github actions: pull and deploy private repo to VPS - node.js

Question

I want to auto deploy my private repository on my VPS whenever I push changes to my main branch. My yaml file looks like this:
name: push-and-deploy-to-server
on:
push:
branches: [ main ]
jobs:
build-and-deploy:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- name: checkout repo
uses: actions/checkout#v2
- name: ssh and deploy
uses: appleboy/ssh-action#master
with:
host: ${{ secrets.SSH_HOST }}
username: ${{ secrets.SSH_USERNAME }}
key: ${{ secrets.SSH_PRIVATE_KEY }}
port: 22
script: |
git pull origin main
git status
npm install --only=prod
pm2 restart index.js
this is not working, I get the following error:
err: fatal: could not read Username for 'https://github.com': No such device or address
When ssh-ing into my server and cloning the repo myself, it asks for my username and password (access token). When I provide it, it works, but with the yaml file, it doesnt.
How can I clone and deploy a private repo? It's a nodejs project btw.

Answer 1

Considering your setup
private GitHub repository with given action on that repo.
VPS
What does your current configuration and github secrets setup do?
you push code to your private repo
action runs and using appleboy/ssh-action#master ssh's into your VPS
then executes your commands like git pull origin main in your VPS.
Issue what you have is that your VPS is not authenticated to access your repository.
You have multiple options.
ssh to your VPS as user ${{ secrets.SSH_USERNAME }} and authenticate that user against github using your Github Personal access token which you can generate under your https://github.com/settings/tokens giving it a read repo permissions. Then test that you can clone your repo into VPS if so then your next build will succeed.
Second option generate new ssh key inside VPS for ${{ secrets.SSH_USERNAME }} and add it under your repository settings Deploy keys. When using deploy key, you need to make sure that your repository remote in vps is using git#github.com:<username>/<repository>.git git url not https url.
Third option: use appleboy/scp-action step before appleboy/ssh-action and copy all contents from current directory to your VPS and then run your npm install etc. with appleboy/ssh-action.

Answer 2

You proceed may work if you have git installed on your server. But the scp project can also deploy the code directly to your server.
name: push-and-deploy-to-server
on:
push:
branches: [ main ]
jobs:
build-and-deploy:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- name: checkout repo
uses: actions/checkout#v2
- name: ssh and deploy
uses: appleboy/ssh-action#master
with:
host: ${{ secrets.SSH_HOST }}
username: ${{ secrets.SSH_USERNAME }}
key: ${{ secrets.SSH_PRIVATE_KEY }}
source: "."
target: "the/server/path"
I used an IP address instead of a domain name, cos I felt like my hosting service was screwing with me.
Check out this URL for more details