atomic push failed for ref refs/heads/... status: 5

[staabm]

git-auto-commit Version

v6

Machine Type

Ubuntu (eg. ubuntu-latest)

Bug description

a build from 6 hours ago ran into a strange error, after we created some changes and tried to push them back onto a PR

Steps to reproduce

• create a PR which the code-style job will be triggered on

Tried solutions

we reverted to v5 for now, which still works as expected

Example Workflow

name: Code style

on:
  push:
    branches: [production, main, master]
  pull_request:
    types: [ opened, synchronize, reopened, ready_for_review ]
  repository_dispatch:
    types: [ csfix-command ] # triggered by /csfix PR comment

concurrency:
  group: ecs-${{github.event_name}}-${{ github.head_ref || github.run_id }} 
  cancel-in-progress: true

jobs:
  coding_standard:
    name: Coding Standard
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          token: ${{ secrets.PHP_GH_ACTION }}
          repository: ${{ github.event.client_payload.pull_request.head.repo.full_name }}
          ref: ${{ github.event.client_payload.pull_request.head.ref }}

  // .. produce some changes to files

      - name: Commit changed files
        if: "github.event_name != 'push'"
        uses: stefanzweifel/git-auto-commit-action@v6
        with:
          commit_message: Apply coding standard changes
          branch: ${{ github.head_ref }}

Relevant log output

Started: bash /home/runner/work/_actions/stefanzweifel/git-auto-commit-action/v6/entrypoint.sh
INPUT_REPOSITORY value: .
INPUT_STATUS_OPTIONS: 
INPUT_FILE_PATTERN: .
INPUT_ADD_OPTIONS: 
INPUT_FILE_PATTERN: .
INPUT_COMMIT_OPTIONS: 
INPUT_COMMIT_USER_NAME: github-actions[bot]
INPUT_COMMIT_USER_EMAIL: 41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com
INPUT_COMMIT_MESSAGE: Apply coding standard changes
INPUT_COMMIT_AUTHOR: gh-kundenserver <52193449+gh-kundenserver@users.noreply.github.com>
[detached HEAD 09d9b7b] Apply coding standard changes
 Author: gh-kundenserver <52193449+gh-kundenserver@users.noreply.github.com>
 1 file changed, 6 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)
INPUT_TAGGING_MESSAGE: 
No tagging message supplied. No tag will be added.
INPUT_BRANCH value: number-portability-admin
INPUT_PUSH_OPTIONS: 
error: atomic push failed for ref refs/heads/number-portability-admin. status: 5
To https://github.com/complex-gmbh/motiontm
 ! [rejected]        HEAD -> number-portability-admin (fetch first)
error: failed to push some refs to 'https://github.com/complex-gmbh/motiontm'
hint: Updates were rejected because the remote contains work that you do not
hint: have locally. This is usually caused by another repository pushing to
hint: the same ref. If you want to integrate the remote changes, use
hint: 'git pull' before pushing again.
hint: See the 'Note about fast-forwards' in 'git push --help' for details.
Error: Invalid status code: 1
    at ChildProcess.<anonymous> (/home/runner/work/_actions/stefanzweifel/git-auto-commit-action/v6/index.js:17:19)
    at ChildProcess.emit (node:events:524:28)
    at maybeClose (node:internal/child_process:1104:16)
    at ChildProcess._handle.onexit (node:internal/child_process:304:5) {
  code: 1
}
Error: Invalid status code: 1
    at ChildProcess.<anonymous> (/home/runner/work/_actions/stefanzweifel/git-auto-commit-action/v6/index.js:17:19)
    at ChildProcess.emit (node:events:524:28)
    at maybeClose (node:internal/child_process:1104:16)
    at ChildProcess._handle.onexit (node:internal/child_process:304:5)

Repository

https://github.com/complex-gmbh/motiontm (private)

[stefanzweifel]

Thanks for opening the issue, @staabm.

In this specific case, it seems the problem was that someone pushed new commits to the branch, through which the workflow run was out of date. See the error message.

hint: Updates were rejected because the remote contains work that you do not
hint: have locally. This is usually caused by another repository pushing to
hint: the same ref. If you want to integrate the remote changes, use
hint: 'git pull' before pushing again.
hint: See the 'Note about fast-forwards' in 'git push --help' for details.

Subsequent runs would probably have run through without issues.

---

git-auto-commit currently doesn't support doing a git-pull, but I'm considering adding this as a feature in a next release. There were many issues about this in the past and I think we could provide a good API to cover this.

[staabm]

thanks for getting back to me.

I can reproduce the problem every time I run the action (even just a few minutes ago and on fresh PRs).
I think its not related to other people committing at the same time

I wonder why it works on v5, when it is not considered supported :)

[LogFlames]

@staabm I think the issue might be the client_payload in the checkout ref and repository. I got the same error before I had configured ref and repository on the checkout.

log https://github.com/chains-project/maven-lockfile/actions/runs/15727198373/job/44319594078?pr=1247

Started: bash /home/runner/work/_actions/stefanzweifel/git-auto-commit-action/v6.0.1/entrypoint.sh
INPUT_REPOSITORY value: .
INPUT_STATUS_OPTIONS: 
INPUT_FILE_PATTERN: .github/workflows/gha.sum
INPUT_ADD_OPTIONS: 
INPUT_FILE_PATTERN: .github/workflows/gha.sum
INPUT_COMMIT_OPTIONS: 
INPUT_COMMIT_USER_NAME: github-actions[bot]
INPUT_COMMIT_USER_EMAIL: 41898282+github-actions[bot]@users.noreply.github.com
INPUT_COMMIT_MESSAGE: chore: update ghasum checksums
INPUT_COMMIT_AUTHOR: renovate[bot] <29139614+renovate[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
[detached HEAD 66fab7b] chore: update ghasum checksums
 Author: renovate[bot] <29139614+renovate[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
INPUT_TAGGING_MESSAGE: 
No tagging message supplied. No tag will be added.
INPUT_BRANCH value: renovate/step-security-harden-runner-2.x
INPUT_PUSH_OPTIONS: 
error: atomic push failed for ref refs/heads/renovate/step-security-harden-runner-2.x. status: 5
To https://github.com/chains-project/maven-lockfile
 ! [rejected]        HEAD -> renovate/step-security-harden-runner-2.x (fetch first)
error: failed to push some refs to 'https://github.com/chains-project/maven-lockfile'
hint: Updates were rejected because the remote contains work that you do not
hint: have locally. This is usually caused by another repository pushing to
hint: the same ref. If you want to integrate the remote changes, use
hint: 'git pull' before pushing again.
hint: See the 'Note about fast-forwards' in 'git push --help' for details.
Error: Invalid status code: 1
    at ChildProcess.<anonymous> (/home/runner/work/_actions/stefanzweifel/git-auto-commit-action/v6.0.1/index.js:17:19)
    at ChildProcess.emit (node:events:524:28)
    at maybeClose (node:internal/child_process:1104:16)
    at ChildProcess._handle.onexit (node:internal/child_process:304:5) {
  code: 1
}
Error: Invalid status code: 1
    at ChildProcess.<anonymous> (/home/runner/work/_actions/stefanzweifel/git-auto-commit-action/v6.0.1/index.js:17:19)
    at ChildProcess.emit (node:events:524:28)
    at maybeClose (node:internal/child_process:1104:16)
    at ChildProcess._handle.onexit (node:internal/child_process:304:5)

Adding:

  with:
    ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.ref }}
    repository: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name }}

made it work.

I then verified that I got the same error when I added client_payload to the ref and repository, which I did. See logs and action-files below:

pull-error in run with client_payload: https://github.com/chains-project/maven-lockfile/actions/runs/15727820010/job/44321619374?pr=1199
Action with client_payload: https://github.com/chains-project/maven-lockfile/blob/237813079e1f4c572560fd0347ced910b9cdc359/.github/workflows/ghasum.yml

successfull run without client_payload: https://github.com/chains-project/maven-lockfile/actions/runs/15727527321/job/44320667874?pr=1247
Action without client_payload: https://github.com/chains-project/maven-lockfile/blob/bc5c3bc9cb8ada8c3e99c29a7c6a7797bdad1600/.github/workflows/ghasum.yml

[enisdenjo]

Happens to me too, in pretty much all PRs over at Hive Gateway. See recent example.

[stefanzweifel]

Sorry that this is happening folks. 😩

I'm still not sure which changes causes these issues in v6.

I've removed calls to git-fetch and git-checkout here. Will have to do some research, if git fetch --depth=1 had more meaning than I thought.

@enisdenjo In your specific case, I think the issue is, that the examples.yml-workflow that triggers git-auto-commit checks the repo out into a detached state:
https://github.com/graphql-hive/gateway/actions/runs/15758729409/job/44420236824?pr=956#step:2:65

I've added a detection of this for v6 in #357, but that caused more issues than it solved.

To solve your issues, I would suggest checking out the repo using ref as described in the docs.

[enisdenjo]

Note that for me the failure was still happening on v5, as if it started happening suddenly. 🤔

[enisdenjo]

Happens with ref set too. Could actions checkout be broken?
graphql-hive/gateway@b0e5487

[enisdenjo]

#383 (comment)
I was wrong. Reverting back to v5.2.0 fixed it.

[sebpretzer]

For those who want to continue to use v6, adding ref and repository to actions/checkout worked for me:

      - uses: actions/checkout
        with:
          ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.ref }}
          repository: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name }}

@staabm I think the issue might be the client_payload in the checkout ref and repository. I got the same error before I had configured ref and repository on the checkout.
log https://github.com/chains-project/maven-lockfile/actions/runs/15727198373/job/44319594078?pr=1247

Adding:

with:
ref: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.ref }}
repository: ${{ github.event.pull_request.head.repo.full_name }}

made it work.

I then verified that I got the same error when I added client_payload to the ref and repository, which I did. See logs and action-files below:

pull-error in run with client_payload: https://github.com/chains-project/maven-lockfile/actions/runs/15727820010/job/44321619374?pr=1199 Action with client_payload: https://github.com/chains-project/maven-lockfile/blob/237813079e1f4c572560fd0347ced910b9cdc359/.github/workflows/ghasum.yml

successfull run without client_payload: https://github.com/chains-project/maven-lockfile/actions/runs/15727527321/job/44320667874?pr=1247 Action without client_payload: https://github.com/chains-project/maven-lockfile/blob/bc5c3bc9cb8ada8c3e99c29a7c6a7797bdad1600/.github/workflows/ghasum.yml