Understanding GitHub Logs: A Comprehensive Guide

GitHub is a popular platform for version control and collaborative software development. As a GitHub user or organization owner, it’s important to have visibility into the activities and events that occur within your account or organization. GitHub logs provide a detailed record of these events, allowing you to monitor and troubleshoot workflows, review security-related activities, and track changes made within your organization. In this article, we will focus on how to view GitHub logs and explore their significance.

Viewing Workflow Run Logs

GitHub workflow run logs are essential for diagnosing failures and understanding the execution details of your workflows. To view the logs for a specific workflow run, follow these steps:

1. Visit GitHub.com and log in to your GitHub account.
2. Click on your profile photo in the upper-right corner, and then select “Your organizations”.
3. Choose the organization you want to view logs for, and click on “Settings”.
4. In the sidebar, navigate to the “Archives” section and click on “Logs”. From the drop-down menu, select “Workflow run logs”.

Once you access the workflow run logs, you can examine the details of each job within the workflow run. The logs provide information about the status of the run (success, failure, canceled, or neutral), the duration of each step, and any error messages encountered during execution.

To diagnose failures, you can identify the specific step that caused the failure and review its corresponding build logs. The logs allow you to understand the sequence of actions performed, identify potential issues, and make informed decisions for troubleshooting and remediation.

Searching Logs

GitHub provides a search feature that allows you to search within the build logs of a workflow run. This can be particularly useful when you want to locate specific information or errors. Here’s how you can search the logs:

1. Log in to your GitHub account and navigate to the repository’s main page.
2. Under your repository name, click on “Actions”.
3. In the left sidebar, select the workflow you want to see.
4. From the list of workflow runs, choose the specific run you want to investigate.
5. Select the job you want to search within.
6. In the upper-right corner of the log output, you’ll find a search box. Enter your search query in the box.

By searching the logs, you can quickly pinpoint relevant information and focus on the specific steps or errors that require attention.

Downloading Logs

In some cases, you may need to download the log files from a workflow run for further analysis or archival purposes. GitHub allows you to download both the log files and the artifacts associated with a workflow. Here’s how to download logs:

1. Sign in to your GitHub account and navigate to the repository’s main page.
2. Under your repository name, click on “Actions”.
3. In the left sidebar, select the workflow you want to see.
4. From the list of workflow runs, choose the specific run you want to download logs from.
5. Select the job you want to download logs for.
6. In the upper right corner of the log, click on the dropdown menu, and then choose “Download log archive”.

By downloading the log files, you can store them locally, share them with team members, or analyze them offline.

Note: It’s important to ensure that you only commit valid workflow files to your repository. If an invalid workflow file exists, GitHub Actions will generate failed workflow runs for new commits.

Conclusion

GitHub logs provide valuable insights into the execution and outcomes of your workflows, enabling you to diagnose failures, track changes, and ensure the smooth functioning of your software development processes. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can view, search, and download logs for detailed analysis and troubleshooting.

Sources:

• Using Workflow Run Logs – GitHub Docs

FAQs

How can I view GitHub logs?

To view GitHub logs, follow these steps:

1. Go to GitHub.com and log in to your account.
2. In the upper-right corner, click on your profile photo, then click on “Your organizations”.
3. Next to the organization you want to view logs for, click on “Settings”.
4. In the sidebar, under the “Archives” section, click on “Logs” and then select “Audit log”.

What information can I find in the GitHub audit log?

The GitHub audit log provides information such as the organization, the user who performed the action, the affected user, the repository, the action performed, the country where the action took place, and the date and time of the action.

Can I access the audit log for any organization?

No, only owners of an organization can access the audit log for that organization.

How far back does the audit log display events?

By default, the audit log displays events from the past three months. However, you can specify a date range using the “created” parameter to view older events.

Can I view logs for specific workflow runs?

Yes, you can view logs for specific workflow runs by following these steps:

1. Log in to your GitHub account and navigate to the repository’s main page.
2. Under your repository name, click on “Actions”.
3. In the left sidebar, select the workflow you want to see.
4. From the list of workflow runs, choose the specific run you want to investigate.
5. Select the job you want to view logs for.

How can I search within the logs of a workflow run?

To search within the logs of a workflow run, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your GitHub account and navigate to the repository’s main page.
2. Under your repository name, click on “Actions”.
3. In the left sidebar, select the workflow you want to see.
4. From the list of workflow runs, choose the specific run you want to investigate.
5. Select the job you want to search within.
6. In the upper-right corner of the log output, you’ll find a search box. Enter your search query in the box.

Can I download the logs of a workflow run?

Yes, you can download the logs of a workflow run by following these steps:

1. Sign in to your GitHub account and navigate to the repository’s main page.
2. Under your repository name, click on “Actions”.
3. In the left sidebar, select the workflow you want to see.
4. From the list of workflow runs, choose the specific run you want to download logs from.
5. Select the job you want to download logs for.
6. In the upper-right corner of the log, click on the dropdown menu, and then choose “Download log archive”.

Are there any restrictions on accessing GitHub logs?

Access to GitHub logs depends on the user’s role and permissions. Owners of organizations have access to the audit log, while specific repository logs can be accessed by users with appropriate permissions for those repositories.