checkout@v4 doesnt work inside container action

[copdips]

v4 doesnt work, but it's working for v3.

jobs:
  container-test-job:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    container: node:14.16
    steps:
      - name: Check out repository code
        uses: actions/checkout@v4

Error message:

Run actions/checkout@v4
/usr/bin/docker exec  7cbdf08ca47fe2456a9002981cd5b884c8e98459104cbf71a6412df305a5614c sh -c "cat /etc/*release | grep ^ID"
/__e/node[20](https://github.com/pernod-ricard-coe-data/cicd-test/actions/runs/6198845372/job/16830116625#step:4:21)/bin/node: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libm.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.27' not found (required by /__e/node20/bin/node)
/__e/node20/bin/node: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.28' not found (required by /__e/node20/bin/node)
/__e/node20/bin/node: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6: version `GLIBC_2.25' not found (required by /__e/node20/bin/node)

[tvalenta]

The Docker image for node:14.16 has glibc 2.24, but that version of node has been end-of-lifed. If looks like even node:14 will have a more updated version of glibc.

 > podman run --arch x86_64 -it --rm  node:14 /bin/bash
root@9d7f7b68b108:/# /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 -version
GNU C Library (Debian GLIBC 2.28-10+deb10u2) stable release version 2.28.
Copyright (C) 2018 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.
There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
Compiled by GNU CC version 8.3.0.
libc ABIs: UNIQUE IFUNC ABSOLUTE
For bug reporting instructions, please see:
<http://www.debian.org/Bugs/>.

https://github.com/nodejs/release#release-schedule

[copdips]

@tvalenta
thanks, it's true that node:14 is working with checkout@v4

[dscho]

I worked around this by mapping /__e/node20/ to a location that does have a node.js version that works with older glibc (I even installed it specifically into that location), hopefully this helps other people stumbling over this here ticket:

  container:
      image: ubuntu:16.04 # expanded security maintenance until 04/02/2026, according to https://endoflife.date/ubuntu
      volumes:
        # override /__e/node20 because GitHub Actions uses a version that requires too-recent glibc
        # see "Install node.js for GitHub Actions" below
        - /tmp:/__e/node20

and then

steps:
  - name: Install node.js for GitHub Actions
    run: |
      apt-get install -y curl ca-certificates &&
      # Install a Node.js version that works in older Ubuntu containers (read: does not require very recent glibc)
      NODE_VERSION=v20.18.1 &&
      NODE_TAR_FILE=node-$NODE_VERSION-linux-x64-glibc-217.tar.gz &&
      NODE_URL=https://unofficial-builds.nodejs.org/download/release/$NODE_VERSION/$NODE_TAR_FILE &&
      curl -Lo /tmp/$NODE_TAR_FILE $NODE_URL &&
      tar -C /__e/node20 -x --strip-components=1 -f /tmp/$NODE_TAR_FILE

To be completely honest, I do not love that this work-around is needed. It would be ideal if GitHub Actions came with a statically-linked node.js version. At the same time I have little illusions left about the chances that this work-around will be made obsolete.