set GITHUB_REF from event?

[fauxbytes]

$ git br --show-current
bb
$ cat .github/workflows/bar.yml
name: bar
on: push
jobs:
  bar:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: my-step
        run: |
          env | grep GITHUB_REF
$ cat push.json
{
  "push": {
    "ref": "refs/heads/development"
  }
}
$ act push -e push.json -j bar
[bar/bar] 🚀  Start image=catthehacker/ubuntu:act-latest
[bar/bar]   🐳  docker pull image=catthehacker/ubuntu:act-latest platform= username= forcePull=false
[bar/bar]   🐳  docker create image=catthehacker/ubuntu:act-latest platform= entrypoint=["/usr/bin/tail" "-f" "/dev/null"] cmd=[]
[bar/bar]   🐳  docker run image=catthehacker/ubuntu:act-latest platform= entrypoint=["/usr/bin/tail" "-f" "/dev/null"] cmd=[]
[bar/bar] ⭐ Run Main my-step
[bar/bar]   🐳  docker exec cmd=[bash --noprofile --norc -e -o pipefail /var/run/act/workflow/0] user= workdir=
| GITHUB_REF_TYPE=branch
| GITHUB_REF=refs/heads/bb
| GITHUB_REF_NAME=bb
[bar/bar]   ✅  Success - Main my-step
[bar/bar] 🏁  Job succeeded

Shouldn't GITHUB_REF be set as-per the event file? How do I get it to work as expected?
Thanks!

[KnisterPeter]

Act currently takes the ref from your local checked out repository. That means the ref always points to your local branch/commit.

[fauxbytes]

Thanks!
Isn't that a bug, though? the docs make no disclaimer for GITHUB_REF. It also explicitly affirms head_ref & base_ref can be overriden via an event. Is there a reasoning why a user could not expect github.ref to work similarly?

[KnisterPeter]

The main usecase for act is to allow executing actions locally to test them. And the default would then be write your workflow and use act to run it. You don't need to commit or anything like that. There is mostly not even an event file.

Feel free to raise a bug ticket or even better open a PR with your request.

[fauxbytes]

Hi. Wondering if there's anything required on my part wrt the associated pending PR. Cheers!

[dannystaple]

Hmm, the value I am currently seeing doesn't match either the event file or the current checked out version. I've temporarily had to make an env override in the file-under-test with a GUTHUB_REF.