CI Local

CI Local

Reproduce a GitHub Actions run on the local machine. The workflow YAML is the spec: read it, don't guess at what "the lint step" or "the test step" means.

Scope

GitHub Actions only (.github/workflows/*.yml). If the repo uses GitLab CI, CircleCI, or Jenkins instead, say so and stop: no translation layer exists for those yet (add one if it comes up twice, not speculatively).

Phase 1: Find the merge-gating jobs

1. If invoked with [workflow-file] and/or --job name, skip the glob: read only that file, and if --job is given, extract only that job. Otherwise Glob for .github/workflows/*.yml (and .yaml). If none exist, tell the user there's no workflow to mirror and stop.
2. Read each file. A job gates merges if its workflow triggers on pull_request or push to a protected branch: ignore jobs that only run on schedule, workflow_dispatch, or release unless the user asks for those specifically.
3. For a multi-file or multi-job repo, use a haiku Explore subagent to read all workflow files in parallel and return a structured list of: job name, trigger, runs-on, steps (with uses/run/env/working-directory), services:, strategy.matrix, and any ${{ secrets.* }} references. Keep this out of the main thread: workflow YAML is verbose and you only need the extracted summary. No subagent tool available? Read the workflow files directly and extract the same summary inline.

Phase 2: Translate steps to local commands

Walk the steps in order and translate each one. Do not invent a generic lint && test && build: use exactly what the workflow does.

If no explicit version is pinned in the workflow, check .nvmrc / package.json#engines.node or .python-version / pyproject.toml#requires-python before falling back to whatever's on PATH.

Can't be replicated, flag, don't fake:

• services: (Postgres, Redis, etc.): note the service and image; only attempt it if Docker is available and the user wants the extra step, otherwise mark the steps that depend on it as skipped.
• ${{ secrets.* }}: check if a local .env supplies the same variable name; if not, mark the step as skipped with the missing secret name, never substitute a fake value.
• strategy.matrix: run the one combination that matches the local machine (current node/python/OS); list the other matrix entries as not covered.

Phase 3: Execute sequentially

Run the translated commands via Bash, in the same order the workflow declares them, stopping to report clearly the moment one fails (don't silently keep going past a failed lint step and call the run "done"). Capture stdout/stderr for the report.

Phase 4: Report the parity table

CI Local Parity — <workflow file>, job "<job name>"

Step                  Local result     Notes
---------------------------------------------------------------
checkout              n/a              already in working tree
setup-node 20         ok               fnm use 20
lint (eslint)          PASS
typecheck (tsc)        PASS
test (vitest)           FAIL            2 tests failing, see output above
build                  SKIPPED         not run, blocked by failing test
postgres service       NOT REPLICABLE  no service container locally (Docker not requested)
deploy (secrets.AWS_*)  NOT REPLICABLE  secret not present in .env

Any version-fallback warning from Phase 2 (pinned node/python version unavailable, falling back to whatever's on PATH) must surface as a caveat/NOT REPLICABLE note in this parity table: never absorbed into a PASS.

Every row's result comes from a command you actually ran this session: never write PASS, FAIL, or a test count you didn't observe in the Phase 3 output.

State plainly at the end whether the branch would pass the real CI gate, and what's still unverified because it couldn't run locally.

Examples

Targeted job, --job lint given: skip the glob, read only the named job's steps from the file the user pointed at, translate and run just those, report a parity table scoped to that one job.

Python repo, no pinned version in the workflow: actions/setup-python has no python-version: key → check pyproject.toml#requires-python, find >=3.11, run uv run --python 3.11 pytest. Note the fallback source in the parity table ("version from pyproject.toml, not workflow"), don't silently treat it as pinned.

Matrix build, strategy.matrix: node: [18, 20, 22]: run once on whatever fnm/nvm resolves locally (say 20), mark 18 and 22 as NOT REPLICABLE: matrix entry not run locally in the table instead of guessing they'd also pass.

Notes

• This is read-only with respect to git: no commits, no pushes, no workflow file edits. Installing dependencies (npm ci, uv sync, etc.) as part of a step is expected and fine.
• If the same repo asks for this repeatedly, that's a signal to fix the actual CI quota/outage, not to keep leaning on the local stand-in: mention that once, don't nag.