The Act package offers a convenient way to execute your GitHub Action workflows locally. It’s a valuable tool when debugging or working on issues that either have a long runtime or are complex, saving you those precious minutes.
Installation
The installation process is quite straightforward. First, ensure Docker Desktop is installed on your computer. Then, for Mac/Linux users, the easiest installation method is via Homebrew.
brew install act
That’s all there is to it! Upon executing your workflows for the first time, the required Docker containers should automatically download.
Setup
An essential point to remember is to pass in your personal access token from GitHub when running any workflow dependent on SECRETS or environment variables.
Executing Workflows
With everything set up, running workflows becomes a breeze:
➜ act pull_request --container-architecture linux/amd64
Checkout the README for additional examples and a comprehensive breakdown of all the capabilities this package offers. I believe Act is an indispensable tool for anyone working with GitHub Actions who wants to test or debug their changes swiftly.