CI - Fix npm dry run, and release dry runs actually testing the specified branch (#5636)

# Description of Changes

Closes #5635.

tl;dr it seems like newer versions of `npm publish` actually check
whether the package version is already published. This causes release
dry runs to fail when they didn't before.

Fixed by slightly weakening the publish dry run.


This also fixes a bug in the release workflow, so that release dry runs
check out the specific ref that the workflow is running from, rather
than the release tag. Unfortunately these two independent fixes need to
be bundled into a single PR, because neither can pass CI without the
other right now.

# API and ABI breaking changes

none

# Expected complexity level and risk

2

# Testing

- [x] Release dry run passes on this PR

---------

Signed-off-by: Zeke Foppa <196249+bfops@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: Zeke Foppa <bfops@users.noreply.github.com>

Author: bfops

.github/workflows/release.yml

@@ -103,10 +103,10 @@ jobs:
       GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
     steps:
-      - name: Checkout specific tag
+      - name: Checkout release source
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
-          ref: ${{ github.event.inputs.release_tag }}
+          ref: ${{ inputs.dry_run && github.sha || github.event.inputs.release_tag }}
           submodules: recursive
 
       - name: Set up Rust
@@ -145,10 +145,10 @@ jobs:
       NUGET_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.NUGET_API_KEY }}
 
     steps:
-      - name: Checkout specific tag
+      - name: Checkout release source
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
-          ref: ${{ github.event.inputs.release_tag }}
+          ref: ${{ inputs.dry_run && github.sha || github.event.inputs.release_tag }}
           submodules: recursive
 
       - name: Set up Rust
@@ -223,10 +223,10 @@ jobs:
       GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
 
     steps:
-      - name: Checkout specific tag
+      - name: Checkout release source
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
-          ref: ${{ github.event.inputs.release_tag }}
+          ref: ${{ inputs.dry_run && github.sha || github.event.inputs.release_tag }}
           submodules: recursive
 
       - name: Set up Rust
@@ -284,10 +284,10 @@ jobs:
       packages: write
 
     steps:
-      - name: Checkout specific tag
+      - name: Checkout release source
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
-          ref: ${{ github.event.inputs.release_tag }}
+          ref: ${{ inputs.dry_run && github.sha || github.event.inputs.release_tag }}
           submodules: recursive
 
       - name: Download cargo-release
@@ -332,10 +332,10 @@ jobs:
     if: ${{ inputs.release_docker }}
 
     steps:
-      - name: Checkout specific tag
+      - name: Checkout release source
         uses: actions/checkout@v4
         with:
-          ref: ${{ github.event.inputs.release_tag }}
+          ref: ${{ inputs.dry_run && github.sha || github.event.inputs.release_tag }}
           submodules: recursive
 
       - name: Download cargo-release

tools/release/src/targets/npm.rs

@@ -59,7 +59,8 @@ impl NpmRelease {
         // on the main/master branch (we're in a detached HEAD state at this point).
         // ERR_PNPM_GIT_UNKNOWN_BRANCH The Git HEAD may not attached to any branch, but your "publish-branch" is set to "master|main".
         if self.dry_run {
-            cmd.args(["publish", "--dry-run", "--no-git-checks"]);
+            // --force is required to override the "package already exists" complaint
+            cmd.args(["publish", "--dry-run", "--force", "--no-git-checks"]);
         } else {
             cmd.args(["publish", "--no-git-checks"]);
         }