Dotnet Restore Fails to Find Packages in Private GitHub Packages Feed: A Workflow Debugging Guide
Problem: You're trying to build a .NET project within a GitHub workflow, but dotnet restore fails to find packages hosted in your private GitHub Packages feed. This leaves you scratching your head, wondering why your workflow can't access the dependencies it needs.
Rephrased: Imagine you're building a house and need specific materials from a local supplier. However, when you go to collect them, the supplier can't find your order. That's essentially what's happening when your GitHub workflow can't locate packages from your private GitHub Packages feed.
Scenario & Original Code:
Let's assume you have a .NET project that depends on a package hosted in your private GitHub Packages feed. You've set up your workflow file to use the actions/checkout@v3 action to fetch your project repository and then attempt to restore packages using dotnet restore.
name: CI
on:
push:
branches:
- main
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v3
- name: Setup .NET
uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v2
with:
dotnet-version: 6.0.x
- name: Restore Dependencies
run: dotnet restore
Despite this, you encounter an error like:
error: Unable to resolve 'MyPrivatePackage' for 'net6.0'.
Understanding the Issue:
The problem usually stems from the workflow's inability to access your private GitHub Packages feed. This might be due to several factors:
- Authentication: GitHub workflows need proper authentication to access private repositories and feeds.
- Environment Variables: The workflow needs to know the correct URL of your private feed and any required authentication credentials.
- Package Name: The package name used in your project file must exactly match the name of the package published to your private feed.
Solutions and Insights:
-
Authentication:
- Personal Access Token (PAT): Create a PAT with the necessary permissions (read access for your private package feed). Store the PAT securely as a workflow secret.
- GitHub Actions Token: Use the
GITHUB_TOKENenvironment variable provided by GitHub Actions. This token already has access to your private repositories and feeds, but you may need to configure specific permissions for your package feed.
-
Environment Variables:
- Private Feed URL: Define an environment variable (e.g.,
PACKAGE_FEED_URL) containing the full URL of your private GitHub Packages feed. - Authentication Credentials: If using a PAT, store it as a secret and reference it using
${{ secrets.PAT_NAME }}in your workflow.
- Private Feed URL: Define an environment variable (e.g.,
-
Configuration:
- NuGet.config: Add a NuGet configuration file (
.nuget/NuGet.config) in your repository's root to specify your private feed URL and authentication information. - Project File: Ensure that the package name in your project file (
<PackageReference>) matches the name of the package published in your private feed.
- NuGet.config: Add a NuGet configuration file (
Example Workflow with Solution:
name: CI
on:
push:
branches:
- main
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
env:
PACKAGE_FEED_URL: 'https://pkgs.github.com/YOUR_ORGANIZATION_NAME/YOUR_PACKAGE_FEED_NAME'
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v3
- name: Setup .NET
uses: actions/setup-dotnet@v2
with:
dotnet-version: 6.0.x
- name: Restore Dependencies
run: |
echo "Restoring dependencies..."
dotnet restore -s ${{ env.PACKAGE_FEED_URL }} -s https://api.nuget.org/v3/index.json
Additional Value and References:
- GitHub Packages Documentation: For detailed information about setting up and managing private packages: https://docs.github.com/en/packages
- NuGet Documentation: Learn more about NuGet configurations and using multiple sources: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/nuget/consume-packages/configuring-nuget-behavior
Remember:
- Test your workflow thoroughly to ensure it's properly accessing your private feed and restoring your dependencies correctly.
- Review security best practices for storing authentication credentials and environment variables.
- Use clear and descriptive names for your workflow variables and steps for better readability and maintainability.
By following these steps and troubleshooting tips, you can successfully restore packages from your private GitHub Packages feed within your GitHub workflow.
