Reusable workflows internal repositories feature removal?

[Zejnilovic]

Hello,

I noticed 2 docs have a bit of different info. One is saying reusable workflows work with internal repositories and the second one doesn’t.

1st link Reusing workflows - GitHub Docs

A reusable workflow can be used by another workflow if either of the following is true:

Both workflows are in the same repository.
The called workflow is stored in a public repository.

2nd link Reusing workflows - GitHub Docs

A reusable workflow can be used by another workflow if any of the following is true:

Both workflows are in the same repository.
The called workflow is stored in a public repository.
The called workflow is stored in an internal repository and the settings for that repository allow it to be accessed. For more information, see "Managing GitHub Actions settings for a repository."

Anyone who could elaborate on this? I just spent 2 hours setting this up in our org and it seems it was for nought. I get:

error parsing called workflow "org/reusable-workflows/.github/workflows/tf_wf.yml@develop": 
Workflows in 'org/my-repo' cannot access remote workflows in 'org/reusable-workflows'. 
See https://docs.github.com/en/actions/learn-github-actions/reusing-workflows#access-to-reusable-workflows for more information.

Thanks,
Sasa

[Katsute]

It seems that reusable workflows for internal repositories are exclusively for enterprise users Reusing workflows - GitHub Docs

[jshier]

This seems incorrect. The document you link to has two points in regards to access:

• The called workflow is stored in a public repository.
• The called workflow is stored in an internal repository and the settings for that repository allow it to be accessed. For more information, see “Managing GitHub Actions settings for a repository.”

By my reading, private repos should work as long as the workflow’s repo is accessible.

[laughedelic]

I think it’s a terminology confusion: internal and private are not the same. A repository can be

• public: visible to anyone
• private: visible only to the owner (e.g. org admins) and collaborators
• internal: visible to anyone in the org (enterprise account)

  <a href="https://github.blog/2019-11-05-internal-repositories-are-now-generally-available-for-github-enterprise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow ugc" title="05:00PM - 05 November 2019">The GitHub Blog – 5 Nov 19</a>

Internal repositories are now generally available for GitHub Enterprise

Now out of beta, the internal repository visibility allows an enterprise-owned repository to be read by any member of any organization that belongs to an enterprise account.

Est. reading time: 3 minutes

  <a href="https://docs.github.com/en/repositories/managing-your-repositorys-settings-and-features/managing-repository-settings/setting-repository-visibility#making-a-repository-internal" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow ugc">GitHub Docs</a>

Setting repository visibility - GitHub Docs

[tgrall]

Hello,

So since you are on GitHub Enterprise Cloud you can put a reusable worflow in a internal repository, and use it in other repositories of you organization and/or enterprise, but you must give access/permissions.

1. Go to you Reusable Workflow repository (the one that contains the workflow you want to call)
2. Click on Settings
3. Click on Actions
4. Go at the bottom of the configuration page, in the Access section
5. Then select the proper option
   
   

   Screenshot 2021-12-02 at 11.17.51878×330 37.5 KB

This should now allow your “caller” repository to call the reusable workflow.

Regards
Tug

[MageshSrinivasulu]

@tgrall I am not using enterprise repo but I am able to create internal repo in the organization. I gave the appropriate permission for the internal repo but, still not able to access it from the calling repo. Is this expected?

[dataviruset]

With this change, does it mean we don't need to be on GitHub Enterprise anymore in order to share workflows between repositories? https://github.blog/changelog/2022-12-14-github-actions-sharing-actions-and-reusable-workflows-from-private-repositories-is-now-ga/

[ChristopherHX]

Yes I tested it and it works with GitHub Free if both caller and reusable workflows are in different private repos of the same Account and you enable the new repo setting.

[MikeDabrowski]

Something is wrong with the permissions here. We were using shared workflows in many repos, all of them private. And one repo was somehow created as an internal - and this one couldn't access them!

[k-patrik]

Same observation here! After converting the calling repository from internal into private the reusable workflow worked.