How to set a Dockerfile ARG in Github actions - node.js

Question

I have a Dockerfile for one of my Node.js services that I try to push to my Digitalocean registry through the use of Github actions.
My Node.js service requires a private package that is hosted by myself on npm.js registry.
In my Dockerfile, I have an ARG for that:
FROM node:14-slim
ARG NODE_ENV=production
EXPOSE 5000
WORKDIR /usr/src/app
ARG NPM_TOKEN
COPY .npmrc .npmrc
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm install
RUN rm -f .npmrc
COPY src src
CMD ["npm", "start"]
and the following .npmrc file:
//registry.npmjs.org/:_authToken=${NPM_TOKEN}
in my Github actions workflow I have two actions. One for running tests:
name: tests-user-service
on:
pull_request:
paths:
- 'user-service/**'
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- name: Checkout
uses: actions/checkout#v2
- name: Install dependencies & run tests
run: cd user-service && npm install && npm run test:ci
env:
NPM_TOKEN: ${{secrets.NPM_ACCESS_TOKEN}}
and one for building the docker file and pushing it to the registry:
name: deploy-user-service
on:
push:
branches:
- main
paths:
- 'user-service/**'
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- name: Check Out Repo
uses: actions/checkout#v2
- name: Install DigitalOcean Controller
uses: digitalocean/action-doctl#v2
with:
token: ${{ secrets.DIGITALOCEAN_ACCESS_TOKEN }}
- name: Set up Docker Builder
uses: docker/setup-buildx-action#v1
- name: Authenticate with DigitalOcean Container Registry
run: doctl registry login --expiry-seconds 600
- name: Build and Push to DigitalOcean Container Registry
uses: docker/build-push-action#v2
with:
context: ./user-service
push: true
tags: registry.digitalocean.com/xxx/xxx:latest
env:
NPM_TOKEN: ${{secrets.NPM_ACCESS_TOKEN}}
- name: Logout from DigitalOcean Container Registry
run: doctl registry logout
now, the test file works. So I know the NPM_ACCESS_TOKEN is set correctly.
The deployment file, that one fails. It tells me this:
#10 [5/7] RUN npm install
#10 sha256:28b0590a43c14b889983d16b5e375f0156f7fdacc29e32fc3c219bce54e61d69
#10 0.317 Error: Failed to replace env in config: ${NPM_TOKEN}
I tried the following in my Dockerfile:
FROM node:14-slim
ARG NODE_ENV=production
EXPOSE 5000
WORKDIR /usr/src/app
ARG NPM_TOKEN
ENV NPM_TOKEN ${NPM_TOKEN}
COPY .npmrc .npmrc
COPY package*.json ./
RUN npm install
RUN rm -f .npmrc
COPY src src
CMD ["npm", "start"]
and then it goes wrong and tells me this:
#10 2.784 npm ERR! code E404
#10 2.790 npm ERR! 404 Not Found - GET https://registry.npmjs.org/#xxx%2fxxx - Not found
#10 2.790 npm ERR! 404
#10 2.790 npm ERR! 404 '#xxx/xxx#^0.0.11' is not in the npm registry.
#10 2.790 npm ERR! 404 You should bug the author to publish it (or use the name yourself!)
So then it can't find the module. I assume this happens because the NPM_TOKEN is now set with an empty string or so, as in the tests action it does work properly.
Any idea what else I could try?

Answer 1

Actually, I figured it out. Have to add build-args to the Build and Push part, and remove the env from there.
So instead of:
- name: Build and Push to DigitalOcean Container Registry
uses: docker/build-push-action#v2
with:
context: ./user-service
push: true
tags: registry.digitalocean.com/xxx/xxx:latest
env:
NPM_TOKEN: ${{secrets.NPM_ACCESS_TOKEN}}
should use this:
- name: Build and Push to DigitalOcean Container Registry
uses: docker/build-push-action#v2
with:
context: ./user-service
push: true
tags: registry.digitalocean.com/xxx/xxx:latest
build-args: NPM_TOKEN=${{secrets.NPM_ACCESS_TOKEN}}

Answer 2

Build args are list type CSV, check the readme
build-args: |
NPM_TOKEN =${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}