node-version-file should support absolute paths

Description:

If we pass a absolute path to node-version-file, for example, when using with Composite Actions, the resulting path is resolved incorrectly, due to a path.join() call.

setup-node/src/main.ts

Lines 96 to 100 in 5e21ff4

    
           if (versionFileInput) { 
        
             const versionFilePath = path.join( 
        
               process.env.GITHUB_WORKSPACE!, 
        
               versionFileInput 
        
             );

Action version:
v3

Platform:

Ubuntu
macOS
Windows

Runner type:

Hosted
Self-hosted

Tools version:

Repro steps:

In a composite action with .nvmrc, use following as input:
```
node-version-file: ${{ github.action_path }}/.nvmrc
```

Example broken action run: https://github.com/sidvishnoi/mediasession/actions/runs/6158104300/job/16710218833?pr=1

Expected behavior:

If it can check whether provided node-version-file exists as is, or perhaps use path.resolve(), it won't break with absolute paths.

Actual behavior:

Error: The specified node version file at: /home/runner/work/mediasession/mediasession/home/runner/work/_actions/w3c/spec-prod/fix-nvmrc/.nvmrc does not exist
                                                                                      ^^^

@sidvishnoi

Hello @sidvishnoi. Thank you for your report. We'll take a look on it.

Hi folks, I'm running into this issue as well, trying to use ${{ github.action_path }}/.tool-versions but it tries to append the path to the current directory.

It's a pretty frustrating and unexpected behavior as far as I can tell. Any hope to see a fix to this soon? 🙌

Can confirm would be nice if it could be looked into. @w3c has a workaround here but less than ideal 🙏

@actions/setup-actions-team @HarithaVattikuti

Apologies for the pings, but it looks like Dmitry hasn't been active on this project in a long time, and this issue may have slipped through the cracks. It would be awesome if someone could take a look at this and any other issues that may have been buried.

@sidvishnoi

Hi @sidvishnoi, Thank you for your suggestion to support absolute paths in the node-version-file. Although we do not have any plans to add this feature at this time, we will consider it as a feature request for the future.
In the meantime, please use the following workarounds:

Use a script to determine the relative path of the action directory and pass it to the node-version-file input:

id: action_path
run: echo "action_path=$(node -p 'require("path").relative(process.env.GITHUB_WORKSPACE, "${{ github.action_path }}")')" >> $GITHUB_ENV
shell: bash
- name: Set up Node.js
uses: actions/setup-node@v4
with:
node-version-file: ${{ env.action_path }}/.nvmrc

This script calculates the relative path from the GitHub workspace to the action directory and sets it as the node-version-file, ensuring the path is resolved correctly within the repository context.
2. Set the node version directly in the action, bypassing the need for a version file.

I hope this clarifies the issue and provides a suitable workaround. If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask.

@sidvishnoi

Hi @sidvishnoi, Just a gentle reminder regarding this issue, If you have any updates or need further assistance, Please let us know.

@gowridurgad the workaround you shared above is what I created for W3C 😉

Further assistance would be not requiring this workaround.

@sidvishnoi

Hi @sidvishnoi, Here is an additional workaround you can use:
Use symbolic links:
Create a symbolic link: ln -s ${{ github.action_path }}/.nvmrc
Add the symbolic link creation step in your composite action before setting up Node.js. Here’s how you can update your composite action:

- name: Create symbolic link for .nvmrc
   run: ln -s ${{ github.action_path }}/.nvmrc
   shell: bash

 - name: Set up Node.js
   uses: actions/setup-node@v4  
   with:
     node-version-file: ./.nvmrc

This script will create a symbolic link from the root of your repository to the .nvmrc file in your action directory before setting up Node.js.
Let us know if this helps or if you have any further questions!

@sidvishnoi

Hi @sidvishnoi, Just a gentle reminder regarding this issue, If you have any updates or need further assistance, Please let us know.

@gowridurgad There's no point in asking me for updates, as you've said "we will consider it as a feature request for the future." Asking over and over will not get a different answer from me, given it was me who suggested the workarounds you're sharing in one way or other.
I hope you're reading answers and not just asking questions. In this AI age, doesn't feel very human.

@sidvishnoi

Hi @sidvishnoi, Thank you for your feedback. As mentioned previously, we have noted this as a feature request for future consideration. We have sent a reminder to check if the second workaround worked for you. Apologies if it feels repetitive, but our intention is to ensure clarity and keep the discussion transparent. We truly appreciate your patience and continued engagement.

It would solve the issue to add a new context entry similar to github.action_path. Perhaps it would be called github.relative_action_path and would hold the relative path to the action's base folder from the working folder.

@sidvishnoi

Hi @sidvishnoi,

Fixed by #1633, now merged.

The action now uses path.resolve instead of path.join, so an absolute node-version-file input is used as-is. Relative paths continue to resolve against GITHUB_WORKSPACE as before.

You can test with actions/setup-node@main.

Thanks for reporting this — closing as resolved.

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`node-version-file` should support absolute paths #852

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	if (versionFileInput) {
	const versionFilePath = path.join(
	process.env.GITHUB_WORKSPACE!,
	versionFileInput
	);

node-version-file should support absolute paths #852

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dmitry-shibanov commented on Sep 12, 2023

evandam commented on Dec 7, 2023

scalp42 commented on Dec 7, 2023

marknuzz commented on Sep 22, 2024

v-gowridurgad commented on Nov 22, 2024

v-gowridurgad commented on Dec 3, 2024

sidvishnoi commented on Dec 3, 2024

v-gowridurgad commented on Dec 9, 2024

v-gowridurgad commented on Dec 16, 2024

sidvishnoi commented on Dec 16, 2024

v-gowridurgad commented on Dec 17, 2024

leemeador commented on Jan 23, 2025

v-mahabaleshwars commented on Sep 23, 2026

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`node-version-file` should support absolute paths #852