GitHub Actions "No such file or directory" for working-directory: path debugging

TL;DR

The step fails because the working directory it was told to use does not exist in the runner's filesystem, usually because the repo was not checked out there or a default path assumed a different layout. Print the actual workspace tree in a debug step, then set the path explicitly.

No such file or directory: [PATH]

Steps

1. Add a debug step that prints the real filesystem layout:

- name: Debug workspace layout
  run: |
    pwd
    ls -la
    ls -la [SUSPECTED_PATH] || echo "path missing"

Expected: you see exactly which directories exist, and the suspected path is confirmed present or missing.

2. Check where the checkout actually landed:

gh run view [RUN_ID] --log | grep -i "checkout\|working directory" | head -10

Expected: the checkout step's destination path. If the repo went to a subdirectory or a custom path, every later working-directory must match it.

3. Set the working directory explicitly with a path you verified in step 1:

- name: [STEP NAME]
  working-directory: [VERIFIED_PATH]
  run: [COMMAND]

Expected: the step starts in a directory that exists, and the No such file or directory error is gone.

4. For repo-relative work, anchor on the workspace variable instead of guessing:

- run: |
    cd "${{ github.workspace }}/[SUBDIR]"
    [COMMAND]

Expected: the step resolves the path from the true workspace root on any runner OS.

5. Rerun the workflow and confirm the step executes:

gh run rerun [RUN_ID]

Expected: the previously failing step starts and runs your command instead of failing on the directory.

When to use

• A step fails with No such file or directory naming the working-directory
• The same workflow passes on one runner OS and fails on another
• Failures started after adding a custom checkout path or a container image

When not to use

• Your own command references a missing file; that is a path bug in the script, not the step's working directory
• The error names a missing binary; that is a PATH or installation problem
• Artifact download steps fail; that is an artifact name mismatch

Why it happens

GitHub evaluates working-directory before running your command, and it resolves relative paths against the default working directory, which differs between runner OSes and changes when actions/checkout uses a custom path. A path that exists on ubuntu-latest may not exist on windows-latest or inside a container, and the step fails before your first command line executes.

Edge cases

• defaults.run.working-directory applies to shell steps but not to all action steps; set it per step where it matters
• Composite actions run in their own context; a working-directory set in the caller does not always propagate inside
• Container jobs mount the workspace at a different path than the host default; verify with the debug step inside the container
• Matrix jobs that build different subdirectories need the directory parameterized per matrix entry, not hardcoded

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_V6V0x7UDDw88xuN2mOQuEQ

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_V6V0x7UDDw88xuN2mOQuEQ

Thread query: GitHub Actions "No such file or directory" for working-directory: path debugging

TL;DR: The step fails because the working directory it was told to use does not exist in the runner's filesystem, usually because the repo was not checked out there or a default path assumed a different layout. Print the actual workspace tree in a debug step, then set the path explicitly.