[BUG] ansible-lint GitHub Action installs development version instead of stable release when using tagged version

[McSim85]

Summary

When using the ansible-lint GitHub Action with a specific version tag (e.g., ansible/ansible-lint@v25.5.0 or ansible/ansible-lint@v25), the action installs a development version of ansible-lint (25.6.2.dev25) instead of the expected stable version, resulting in warnings about missing extras.

Issue Type

• Bug Report

OS / ENVIRONMENT

WARNING: ansible-lint 25.6.2.dev25 does not provide the extra 'lock'
ansible-lint 25.6.2.dev25 using ansible-core:2.17.7 ansible-compat:24.10.0 ruamel-yaml:0.18.6 ruamel-yaml-clib:0.2.12
You are using a pre-release version of ansible-lint.

• ansible installation method: pip (via GitHub Action)
• ansible-lint installation method: GitHub Action ansible/ansible-lint@v25.5.0 and/or ansible/ansible-lint@v25
• GitHub Actions runner: ubuntu-latest
• Python version: 3.11 (as set by the action)

STEPS TO REPRODUCE

1. Create .github/workflows/ansible-lint.yml:

name: ansible-lint
on: [pull_request]

jobs:
  build:
    name: Ansible Lint
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout Code
        uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Run ansible-lint
        uses: ansible/ansible-lint@v25.5.0
        # or uses: ansible/ansible-lint@v25
        with:
          setup_python: "true"
          requirements_file: "meta/requirements.yml"

2. Create a simple playbook test.yml:

---
- name: Test playbook
  hosts: localhost
  tasks:
    - name: Debug
      debug:
        msg: "Hello"

3. Push to a branch and create a pull request to trigger the workflow

Gist: https://gist.github.com/McSim85/10fabac8c1c3201c19900e9fd51e48a4

Desired Behavior

The action should install ansible-lint version 25.5.0 (or a stable 25.x version) when using the @v25.5.0/@v25 tag, without warnings about missing extras.

Actual Behavior

The action installs a development version and displays warnings. Looking at the action.yml file in the v25.5.0 tag, the action installs ansible-lint using:

pip install "ansible-lint[lock] @ git+https://github.com/ansible/ansible-lint@$GH_ACTION_REF"

Where $GH_ACTION_REF is set to v25.5.0. This installs from the git tag, but the v25.5.0 tag appears to point to a commit where the version in the codebase is already 25.6.2.dev25.

Full output from GitHub Actions:

Run ansible/ansible-lint@v25.5.0
Run action_ref="v25.5.0"
[...]
WARNING: ansible-lint 25.6.2.dev25 does not provide the extra 'lock'
[...]
Collecting ansible-lint[lock]@ git+https://github.com/ansible/ansible-lint@v25.5.0
  Cloning https://github.com/ansible/ansible-lint (to revision v25.5.0) to /tmp/pip-install-x5p9zv2m/ansible-lint_7a8e9f5c5b9d4e3fa5d8c9b0e1234567
[...]
Successfully installed ansible-lint-25.6.2.dev25
ansible-lint 25.6.2.dev25 using ansible-core:2.17.7 ansible-compat:24.10.0 ruamel-yaml:0.18.6 ruamel-yaml-clib:0.2.12
You are using a pre-release version of ansible-lint.

The warning about the missing [lock] extra suggests this development version doesn't have this extra defined, even though the action tries to install it.

Probably, relevant Issues and PRs:

• Allow ansible-lint action to be used from composite workflows #4481
• README doesn't document all inputs for github action ansible/ansible-lint #4692

[alisonlhart]

Hi @McSim85, thanks for opening this issue. We're looking into this.