACTION_PATH_EXP"
echo "GITHUB_ACTION_PATH = $GITHUB_ACTION_PATH"
echo "github.action = __paper-spa_jekyll-build-pages"
echo "GITHUB_ACTION_EXP = $GITHUB_ACTION_EXP"
echo "GITHUB_ACTION = $GITHUB_ACTION"
shell: /usr/bin/sh -e {0}
env:
  GITHUB_ACTION_REF_EXP: main
  GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY_EXP: paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages
  GITHUB_ACTION_PATH_EXP: /home/runner/work/_actions/paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages/main
  GITHUB_ACTION_EXP: __paper-spa_jekyll-build-pages

Trying to manually override those environment variables with env: also fails:

runs:
  using: composite
  steps:
    - shell: sh
      env:
        GITHUB_ACTION_REF_EXP: ${{ github.action_ref }}
        GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY_EXP: ${{ github.action_repository }}
        GITHUB_ACTION_PATH_EXP: ${{ github.action_path }}
        GITHUB_ACTION_EXP: ${{ github.action }}
        # Manual overrides
        GITHUB_ACTION_REF: ${{ github.action_ref }}
        GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY: ${{ github.action_repository }}
      run: |
        echo "github.action_ref = ${{ github.action_ref }}"
        echo "GITHUB_ACTION_REF_EXP = $GITHUB_ACTION_REF_EXP"
        echo "GITHUB_ACTION_REF = $GITHUB_ACTION_REF"
        echo "github.action_repository = ${{ github.action_repository }}"
        echo "GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY_EXP = $GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY_EXP"
        echo "GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY = $GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY"
        echo "github.action_path = ${{ github.action_path }}"
        echo "GITHUB_ACTION_PATH_EXP = $GITHUB_ACTION_PATH_EXP"
        echo "GITHUB_ACTION_PATH = $GITHUB_ACTION_PATH"
        echo "github.action = ${{ github.action }}"
        echo "GITHUB_ACTION_EXP = $GITHUB_ACTION_EXP"
        echo "GITHUB_ACTION = $GITHUB_ACTION"

Output is identical despite the attempt at overriding those empty environment variables:

github.action_ref =             # missing
GITHUB_ACTION_REF_EXP = main    # expected
GITHUB_ACTION_REF =             # missing
github.action_repository =                                     # missing
GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY_EXP = paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages    # expected
GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY =                                     # missing

### expected - The rest all work as expected
github.action_path = /home/runner/work/_actions/paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages/main
GITHUB_ACTION_PATH_EXP = /home/runner/work/_actions/paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages/main
GITHUB_ACTION_PATH = /home/runner/work/_actions/paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages/main
github.action = __paper-spa_jekyll-build-pages
GITHUB_ACTION_EXP = __paper-spa_jekyll-build-pages
GITHUB_ACTION = __paper-spa_jekyll-build-pages

Logs show the command evaluated as:

echo "github.action_ref = "                             # missing
echo "GITHUB_ACTION_REF_EXP = $GITHUB_ACTION_REF_EXP"   # expected
echo "GITHUB_ACTION_REF = $GITHUB_ACTION_REF"           # expected
echo "github.action_repository = "                                    # missing
echo "GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY_EXP = $GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY_EXP"   # expected
echo "GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY = $GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY"           # expected

### expected - The rest all work as expected
echo "github.action_path = /home/runner/work/_actions/paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages/main"
echo "GITHUB_ACTION_PATH_EXP = $GITHUB_ACTION_PATH_EXP"
echo "GITHUB_ACTION_PATH = $GITHUB_ACTION_PATH"
echo "github.action = __paper-spa_jekyll-build-pages"
echo "GITHUB_ACTION_EXP = $GITHUB_ACTION_EXP"
echo "GITHUB_ACTION = $GITHUB_ACTION"
shell: /usr/bin/sh -e {0}
env:
  GITHUB_ACTION_REF_EXP: main
  GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY_EXP: paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages
  GITHUB_ACTION_PATH_EXP: /home/runner/work/_actions/paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages/main
  GITHUB_ACTION_EXP: __paper-spa_jekyll-build-pages
  GITHUB_ACTION_REF: main                                  # expected
  GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY: paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages   # expected

Expected behavior
A clear and concise description of what you expected to happen.

Output expected:

github.action_ref = main      # corrected
GITHUB_ACTION_REF_EXP = main
GITHUB_ACTION_REF = main      # corrected
github.action_repository = paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages       # corrected
GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY_EXP = paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages
GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY = paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages       # corrected
github.action_path = /home/runner/work/_actions/paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages/main
GITHUB_ACTION_PATH_EXP = /home/runner/work/_actions/paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages/main
GITHUB_ACTION_PATH = /home/runner/work/_actions/paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages/main
github.action = __paper-spa_jekyll-build-pages
GITHUB_ACTION_EXP = __paper-spa_jekyll-build-pages
GITHUB_ACTION = __paper-spa_jekyll-build-pages

Logs should show command evaluated as:

echo "github.action_ref = main"                         # corrected
echo "GITHUB_ACTION_REF_EXP = $GITHUB_ACTION_REF_EXP"
echo "GITHUB_ACTION_REF = $GITHUB_ACTION_REF"
echo "github.action_repository = paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages"        # corrected
echo "GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY_EXP = $GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY_EXP"
echo "GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY = $GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY"

### expected - The rest all work as expected
echo "github.action_path = /home/runner/work/_actions/paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages/main" 
echo "GITHUB_ACTION_PATH_EXP = $GITHUB_ACTION_PATH_EXP"
echo "GITHUB_ACTION_PATH = $GITHUB_ACTION_PATH"
echo "github.action = __paper-spa_jekyll-build-pages"
echo "GITHUB_ACTION_EXP = $GITHUB_ACTION_EXP"
echo "GITHUB_ACTION = $GITHUB_ACTION"
shell: /usr/bin/sh -e {0}
env:
  GITHUB_ACTION_REF_EXP: main
  GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY_EXP: paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages
  GITHUB_ACTION_PATH_EXP: /home/runner/work/_actions/paper-spa/jekyll-build-pages/main
  GITHUB_ACTION_EXP: __paper-spa_jekyll-build-pages

Runner Version and Platform

Version of your runner?

• Using ubuntu-latest on GitHub.com 🤷🏻‍♂️

OS of the machine running the runner? OSX/Windows/Linux/...

• Ubuntu Linux 🐧

What's not working?

Please include error messages and screenshots.

N/A

Job Log Output

If applicable, include the relevant part of the job / step log output here. All sensitive information should already be masked out, but please double-check before pasting here.

Inlined above.

Runner and Worker's Diagnostic Logs

If applicable, add relevant diagnostic log information. Logs are located in the runner's _diag folder. The runner logs are prefixed with Runner_ and the worker logs are prefixed with Worker_. Each job run correlates to a worker log. All sensitive information should already be masked out, but please double-check before pasting here.

N/A?

[JamesMGreene]

Duplicate of #2473 😅

[ruvceskistefan]

Hey @JamesMGreene,
Since this is the duplicate issue of #2473, I'll add a Duplicate label for tracking and close this one.