publish-package-cicd

name

publish-package-cicd

description

CI/CD publishing workflow for npm packages using Changesets + npm Trusted Publishers (OIDC). Use when setting up automated npm publishing for monorepos, configuring GitHub Actions for releases, troubleshooting workspace:* protocol resolution issues, fixing "Cannot find module" errors in published packages, or debugging npm OIDC authentication. Covers Bun + Turborepo + Changesets + npm Trusted Publishers with workspace protocol resolution.

Publish Package CI/CD

Automated npm publishing for Bun monorepos using Changesets + npm Trusted Publishers (OIDC). No npm tokens needed - GitHub Actions authenticates via OIDC.

Core Workflow

1. Create Changeset (Manual File Creation)

CRITICAL: Never run bunx changeset interactively. Create changeset files manually to avoid the interactive CLI:

cat > .changeset/your-change-name.md << 'EOF'
---
"package-name": patch
---

Description of the change
EOF

Version bump types:

• patch - Bug fixes, minor updates (0.0.x)
• minor - New features, backwards compatible (0.x.0)
• major - Breaking changes (x.0.0)

2. Commit and Push

git add .changeset/your-change-name.md
git commit -m "feat: your feature description"
git push origin main

3. Automated Release Flow

1. Changesets Action (.github/workflows/ci.yml) detects changeset file
2. Creates/updates "chore: release packages" PR with version bumps + CHANGELOG
3. On PR merge → triggers publish workflow (.github/workflows/publish.yml)
4. Publishes to npm via OIDC (no npm token)

Trusted Publishers (OIDC) Setup

Initial Package Setup (One-Time)

For each package to publish:

1. Publish v0.1.0 manually:

   cd packages/your-package
   npm publish --access public
   

2. Configure Trusted Publisher:

   • Go to https://www.npmjs.com/package/your-package/access
   • Click "Trusted Publishers" → "Add"
   • Fill in:
     • Organization: your-github-org
     • Repository: your-repo-name
     • Workflow: publish.yml
   • Save

3. Future releases: Fully automated via GitHub Actions

How OIDC Works

• No NPM_TOKEN secret required
• GitHub Actions has id-token: write permission
• npm packages configured with Trusted Publisher pointing to repo + workflow
• npm CLI 11.5.1+ auto-detects OIDC environment
• Provenance attestations generated automatically

workspace:* Protocol Resolution

Problem: workspace:* in package.json dependencies doesn't resolve during npm publish, causing "Cannot find module" errors for consumers.

Solution: Use custom publish script with two-step process:

# 1. Sync lockfile (resolves workspace:* from lockfile)
bun install

# 2. Pack tarball (resolves workspace:* to actual versions)
bun pm pack

# 3. Publish tarball (supports npm OIDC)
npm publish <tarball>

Why not bun publish? Bun resolves workspace protocols but doesn't support npm OIDC - requires npm login.

See references/publish-script.ts for full implementation.

Ignored Packages (Non-Published)

Exclude packages from publishing in .changeset/config.json:

{
  "ignore": ["@swarmtools/web", "docs-app"]
}

Important: Changeset ignore only affects versioning, NOT builds. Must also exclude from turbo:

# In CI, exclude ignored packages from build
bun turbo build --filter='!@swarmtools/web'

Common Issues

CLI Bin Script "Cannot find module"

Symptom: Published package works, but CLI bin script fails with Cannot find module '@clack/prompts'.

Root cause: Bin script imports are runtime dependencies, not devDependencies.

Fix: Move ALL bin script imports to dependencies in package.json:

{
  "dependencies": {
    "@clack/prompts": "^0.7.0",  // Used by bin/cli.ts
    "commander": "^11.0.0"        // Used by bin/cli.ts
  }
}

Lockfile Stale After Changeset Bump

Symptom: Publish picks up old versions of workspace:* dependencies.

Root cause: bun pm pack resolves from lockfile, which is stale after version bumps.

Fix: Run bun install BEFORE bun pm pack:

bun install              # Sync lockfile with new versions
bun pm pack              # Now packs with correct versions
npm publish <tarball>

See references/publish-script.ts - automatically handles this.

Local bunx changeset version Fails

Symptom: Error: GITHUB_TOKEN not found

Root cause: Changesets needs GitHub API access for PR/changelog generation. Works in CI (has GITHUB_TOKEN), fails locally.

Fix: Don't run bunx changeset version or bunx changeset publish locally. Let CI handle it:

1. Create changeset file manually
2. Push to main
3. CI creates release PR
4. Merge PR → auto-publishes

Bun Publish vs npm Publish

Avoid bun publish - doesn't support npm OIDC (requires npm login).

Use npm publish <tarball> - supports OIDC + resolves workspace protocols when publishing tarball created by bun pm pack.

Reference Files

• references/publish-workflow.yml - Full GitHub Actions workflow with OIDC + workspace resolution
• references/changeset-config.json - Changeset configuration with ignored packages
• references/publish-script.ts - Custom publish script handling workspace:* resolution

Commands Reference

# Create changeset (manual file creation)
cat > .changeset/fix-thing.md << 'EOF'
---
"pkg-name": patch
---
Fixed the thing
EOF

# Preview version bumps (optional, informational only)
bunx changeset status

# Build packages (exclude ignored)
bun turbo build --filter='!@swarmtools/web'

# Publish (in CI only, via publish.yml)
bun install                    # Sync lockfile
bun pm pack                    # Create tarball with resolved workspace:*
npm publish <tarball>          # Publish with OIDC

Tracking Issues

• Bun native npm token support: https://github.com/oven-sh/bun/issues/15601
  • When resolved, can switch to bun publish directly
  • Currently must use npm publish for OIDC support