dchuk Building Tauri Apps with GitHub Actions
This skill covers CI/CD pipeline configuration for Tauri applications using GitHub Actions and the official tauri-apps/tauri-action.
Overview
GitHub Actions enables automated building, testing, and releasing of Tauri applications across Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms. The tauri-action handles the complexity of cross-platform builds and release management.
Workflow Triggers
Push to Release Branch
name: 'publish'
on:
workflow_dispatch:
push:
branches:
- release
Tag-Based Releases
name: 'publish'
on:
push:
tags:
- 'app-v*'
Platform Matrix Configuration
Standard Multi-Platform Matrix
jobs:
publish-tauri:
permissions:
contents: write
strategy:
fail-fast: false
matrix:
include:
- platform: 'macos-latest'
args: '--target aarch64-apple-darwin'
- platform: 'macos-latest'
args: '--target x86_64-apple-darwin'
- platform: 'ubuntu-22.04'
args: ''
- platform: 'windows-latest'
args: ''
runs-on: ${{ matrix.platform }}
With ARM Linux Support (Public Repos Only)
Add ubuntu-22.04-arm to the matrix for native ARM64 Linux builds (public repositories only).
Complete Workflow Example
name: 'publish'
on:
workflow_dispatch:
push:
branches:
- release
jobs:
publish-tauri:
permissions:
contents: write
strategy:
fail-fast: false
matrix:
include:
- platform: 'macos-latest'
args: '--target aarch64-apple-darwin'
- platform: 'macos-latest'
args: '--target x86_64-apple-darwin'
- platform: 'ubuntu-22.04'
args: ''
- platform: 'windows-latest'
args: ''
runs-on: ${{ matrix.platform }}
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- name: Install dependencies (Ubuntu only)
if: matrix.platform == 'ubuntu-22.04'
run: |
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y libwebkit2gtk-4.1-dev libappindicator3-dev librsvg2-dev patchelf
- name: Setup Node.js
uses: actions/setup-node@v4
with:
node-version: lts/*
cache: 'npm'
- name: Setup Rust toolchain
uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
with:
targets: ${{ matrix.platform == 'macos-latest' && 'aarch64-apple-darwin,x86_64-apple-darwin' || '' }}
- name: Rust cache
uses: swatinem/rust-cache@v2
with:
workspaces: './src-tauri -> target'
- name: Install frontend dependencies
run: npm ci
- name: Build and release
uses: tauri-apps/tauri-action@v0
env:
GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
with:
tagName: app-v__VERSION__
releaseName: 'App v__VERSION__'
releaseBody: 'See the assets to download this version and install.'
releaseDraft: true
prerelease: false
args: ${{ matrix.args }}
Package Manager Variants
pnpm
- name: Setup pnpm
uses: pnpm/action-setup@v4
with:
version: latest
- name: Setup Node.js
uses: actions/setup-node@v4
with:
node-version: lts/*
cache: 'pnpm'
- name: Install frontend dependencies
run: pnpm install
Yarn
- name: Setup Node.js
uses: actions/setup-node@v4
with:
node-version: lts/*
cache: 'yarn'
- name: Install frontend dependencies
run: yarn install --frozen-lockfile
Caching Strategies
Rust Artifact Caching
- name: Rust cache
uses: swatinem/rust-cache@v2
with:
workspaces: './src-tauri -> target'
Node.js Dependency Caching
Configure via the cache parameter in actions/setup-node@v4: 'npm', 'yarn', or 'pnpm'.
Linux Dependencies
Ubuntu requires WebKit and related libraries:
- name: Install dependencies (Ubuntu only)
if: matrix.platform == 'ubuntu-22.04'
run: |
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y libwebkit2gtk-4.1-dev libappindicator3-dev librsvg2-dev patchelf
Release Automation
tauri-action Configuration
- uses: tauri-apps/tauri-action@v0
env:
GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
with:
tagName: app-v__VERSION__
releaseName: 'App v__VERSION__'
releaseBody: 'See the assets to download this version and install.'
releaseDraft: true
prerelease: false
args: ${{ matrix.args }}
Version Placeholders
The action automatically replaces __VERSION__ with the app version from tauri.conf.json.
Release Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
tagName |
Git tag for the release (supports __VERSION__ placeholder) |
releaseName |
Display name for the release |
releaseBody |
Release notes content |
releaseDraft |
Create as draft release (true/false) |
prerelease |
Mark as prerelease (true/false) |
Artifact Uploads
Upload Build Artifacts Without Release
- name: Build Tauri app
uses: tauri-apps/tauri-action@v0
env:
GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
id: tauri
- name: Upload artifacts
uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
with:
name: tauri-build-${{ matrix.platform }}
path: src-tauri/target/release/bundle/
GitHub Token Configuration
The GITHUB_TOKEN requires write permissions for release creation.
Repository Settings
- Go to Settings > Actions > General
- Under "Workflow permissions"
- Select "Read and write permissions"
- Save
Workflow Permissions
jobs:
publish-tauri:
permissions:
contents: write
Non-Root Project Configuration
For projects where Tauri is not at the repository root:
- uses: tauri-apps/tauri-action@v0
env:
GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
with:
projectPath: './apps/desktop'
tagName: app-v__VERSION__
releaseName: 'App v__VERSION__'
ARM Build Emulation (Alternative)
For ARM builds in private repositories or when native ARM runners are unavailable:
jobs:
build-arm:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- name: Build ARM64
uses: pguyot/arm-runner-action@v2.6.5
with:
base_image: dietpi:rpi_armv8_bullseye
commands: |
apt-get update
apt-get install -y curl build-essential libwebkit2gtk-4.1-dev libappindicator3-dev librsvg2-dev patchelf
curl --proto '=https' --tlsv1.2 -sSf https://sh.rustup.rs | sh -s -- -y
source $HOME/.cargo/env
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | bash -
apt-get install -y nodejs
npm ci
npm run tauri build
Note: ARM emulation builds take approximately one hour for fresh projects.
Code Signing Integration
macOS Signing Environment Variables
- uses: tauri-apps/tauri-action@v0
env:
GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
APPLE_CERTIFICATE: ${{ secrets.APPLE_CERTIFICATE }}
APPLE_CERTIFICATE_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.APPLE_CERTIFICATE_PASSWORD }}
APPLE_SIGNING_IDENTITY: ${{ secrets.APPLE_SIGNING_IDENTITY }}
APPLE_ID: ${{ secrets.APPLE_ID }}
APPLE_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.APPLE_PASSWORD }}
APPLE_TEAM_ID: ${{ secrets.APPLE_TEAM_ID }}
Windows Signing Environment Variables
- uses: tauri-apps/tauri-action@v0
env:
GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY: ${{ secrets.TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY }}
TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.TAURI_SIGNING_PRIVATE_KEY_PASSWORD }}
CI-Only Workflow (No Release)
For pull request validation without creating releases:
name: 'CI Build'
on:
pull_request:
branches:
- main
jobs:
build:
strategy:
fail-fast: false
matrix:
include:
- platform: 'macos-latest'
args: '--target aarch64-apple-darwin'
- platform: 'ubuntu-22.04'
args: ''
- platform: 'windows-latest'
args: ''
runs-on: ${{ matrix.platform }}
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- name: Install dependencies (Ubuntu only)
if: matrix.platform == 'ubuntu-22.04'
run: |
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install -y libwebkit2gtk-4.1-dev libappindicator3-dev librsvg2-dev patchelf
- name: Setup Node.js
uses: actions/setup-node@v4
with:
node-version: lts/*
cache: 'npm'
- name: Setup Rust toolchain
uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
with:
targets: ${{ matrix.platform == 'macos-latest' && 'aarch64-apple-darwin,x86_64-apple-darwin' || '' }}
- name: Rust cache
uses: swatinem/rust-cache@v2
with:
workspaces: './src-tauri -> target'
- name: Install frontend dependencies
run: npm ci
- name: Build Tauri app
run: npm run tauri build -- ${{ matrix.args }}
Troubleshooting
Permission Denied for Release Creation
Ensure workflow has write permissions and verify repository settings allow Actions to create releases:
jobs:
publish-tauri:
permissions:
contents: write
Linux Build Failures
Verify all dependencies are installed with the Ubuntu dependency installation step.
macOS Target Not Found
Ensure Rust targets are installed for cross-compilation:
- uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
with:
targets: 'aarch64-apple-darwin,x86_64-apple-darwin'
Cache Not Working
Verify the workspace path matches your project structure:
- uses: swatinem/rust-cache@v2
with:
workspaces: './src-tauri -> target'