Add a JSON file listing the images with beta/stable/EOL dates

[HonkingGoose]

Hi 👋

Summary / TLDR: Add a JSON file that lists each runner-image with beta/stable/EOL dates, to help tools like Renovate pull in the correct information.

Intro

I recently added information that Renovate (a bot that updates dependencies) needs to propose updates to users that use old runner-images:

• feat(github-runners): add macOS 12 large and 13 large renovatebot/renovate#27229

In essence, I'm copy/pasting information from the Markdown table into Renovate's code.

Manual code changes based on the runner-images Markdown table

Right now the Renovate maintainers (or me) need to change the Renovate code to add the beta/stable/EOL images. This is because we do not have a stable format for Renovate to pull in the information. We can't rely on the Markdown table in your readme, because that table can change in any way.

Proposed change

It would help us a lot if we had a file in JSON, that lists the runner-images, with dates for beta, stable and End of Life (EOL). Here's how Node.js lists their Node versions:

Select/click me to see Node.js JSON file

{
  "v0.8": {
    "start": "2012-06-25",
    "end": "2014-07-31"
  },
  "v0.10": {
    "start": "2013-03-11",
    "end": "2016-10-31"
  },
  "v0.12": {
    "start": "2015-02-06",
    "end": "2016-12-31"
  },
  "v4": {
    "start": "2015-09-08",
    "lts": "2015-10-12",
    "maintenance": "2017-04-01",
    "end": "2018-04-30",
    "codename": "Argon"
  },
  "v5": {
    "start": "2015-10-29",
    "maintenance": "2016-04-30",
    "end": "2016-06-30"
  },
  "v6": {
    "start": "2016-04-26",
    "lts": "2016-10-18",
    "maintenance": "2018-04-30",
    "end": "2019-04-30",
    "codename": "Boron"
  },
  "v7": {
    "start": "2016-10-25",
    "maintenance": "2017-04-30",
    "end": "2017-06-30"
  },
  "v8": {
    "start": "2017-05-30",
    "lts": "2017-10-31",
    "maintenance": "2019-01-01",
    "end": "2019-12-31",
    "codename": "Carbon"
  },
  "v9": {
    "start": "2017-10-01",
    "maintenance": "2018-04-01",
    "end": "2018-06-30"
  },
  "v10": {
    "start": "2018-04-24",
    "lts": "2018-10-30",
    "maintenance": "2020-05-19",
    "end": "2021-04-30",
    "codename": "Dubnium"
  },
  "v11": {
    "start": "2018-10-23",
    "maintenance": "2019-04-22",
    "end": "2019-06-01"
  },
  "v12": {
    "start": "2019-04-23",
    "lts": "2019-10-21",
    "maintenance": "2020-11-30",
    "end": "2022-04-30",
    "codename": "Erbium"
  },
  "v13": {
    "start": "2019-10-22",
    "maintenance": "2020-04-01",
    "end": "2020-06-01"
  },
  "v14": {
    "start": "2020-04-21",
    "lts": "2020-10-27",
    "maintenance": "2021-10-19",
    "end": "2023-04-30",
    "codename": "Fermium"
  },
  "v15": {
    "start": "2020-10-20",
    "maintenance": "2021-04-01",
    "end": "2021-06-01"
  },
  "v16": {
    "start": "2021-04-20",
    "lts": "2021-10-26",
    "maintenance": "2022-10-18",
    "end": "2023-09-11",
    "codename": "Gallium"
  },
  "v17": {
    "start": "2021-10-19",
    "maintenance": "2022-04-01",
    "end": "2022-06-01"
  },
  "v18": {
    "start": "2022-04-19",
    "lts": "2022-10-25",
    "maintenance": "2023-10-18",
    "end": "2025-04-30",
    "codename": "Hydrogen"
  },
  "v19": {
    "start": "2022-10-18",
    "maintenance": "2023-04-01",
    "end": "2023-06-01"
  },
  "v20": {
    "start": "2023-04-18",
    "lts": "2023-10-24",
    "maintenance": "2024-10-22",
    "end": "2026-04-30",
    "codename": "Iron"
  },
  "v21": {
    "start": "2023-10-17",
    "maintenance": "2024-04-01",
    "end": "2024-06-01"
  },
  "v22": {
    "start": "2024-04-23",
    "lts": "2024-10-29",
    "maintenance": "2025-10-21",
    "end": "2027-04-30",
    "codename": ""
  },
  "v23": {
    "start": "2024-10-15",
    "maintenance": "2025-04-01",
    "end": "2025-06-01"
  },
  "v24": {
    "start": "2025-04-22",
    "lts": "2025-10-28",
    "maintenance": "2026-10-20",
    "end": "2028-04-30",
    "codename": ""
  }
}

GitHub source file for Node.js supported versions

Automated PR from Renovate to update after upstream source changes

Here's an example of how we use Renovate to update our own data files, based on upstream changes:

• https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate/pull/25487/files

We could do the same for the runner-images if we had a similar JSON file.

Relevant issues and PRs from Renovate, about manual work

Here are the relevant issues/discussions/PRs related to the manual work of update the runner-images:

• feat(datasource/github-runners): add macos 14 beta renovatebot/renovate#27292
• Automate updating GitHub Action runners (`datasource/github-runners`) renovatebot/renovate#27745
• Mark macOS 14 runners as stable in our datasource/github-runners when out of beta renovatebot/renovate#27228
• Questions and possible improvements for `datasource/github-runners` renovatebot/renovate#26960

Discussion

I know maintaining anything is hard work, so I do not want to pressure you into anything. That said, I would be very happy if you had a JSON file. I've listed some pros/cons on both sides.

Pros for Renovate

We can automate the work of updating the runner-images. We always show our users the correct information, and can propose updates once a runner is stable. We know the source of truth is in a known format.

Pros for runner-images

A source of truth allows you to use tools like Renovate to update your own stuff reliably too. And formalizing the information allows you to visualize changes over time in a single file.

There's a known good format for Renovate already (like the Node.js JSON file) that you can copy/paste and adjust.

Cons for runner-images

You would need to maintain a extra file in the repository, and make sure the JSON file gets updated at the same time as the release (beta/stable/EOL) of a new runner-image. And it takes some time to create the first file.

[HonkingGoose]

Hi @mikhailkoliada 👋

I think you are a maintainer of the actions/runner-images project? Could you read my proposal, or forward it to the right people? It's been a month, and I have not got a response yet.

If the team needs more time to think about this before responding, that's also fine. Just let me know that I need to wait a bit.

I hope this slight nudge is okay, if not please tell me to shut up and wait. 😉

With regards,

HonkingGoose