KMP Publish Desktop App GitHub Action

Overview

This GitHub Action automates the publishing process for desktop applications across multiple platforms (Windows, MacOS, Linux) using Kotlin Multiplatform.

Workflow Visualization

flowchart TD
    A[Start Action] --> B[Set up Java Environment\nJava 17 with Zulu OpenJDK]
    B --> C[Setup Gradle]
    C --> D[Cache Gradle Dependencies]
    D --> E[Package Desktop App\npackageReleaseDistributionForCurrentOS]
    E --> F{Determine OS}
    F -->|Windows| G[Publish Windows App]
    F -->|MacOS| H[Publish MacOS App]
    F -->|Linux| I[Publish Linux App]
    G --> J[End Action]
    H --> J
    I --> J

    style A fill:#e6f3ff,stroke:#0066cc
    style J fill:#e6f3ff,stroke:#0066cc
    style F fill:#f0f0f0,stroke:#333

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Inputs Configuration

Input	Description	Required	Type	Default
desktop_package_name	Name of the desktop project module	Yes	String	-
windows_signing_key	Signing key for Windows app	No	String	-
windows_signing_password	Signing password for Windows app	No	String	-
windows_signing_certificate	Signing certificate for Windows app	No	String	-
macos_signing_key	Signing key for MacOS app	No	String	-
macos_signing_password	Signing password for MacOS app	No	String	-
macos_signing_certificate	Signing certificate for MacOS app	No	String	-
linux_signing_key	Signing key for Linux app	No	String	-
linux_signing_password	Signing password for Linux app	No	String	-
linux_signing_certificate	Signing certificate for Linux app	No	String	-

Action Workflow Steps

1. Java Environment Setup

• Uses Zulu OpenJDK distribution
• Configures Java 17

2. Gradle Configuration

• Sets up Gradle build system
• Configures caching for dependencies

3. Dependency Caching

• Caches Gradle caches and wrapper
• Speeds up subsequent builds
• Reduces build time and network usage

4. Desktop App Packaging

• Runs packageReleaseDistributionForCurrentOS
• Builds app for current operating system

5. Platform-Specific Publishing

• Conditional publishing based on runner OS
• Separate steps for Windows, MacOS, and Linux

Usage Example

name: Publish Desktop App

on:
  release:
    types: [created]

jobs:
  publish-desktop-app:
    strategy:
      matrix:
        os: [ubuntu-latest, windows-latest, macos-latest]
    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - uses: openMF/[email protected]
        with:
          desktop_package_name: 'my-desktop-module'
          windows_signing_key: ${{ secrets.WINDOWS_SIGNING_KEY }}
          windows_signing_password: ${{ secrets.WINDOWS_SIGNING_PASSWORD }}
          windows_signing_certificate: ${{ secrets.WINDOWS_SIGNING_CERTIFICATE }}
          macos_signing_key: ${{ secrets.MACOS_SIGNING_KEY }}
          macos_signing_password: ${{ secrets.MACOS_SIGNING_PASSWORD }}
          macos_signing_certificate: ${{ secrets.MACOS_SIGNING_CERTIFICATE }}
          linux_signing_key: ${{ secrets.LINUX_SIGNING_KEY }}
          linux_signing_password: ${{ secrets.LINUX_SIGNING_PASSWORD }}
          linux_signing_certificate: ${{ secrets.LINUX_SIGNING_CERTIFICATE }}

Best Practices

• Provide signing credentials securely using GitHub Secrets
• Ensure consistent Java and Gradle versions
• Test publishing on all target platforms
• Verify signing configurations before release

Troubleshooting

• Check Gradle logs for packaging issues
• Verify signing credential formats
• Ensure cross-platform compatibility of build scripts
• Validate OS-specific build requirements