Environment variables and CI builds 😅

[bodeby]

Hello Tauri Wizards,

I have a question about adding environment variables to a CI build. My build relies on several environment variables to function correctly.

Currently, I’ve added these values to my repository’s GitHub Secrets and Variables, and I was wondering if i could reference them during the frontend build like this:

- name: build frontend
    run: pnpm build
        env:
            var1: ${{ vars.vars1 }}
            var2: ${{ vars.vars2 }}
            sec1: ${{ secrets.sec1}}

Current github action setup

      - name: install frontend dependencies
        # If you don't have `beforeBuildCommand` configured you may want to build your frontend here too.
        run: pnpm install # change this to npm or pnpm depending on which one you use.

My question is: should I remove the configured beforeBuildCommand in tauri.conf.json and instead handle the frontend build explicitly in the CI workflow as shown above? Additionally, how would this change impact the development workflow, particularly the usage of pnpm tauri build during local development?

All insights on best practices are highly appreciated 😊

Note: Workflow is taken from the official documentation and the action

Full github actions for reference

name: "publish"

on:
  workflow_dispatch:
  pull_request:
    branches:
      - main # Trigger on PRs merging into the main branch

jobs:
  publish-tauri:
    permissions:
      contents: write
    strategy:
      fail-fast: false
      matrix:
        include:
          - platform: "macos-latest" # for Arm based macs (M1 and above).
            args: "--target aarch64-apple-darwin"
          - platform: "macos-latest" # for Intel based macs.
            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' # This must match the platform value defined above.
        run: |
          sudo apt-get update
          sudo apt-get install -y libwebkit2gtk-4.1-dev libappindicator3-dev librsvg2-dev patchelf

      - name: Install pnpm
        uses: pnpm/action-setup@v4

      - name: setup node
        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: lts/*
          cache: "pnpm" # Set this to npm, yarn or pnpm.

      - name: install Rust stable
        uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable # Set this to dtolnay/rust-toolchain@nightly
        with:
          # Those targets are only used on macos runners so it's in an `if` to slightly speed up windows and linux builds.
          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
        # If you don't have `beforeBuildCommand` configured you may want to build your frontend here too.
        run: pnpm install # change this to npm or pnpm depending on which one you use.

      - uses: tauri-apps/tauri-action@v0
        env:
          GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
        with:
          tagName: v__VERSION__ # the action automatically replaces \_\_VERSION\_\_ with the app version.
          releaseName: "App v__VERSION__"
          releaseBody: "See the assets to download this version and install."
          releaseDraft: true
          prerelease: false
          args: ${{ matrix.args }}

[FabianLars]

Currently, I’ve added these values to my repository’s GitHub Secrets and Variables, and I was wondering if i could reference them during the frontend build like this:

If you fix the whitespace then yes, that's how you do it. We also make use of that in a few places in the docs for signing.

My question is: should I remove the configured beforeBuildCommand in tauri.conf.json and instead handle the frontend build explicitly in the CI workflow as shown above?

Whatever you prefer, doesn't really make a difference in this context. The only difference is on which step you apply the env vars.

Additionally, how would this change impact the development workflow, particularly the usage of pnpm tauri build during local development?

If you remove beforeBuildCommand then you also have to run pnpm build locally before tauri build, and of course you have to set the env vars manually as well.

[bodeby]

Thanks for the fast reply!

Whatever you prefer, doesn't really make a difference in this context. The only difference is on which step you apply the env vars.

Which solution would you suggest?

I'm a little lost here lol

[bodeby]

We also make use of that in a few places in the docs for signing.

Amazing i will try to check that out.

[FabianLars]

Which solution would you suggest?

Keep the beforeBuildCommand and add the env to the tauri-action step like the GITHUB_TOKEN