ci: Clean up UI builds from releases by allozaur · Pull Request #27706 · ggml-org/llama.cpp

allozaur · 2026-08-25T16:20:11Z

Overview

The release CI now builds the UI exactly once in the ui-build job and all server build jobs simply download that artifact into tools/ui/dist/, instead of each job running its own setup-node + npm run build (or silently fetching from the HF bucket).

The version is resolved directly in ui-build.yml as b$(git rev-list --count HEAD), so the embedded UI version now matches the release tag, and the get-version job plus the no-op -DHF_UI_VERSION flags are gone.

TLDR; faster jobs, no node toolchain in build jobs, and every release binary embeds the identical UI.

Additional information

Aspect	Before	Now
UI version	`get-version` job in `release.yml`; always fell back to `<hash>-<epoch>`, never matching the release tag	Resolved in `ui-build.yml` as `b$(git rev-list --count HEAD)` - matches the binaries and the tag
Version input	`hf_ui_version`	`ui_version`
UI builds per release	Up to 10 - each server job ran `setup-node` + `npm ci` + `npm run build`	1 - the `ui-build` job; server jobs download its artifact into `tools/ui/dist/`
Backend-only jobs (`windows`, `windows-cuda`, `windows-sycl`)	Unused `Setup Node.js` step	Step removed
`ios-xcode`	Depended on `get-version` despite not building the UI	Dependency and flag removed
`-DHF_UI_VERSION`	Passed by 7 jobs; no-op (cmake reads the env var, not `-D`)	Removed
`windows-rocm`	No node - silently downloaded the UI from the HF bucket mid-build	Uses the `ui-build` artifact
Embedded UI	Each binary embedded its own npm-built UI	All binaries embed the identical artifact

Requirements

I have read and agree with the contributing guidelines
AI usage disclosure: YES, pi:Kimi-K3

Copilot

Pull request overview

Refactors the release-related CI workflows so the web UI is built once (as an artifact) and then reused by downstream build jobs, reducing repeated Node/npm setup and ensuring consistent embedded UI assets across release binaries.

Changes:

Update ui-build.yml to resolve a default UI version from the repo commit count and inject it via LLAMA_BUILD_NUMBER.
Remove per-job UI builds (and the now-removed get-version job / -DHF_UI_VERSION flags) from release.yml, replacing them with download-artifact of the ui-build output.
Rename the reusable workflow input from hf_ui_version to ui_version and update the Docker workflow caller.

Reviewed changes

Copilot reviewed 3 out of 3 changed files in this pull request and generated 2 comments.

File	Description
.github/workflows/ui-build.yml	Adds UI version resolution and uses it as `LLAMA_BUILD_NUMBER` for a single UI build artifact.
.github/workflows/release.yml	Removes `get-version` and Node/npm UI builds; downloads the shared `ui-build` artifact in release build jobs.
.github/workflows/docker.yml	Updates the reusable workflow input name to `ui_version`.

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ggerganov · 2026-08-26T07:53:22Z

@CISC PTAL at these changes. @allozaur add a sample run from your fork.

allozaur · 2026-08-26T08:12:16Z

@CISC PTAL at these changes. @allozaur add a sample run from your fork.

Here's the fork's Release workflow run https://github.com/allozaur/llama.cpp/actions/runs/32942817219

CISC · 2026-08-26T08:30:56Z

@CISC PTAL at these changes. @allozaur add a sample run from your fork.

Here's the fork's Release workflow run https://github.com/allozaur/llama.cpp/actions/runs/32942817219

Can you also do a Docker run?

CISC · 2026-08-26T08:32:44Z

test-no-ui fails: https://github.com/ggml-org/llama.cpp/actions/runs/32942760288/job/98105433497?pr=27706#step:7:770

allozaur · 2026-08-26T09:32:05Z

test-no-ui fails: https://github.com/ggml-org/llama.cpp/actions/runs/32942760288/job/98105433497?pr=27706#step:7:770

@CISC good catch, the test verifies the default UI-enabled serving and the --no-ui flag, so both require an embedded UI. The alternative which would be making the test skip when no UI is embedded, would make it vacuous - no CI job would ever exercise it.

The assets will come from prebuilt UI, so no build will happen there.

Fixed with 601d3e1

allozaur · 2026-08-26T09:33:14Z

@CISC PTAL at these changes. @allozaur add a sample run from your fork.

Here's the fork's Release workflow run https://github.com/allozaur/llama.cpp/actions/runs/32942817219

Can you also do a Docker run?

https://github.com/allozaur/llama.cpp/actions/runs/32949926605

CISC · 2026-08-26T10:28:06Z

 option(LLAMA_BUILD_APP       "llama: build the unified binary"                                                   ${LLAMA_STANDALONE})
-option(LLAMA_BUILD_UI        "llama: build the embedded Web UI for server"                                       ON)
+option(LLAMA_BUILD_UI        "llama: build the embedded Web UI for server"                                       OFF)
 option(LLAMA_USE_PREBUILT_UI "llama: use prebuilt UI from HF Bucket when available (requires LLAMA_BUILD_UI=ON)" ON)


This might get confusing for those that build themselves (without npm) that used to get UI.

IMO this option should not require LLAMA_BUILD_UI=ON.

Right, when LLAMA_USE_PREBUILT_UI=ON and LLAMA_BUILD_UI=OFF (i.e. the default) we should fetch the prebuilt UI.

I've reworked the commits so that CI optimization stands (no job npm-builds the UI anymore, backend-only jobs untouched) and @CISC remark is resolved (source builds keep getting the UI via download, like on master)

@CISC can u take a look and re-approve if all lgty

Ah, this was slightly confusing, only the comment being wrong. :)

Server jobs now extract the ui-build artifact into tools/ui/dist instead of npm-building the UI. Also removes the get-version job and the no-op -DHF_UI_VERSION flags. Assisted-by: pi:Kimi-K3

The flag now only controls building the UI from source via npm. The UI is still embedded by default from local tools/ui/dist or the prebuilt download (LLAMA_USE_PREBUILT_UI=ON). CI jobs no longer npm-build the UI; server-sanitize does not need node anymore. Assisted-by: pi:Kimi-K3

Consistent with the other artifact names in the Actions summary. Assisted-by: pi:Kimi-K3

The windows-cuda/vulkan/sycl jobs build only the backend library; llama-server (with the embedded UI) is injected into their zips from the windows-cpu package during the release. State this in the job comments and use accurate wording in the merge step. Assisted-by: pi:Kimi-K3

ggerganov · 2026-08-26T14:49:34Z

+  # TODO: build only the ggml-hip backend like the other windows backend jobs
+  #       (windows-cuda, windows-sycl), then drop the ui-build dependency
  windows-rocm:
-    needs: [check-release]
+    needs: [check-release, ui-build]


@ggml-org/amd @ggml-org/ggml-hip Please address this TODO. It should be a simple change - follow the example of the rest of the jobs in order to build just the hip backend and not the entire project.

Addressed in #27753.

* ci : inline UI version resolution into ui-build.yml * ci : build UI once and reuse the artifact in release jobs Server jobs now extract the ui-build artifact into tools/ui/dist instead of npm-building the UI. Also removes the get-version job and the no-op -DHF_UI_VERSION flags. Assisted-by: pi:Kimi-K3 * ui : disable the npm UI build by default (LLAMA_BUILD_UI=OFF) The flag now only controls building the UI from source via npm. The UI is still embedded by default from local tools/ui/dist or the prebuilt download (LLAMA_USE_PREBUILT_UI=ON). CI jobs no longer npm-build the UI; server-sanitize does not need node anymore. Assisted-by: pi:Kimi-K3 * ci : rename the ui-build artifact to llama-ui.zip Consistent with the other artifact names in the Actions summary. Assisted-by: pi:Kimi-K3 * ci : clarify the windows artifact merge in release.yml The windows-cuda/vulkan/sycl jobs build only the backend library; llama-server (with the embedded UI) is injected into their zips from the windows-cpu package during the release. State this in the job comments and use accurate wording in the merge step. Assisted-by: pi:Kimi-K3

allozaur requested a review from a team as a code owner August 25, 2026 16:20

allozaur requested review from CISC and ggerganov and a lite review from Copilot August 25, 2026 16:20

github-actions Bot added the devops improvements to build systems and github actions label Aug 25, 2026

Copilot started reviewing on behalf of allozaur August 25, 2026 16:20 View session

allozaur force-pushed the allozaur/chore/clean-up-ui-build-in-ci branch from 1f7602e to 926f1a8 Compare August 25, 2026 16:25

Copilot AI reviewed Aug 25, 2026

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Comment thread .github/workflows/ui-build.yml

Comment thread .github/workflows/release.yml

allozaur force-pushed the allozaur/chore/clean-up-ui-build-in-ci branch from 926f1a8 to 39ca942 Compare August 25, 2026 17:12

allozaur requested a review from ngxson as a code owner August 25, 2026 17:12

github-actions Bot added the build Compilation issues label Aug 25, 2026

ggerganov reviewed Aug 26, 2026

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Comment thread .github/workflows/release.yml Outdated

allozaur force-pushed the allozaur/chore/clean-up-ui-build-in-ci branch 3 times, most recently from 5a5c5fa to bcb3439 Compare August 26, 2026 07:26

ggerganov approved these changes Aug 26, 2026

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allozaur force-pushed the allozaur/chore/clean-up-ui-build-in-ci branch 2 times, most recently from 734b725 to 6b9bad3 Compare August 26, 2026 10:17

CISC approved these changes Aug 26, 2026

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allozaur added 5 commits August 26, 2026 12:36

ci : inline UI version resolution into ui-build.yml

3d93511

ci : build UI once and reuse the artifact in release jobs

161a45b

Server jobs now extract the ui-build artifact into tools/ui/dist instead of npm-building the UI. Also removes the get-version job and the no-op -DHF_UI_VERSION flags. Assisted-by: pi:Kimi-K3

ci : rename the ui-build artifact to llama-ui.zip

fa4893d

Consistent with the other artifact names in the Actions summary. Assisted-by: pi:Kimi-K3

allozaur force-pushed the allozaur/chore/clean-up-ui-build-in-ci branch from 6b9bad3 to 8264969 Compare August 26, 2026 10:40

CISC approved these changes Aug 26, 2026

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allozaur merged commit 4d19b28 into master Aug 26, 2026
30 of 31 checks passed

allozaur deleted the allozaur/chore/clean-up-ui-build-in-ci branch August 26, 2026 12:46

ggerganov reviewed Aug 26, 2026

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harkgill-amd mentioned this pull request Aug 26, 2026

ci : build only the ggml-hip backend for windows-rocm release #27753

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