GitHub Actions Update Management for Jupyter Spark Docker

Overview

This directory contains automation to help keep GitHub Actions up to date in your workflows. Keeping actions updated is important for security, bug fixes, and new features.

Automated Update Systems

1. Dependabot Configuration (.github/dependabot.yml)

What it does:

• Automatically checks for GitHub Actions updates weekly
• Creates pull requests when new versions are available
• Groups related actions together (e.g., all Docker actions)
• Also monitors Dockerfile base images

Configuration:

• Runs weekly on Mondays at 9:00 AM UTC
• Limited to 10 open PRs to avoid spam
• Automatically assigns PRs to repository owner

2. Weekly Update Check Workflow (.github/workflows/check-action-updates.yml)

What it does:

• Runs weekly on Mondays at 9:00 AM UTC
• Scans all workflow files for action versions
• Creates a summary report of current versions
• Opens GitHub issues as reminders to check for updates

Manual trigger:

# You can manually trigger this via GitHub UI or:
gh workflow run check-action-updates.yml

3. Manual Update Checker Script (scripts/check-action-versions.sh)

What it does:

• Local script to check action versions against latest releases
• Provides colored output showing which actions need updates
• Can be run locally during development

Usage:

# Run from repository root
./scripts/check-action-versions.sh

Current Actions in Use

The project currently uses these GitHub Actions:

Action	Purpose	Current Version
actions/checkout	Checkout repository code	v4
docker/setup-qemu-action	Set up QEMU for multi-arch builds	v3
docker/setup-buildx-action	Set up Docker Buildx	v3
docker/login-action	Login to Docker registry	v3
docker/build-push-action	Build and push Docker images	v6
actions/github-script	Run JavaScript in workflows	v8

Manual Update Process

Step 1: Check for Updates

1. Visit each action's GitHub repository
2. Check the "Releases" tab for latest versions
3. Review changelog for breaking changes

Step 2: Update Workflow Files

1. Edit .github/workflows/*.yml files
2. Update version numbers (e.g., @v4 → @v5)
3. Update version comments in workflow files

Step 3: Test Updates

1. Create a test branch
2. Push changes to trigger workflows
3. Verify all workflows run successfully
4. Check for any deprecation warnings

Step 4: Apply Updates

1. Merge changes to main branch
2. Monitor subsequent workflow runs
3. Close any related update issues

Security Best Practices

Use Specific Version Tags

# ✅ Good - Specific version
uses: actions/checkout@v4

# ❌ Avoid - Branch names (security risk)
uses: actions/checkout@main

Pin to Full SHA (for sensitive workflows)

# 🔒 Most secure - Full SHA pin
uses: actions/checkout@b4ffde65f46336ab88eb53be808477a3936bae11 # v4.1.1

Monitor Security Advisories

• Enable GitHub security alerts for the repository
• Subscribe to security advisories for critical actions
• Review Dependabot security updates promptly

Troubleshooting

Dependabot PRs Not Created

1. Check if Dependabot is enabled in repository settings
2. Verify .github/dependabot.yml syntax is correct
3. Ensure repository has appropriate permissions

Workflow Update Check Fails

1. Check if workflow has necessary permissions
2. Verify GitHub token has required scopes
3. Check workflow syntax in GitHub Actions tab

Action Updates Break Workflows

1. Review action's changelog for breaking changes
2. Check workflow logs for specific error messages
3. Consider pinning to previous working version temporarily
4. Update workflow syntax for breaking changes

Maintenance Schedule

Task	Frequency	Automation
Check for updates	Weekly	✅ Automated
Review Dependabot PRs	As needed	📧 Notifications
Apply critical security updates	Immediately	🚨 Manual priority
Test major version updates	Before applying	🧪 Manual testing

Resources

• GitHub Actions Documentation
• Dependabot Documentation
• GitHub Actions Security Best Practices
• GitHub Actions Marketplace