can't get git tag annotation

[classabbyamp]

Description
git tag -l --format='%(subject)' <tag name> returns the commit message, not the tag subject. git tag -l --format='$(body)' <tag name> returns the commit body (if it exists), not the tag body (if it exists).

Related to actions/runner#712

Area for Triage: Git

Question, Bug, or Feature?: Bug

Virtual environments affected

• macOS 10.15
• Ubuntu 16.04 LTS
• Ubuntu 18.04 LTS
• Ubuntu 20.04 LTS
• Windows Server 2016 R2
• Windows Server 2019

Expected behavior
Workflow prints

SUBJECT=this is the tag subject
BODY=this is the tag body
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----

<tag pgp signature here>
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

If the tag is not signed, it would not have the PGP block.

Actual behavior
Workflow prints

SUBJECT=this is the commit subject
BODY=this is the commit body

Repro steps
Example run: https://github.com/classabbyamp/git-tag-bug/actions/runs/283446508

1. Create a new repository on Github, and clone it to your local machine.
2. Create a workflow .github/workflows/bug.yml:

on:
  push:
    tags:
      - 'v*'

name: Showcase Bug

jobs:
  ubuntu-1804:
    name: Showcase Bug on 18.04
    runs-on: ubuntu-18.04
    steps:
      - name: Checkout
        uses: actions/checkout@v2

      - name: Get Tag Info
        id: get_tag
        shell: bash
        run: |
          SUBJECT=$(/usr/bin/git tag -l ${GITHUB_REF#refs/tags/} --format='%(subject)')
          echo SUBJECT=$SUBJECT
          BODY=$(/usr/bin/git tag -l ${GITHUB_REF#refs/tags/} --format='%(body)')
          echo BODY=$BODY
  ubuntu-2004:
    name: Showcase Bug on 20.04
    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
    steps:
      - name: Checkout
        uses: actions/checkout@v2

      - name: Get Tag Info
        id: get_tag
        shell: bash
        run: |
          SUBJECT=$(/usr/bin/git tag -l ${GITHUB_REF#refs/tags/} --format='%(subject)')
          echo SUBJECT=$SUBJECT
          BODY=$(/usr/bin/git tag -l ${GITHUB_REF#refs/tags/} --format='%(body)')
          echo BODY=$BODY

This job will demonstrate the issue on both the 18.04 and 20.04 runners.
3. Stage, commit, and push this file
4. Create a file, stage, and commit it. In the commit message, put:

this is the commit subject

this is the commit body

5. Tag this commit as v1.0.0 with git tag -s v1.0.0. In the annotation message, put:

this is the tag subject

this is the tag body

Signing is not required for this behaviour, only that the tag is annotated, so git tag -a v1.0.0 would also work. The only difference in expected behaviour would be not having the PGP block in the body output.
6. Push the commit and the tag
7. Observe the results of the action

[classabbyamp]

Also note that the expected behaviour happens when running the git tag -l commands on my local arch and ubuntu machines, which have the same git version as the github workflow runners.

[vsafonkin]

Hello @classabbyamp , I believe the point is that the task actions/checkout fetches only last commit object from repository by default. For example, you will see error, if you try git checkout v1.0.0. In order to avoid it, you can set the fetch-depth parameter on the task (get all history for all branches and tags):

uses: actions/checkout@v2
with:
  fetch-depth: 0

It's worked as expected: link

[classabbyamp]

Setting fetch-depth: 0 did not solve it for me, but this did (it works at all fetch-depths, tested for 0-10):

uses: actions/checkout@v2
with:
  ref: ${{ github.ref }}

[vsafonkin]

@classabbyamp , great, if your problem is resolved, you can close this issue. Thank you!

[eelco]

I’m running into the same issue and this had me stumped for a solid hour. I do feel that this is (still) a bug.

Interestingly, it also only happens for the tag that is being checked out, older tags do have their body available.

[eelco]

Found the relevant issue in the checkout repo: actions/checkout#290, which has two other workarounds:

• Use actions/checkout@v1
• Run git fetch --force --tags