Github Packages: Manage Access to Packages from Actions using API

As a developer, you know how crucial it is to manage access to your packages efficiently. With GitHub Packages, you can do just that! But, what if you want to take it to the next level and manage access to your packages from Actions using API? Well, you’re in the right place! In this article, we’ll dive into the world of GitHub Packages and explore how to manage access to your packages from Actions using API.

What are GitHub Packages?

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty, let’s start with the basics. GitHub Packages is a package management service that allows you to host, manage, and share packages with your team and the open-source community. With GitHub Packages, you can store and manage different types of packages, including npm, RubyGems, Maven, and more.

Benefits of Using GitHub Packages

• Secure and Reliable: GitHub Packages provides a secure and reliable way to store and manage your packages. You can rest assured that your packages are safe and easily accessible.
• Faster Deployment: With GitHub Packages, you can deploy your packages faster than ever before. No more waiting for hours or even days for your package to be available.
• Improved Collaboration: GitHub Packages makes it easy to collaborate with your team and the open-source community. You can easily share and manage access to your packages with others.
• Version Control: GitHub Packages integrates seamlessly with GitHub, allowing you to version control your packages and track changes.

Managing Access to Packages from Actions using API

Now that we’ve covered the basics of GitHub Packages, let’s dive into the meat of the matter – managing access to packages from Actions using API.

Creating a Personal Access Token

Before you can manage access to your packages from Actions using API, you need to create a personal access token. This token will allow you to authenticate with the GitHub API and perform actions on behalf of your account.

curl -u : \
  https://api.github.com/authorizations \
  -H 'Accept: application/json' \
  -d '{"scopes":["repo","read:packages"],"note":"github-packages-token"}'

Replace `` and `` with your GitHub username and password, respectively. This will create a new personal access token with the necessary scopes to manage packages.

Authenticating with the GitHub API

Now that you have your personal access token, you can authenticate with the GitHub API using the `Authorization` header.

curl -H 'Authorization: Bearer ' \
  https://api.github.com/repos///packages

Replace `` with your personal access token, `` with the owner of the repository, and `` with the name of the repository.

Listing Packages

Once authenticated, you can list all packages in a repository using the following API endpoint:

curl -H 'Authorization: Bearer ' \
  https://api.github.com/repos///packages

This will return a list of packages in the specified repository.

Managing Package Access

Now that you have a list of packages, you can manage access to each package using the following API endpoints:

Endpoint	Description
https://api.github.com/repos///packages//collaborators	List package collaborators
https://api.github.com/repos///packages//collaborators/	Invite a user to collaborate on a package
https://api.github.com/repos///packages//collaborators/	Remove a user from collaborating on a package

Replace `` with the ID of the package and `` with the username of the collaborator.

Example Workflow File

Here’s an example workflow file that demonstrates how to manage access to packages from Actions using API:

name: Manage Package Access

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main

jobs:
  manage-access:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v2

      - name: Authenticate with GitHub API
        run: |
          curl -u $GITHUB_ACTOR:$GITHUB_TOKEN \
            https://api.github.com/authorizations \
            -H 'Accept: application/json' \
            -d '{"scopes":["repo","read:packages"],"note":"github-packages-token"}'
          GITHUB_TOKEN=$(echo "$GITHUB_TOKEN" | base64 --decode)
          echo "GITHUB_TOKEN=$GITHUB_TOKEN" >> $GITHUB_ENV

      - name: List packages
        run: |
          curl -H 'Authorization: Bearer $GITHUB_TOKEN' \
            https://api.github.com/repos/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY-owner/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY-name/packages
          packages=$(echo "$response" | jq '.[] | .name')
          echo "Packages: $packages"

      - name: Manage package access
        run: |
          for package in $packages; do
            curl -H 'Authorization: Bearer $GITHUB_TOKEN' \
              https://api.github.com/repos/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY-owner/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY-name/packages/$package/collaborators
            collaborators=$(echo "$response" | jq '.[] | .login')
            echo "Collaborators: $collaborators"

            # Invite a new collaborator
            curl -X PUT \
              https://api.github.com/repos/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY-owner/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY-name/packages/$package/collaborators/new_collaborator \
              -H 'Authorization: Bearer $GITHUB_TOKEN' \
              -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
              -d '{"permission":"read"}'

            # Remove an existing collaborator
            curl -X DELETE \
              https://api.github.com/repos/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY-owner/$GITHUB_REPOSITORY-name/packages/$package/collaborators/existing_collaborator \
              -H 'Authorization: Bearer $GITHUB_TOKEN'
          done

This workflow file demonstrates how to:

• Authenticate with the GitHub API using a personal access token
• List packages in a repository
• Manage package access by listing collaborators and inviting/removing collaborators

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve covered the basics of GitHub Packages and how to manage access to packages from Actions using API. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can efficiently manage access to your packages and take your package management to the next level!

Remember to replace the placeholders with your actual values and adjust the API endpoints and requests according to your specific use case.

Additional Resources

• GitHub Packages Documentation
• GitHub Packages API Documentation
• actions/checkout

Happy coding, and don’t forget to manage those packages!

Frequently Asked Questions

Get the inside scoop on managing access to packages from GitHub Actions using the API!