Install GitHub CLI

Install GitHub CLI | Generated by AI

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To install the GitHub CLI (gh) on Ubuntu and use it to trigger GitHub Actions workflows with the gh workflow run command, follow these steps:

Installation Steps for GitHub CLI (`gh`) on Ubuntu

Add the GitHub CLI repository and GPG key: Run the following commands in your terminal to set up the official GitHub CLI package repository:

(type -p wget >/dev/null || (sudo apt update && sudo apt-get install wget -y)) \
&& sudo mkdir -p -m 755 /etc/apt/keyrings \
&& wget -qO- https://cli.github.com/packages/githubcli-archive-keyring.gpg | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/githubcli-archive-keyring.gpg > /dev/null \
&& sudo chmod go+r /etc/apt/keyrings/githubcli-archive-keyring.gpg \
&& echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/githubcli-archive-keyring.gpg] https://cli.github.com/packages stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/github-cli.list > /dev/null

This script:

Installs wget if not already present.
Creates a directory for APT keyrings.
Downloads and adds the GitHub CLI GPG key.
Configures the GitHub CLI repository for your system.

Update the package index and install gh: Update your package list and install the gh command-line tool:
```
sudo apt update
sudo apt install gh -y
```
Verify the installation: Check that gh is installed correctly by running:
```
gh --version
```
You should see output like gh version X.Y.Z (YYYY-MM-DD), confirming the installation.
Authenticate with GitHub: Before using gh, authenticate with your GitHub account:
```
gh auth login
```
Follow the prompts:
- Choose GitHub.com (or your enterprise server if applicable).
- Select your preferred protocol (HTTPS or SSH; SSH is recommended if you have an SSH key set up).
- Choose the authentication method (browser is easiest; it opens a webpage to log in).
- Copy the one-time code provided, paste it into the browser, and authorize gh.
- Confirm the default settings or adjust as needed.
After successful authentication, you’ll see a confirmation message.

Using `gh workflow run` for GitHub Actions

The gh workflow run command triggers a GitHub Actions workflow. Here’s how to use it:

Navigate to your repository (optional): If you’re in a local Git repository linked to GitHub, gh will automatically detect it. Otherwise, specify the repository with the --repo flag.
List available workflows (optional): To find the workflow ID or filename, run:
```
gh workflow list
```
This displays all workflows in the repository, showing their names, IDs, and statuses (e.g., active).
Run a workflow: Use the gh workflow run command with the workflow’s filename or ID. For example:
```
gh workflow run workflow.yml
```
Or, using the workflow ID (e.g., 123456):
```
gh workflow run 123456
```
If the workflow accepts inputs, provide them with the --field flag:
```
gh workflow run workflow.yml --field key=value
```
To specify a branch or ref, use the --ref flag:
```
gh workflow run workflow.yml --ref branch-name
```
Monitor the workflow: After triggering, check the status of the run:
```
gh run list
```
To watch a specific run in real-time, use:
```
gh run watch <run-id>
```
Replace <run-id> with the run ID from gh run list.

Troubleshooting Tips

GPG signature errors: If you encounter GPG-related issues during apt update, refer to GitHub’s issue tracker for fixes (e.g., cli/cli#9569) or retry the key import step.

Firewall issues: If keyserver.ubuntu.com fails, try:

 sudo apt-key adv --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv-key C99B11DEB97541F0

Or install dirmngr if needed:

 sudo apt-get install dirmngr

Snap installation warning: GitHub discourages using the Snap package for gh due to runtime issues. Stick to the APT method above.
Authentication scopes: If gh workflow run fails due to permissions, ensure your token has the workflow scope. Re-authenticate with:
```
 gh auth refresh -s workflow
```

Additional Notes

GitHub CLI manual: For more details on gh commands, run gh help or visit the official manual at cli.github.com.
Workflow requirements: Ensure the workflow file (e.g., workflow.yml) exists in the .github/workflows/ directory of your repository and is configured for manual triggers (e.g., workflow_dispatch event).
Alternative installation methods: You can also install gh via Homebrew (brew install gh) or by downloading binaries from the releases page, but the APT method is recommended for Ubuntu.

This setup allows you to efficiently manage GitHub Actions workflows from the command line on Ubuntu. Let me know if you need help with specific gh commands or workflow configurations!

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