Semantic-Release fails on GitHub authentication: Failed step "fail" of plugin "@seman-CodePudding

I am trying to integrate semantic-release into my Node CI/CD workflow. I have tried following the documentation and tutorials but I am clearly missing something. The testing step passes, but the publish step fails at "Run npx semantic release".

This is the YML script I am using:

name: Test and Release CI/CD

on:
  push:
    branches: [ main ]
  pull_request:
    branches: [ main ]

jobs:
  test:

    runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}

    strategy:
      matrix:
        node-version: [16.x]
        os: [ubuntu-latest]

    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
    - name: Use Node.js ${{ matrix.node-version }}
      uses: actions/setup-node@v3
      with:
        node-version: ${{ matrix.node-version }}
        cache: 'npm'
    - run: npm ci
    - run: npm test

  publish:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    needs: [test]
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
    - name: Use Node.js 16.x
      uses: actions/setup-node@v3
      with:
        node-version: "16.x"
    - run: npm ci
    - run: npx semantic-release
      env:
        GITHUB_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
        NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN }}

Here is the error from the Github action:

Run npx semantic-release
[5:46:35 PM] [semantic-release] › ℹ  Running semantic-release version 19.0.2
[5:46:35 PM] [semantic-release] › ✔  Loaded plugin "verifyConditions" from "@semantic-release/npm"
[5:46:35 PM] [semantic-release] › ✔  Loaded plugin "verifyConditions" from "@semantic-release/github"
[5:46:35 PM] [semantic-release] › ✔  Loaded plugin "analyzeCommits" from "@semantic-release/commit-analyzer"
[5:46:35 PM] [semantic-release] › ✔  Loaded plugin "generateNotes" from "@semantic-release/release-notes-generator"
[5:46:35 PM] [semantic-release] › ✔  Loaded plugin "prepare" from "@semantic-release/npm"
[5:46:35 PM] [semantic-release] › ✔  Loaded plugin "publish" from "@semantic-release/npm"
[5:46:35 PM] [semantic-release] › ✔  Loaded plugin "publish" from "@semantic-release/github"
[5:46:35 PM] [semantic-release] › ✔  Loaded plugin "addChannel" from "@semantic-release/npm"
[5:46:35 PM] [semantic-release] › ✔  Loaded plugin "addChannel" from "@semantic-release/github"
[5:46:35 PM] [semantic-release] › ✔  Loaded plugin "success" from "@semantic-release/github"
[5:46:35 PM] [semantic-release] › ✔  Loaded plugin "fail" from "@semantic-release/github"
[5:46:36 PM] [semantic-release] › ℹ  Start step "fail" of plugin "@semantic-release/github"
[5:46:36 PM] [semantic-release] [@semantic-release/github] › ℹ  Verify GitHub authentication (https://api.github.com)
[5:46:36 PM] [semantic-release] › ✖  Failed step "fail" of plugin "@semantic-release/github"
[5:46:36 PM] [semantic-release] › ✖  An error occurred while running semantic-release: TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'name')
    at module.exports (/home/runner/work/Alphanumeric-Encoder/Alphanumeric-Encoder/node_modules/@semantic-release/github/lib/get-fail-comment.js:19:10)
    at module.exports (/home/runner/work/Alphanumeric-Encoder/Alphanumeric-Encoder/node_modules/@semantic-release/github/lib/fail.js:28:74)
    at async fail (/home/runner/work/Alphanumeric-Encoder/Alphanumeric-Encoder/node_modules/@semantic-release/github/index.js:64:3)
    at async validator (/home/runner/work/Alphanumeric-Encoder/Alphanumeric-Encoder/node_modules/semantic-release/lib/plugins/normalize.js:34:24)
    at async /home/runner/work/Alphanumeric-Encoder/Alphanumeric-Encoder/node_modules/semantic-release/lib/plugins/pipeline.js:37:34
    at async /home/runner/work/Alphanumeric-Encoder/Alphanumeric-Encoder/node_modules/semantic-release/lib/plugins/pipeline.js:31:3
    at async Object.pluginsConf.<computed> [as fail] (/home/runner/work/Alphanumeric-Encoder/Alphanumeric-Encoder/node_modules/semantic-release/lib/plugins/index.js:80:11)
    at async callFail (/home/runner/work/Alphanumeric-Encoder/Alphanumeric-Encoder/node_modules/semantic-release/index.js:243:7)
    at async module.exports (/home/runner/work/Alphanumeric-Encoder/Alphanumeric-Encoder/node_modules/semantic-release/index.js:272:7)
    at async module.exports (/home/runner/work/Alphanumeric-Encoder/Alphanumeric-Encoder/node_modules/semantic-release/cli.js:55:5) {
  pluginName: '@semantic-release/github'
}
[5:46:36 PM] [semantic-release] › ✖  ERELEASEBRANCHES The release branches are invalid in the `branches` configuration.
A minimum of 1 and a maximum of 3 release branches are required in the branches configuration (https://github.com/semantic-release/semantic-release/blob/master/docs/usage/configuration.md#branches).

This may occur if your repository does not have a release branch, such as master.

Your configuration for the problematic branches is [].

AggregateError: 
    SemanticReleaseError: The release branches are invalid in the `branches` configuration.
        at module.exports (/home/runner/work/Alphanumeric-Encoder/Alphanumeric-Encoder/node_modules/semantic-release/lib/get-error.js:6:10)
        at /home/runner/work/Alphanumeric-Encoder/Alphanumeric-Encoder/node_modules/semantic-release/lib/branches/index.js:44:19
        at Array.reduce (<anonymous>)
        at module.exports (/home/runner/work/Alphanumeric-Encoder/Alphanumeric-Encoder/node_modules/semantic-release/lib/branches/index.js:34:46)
        at processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:96:5)
        at async run (/home/runner/work/Alphanumeric-Encoder/Alphanumeric-Encoder/node_modules/semantic-release/index.js:65:22)
        at async module.exports (/home/runner/work/Alphanumeric-Encoder/Alphanumeric-Encoder/node_modules/semantic-release/index.js:268:22)
        at async module.exports (/home/runner/work/Alphanumeric-Encoder/Alphanumeric-Encoder/node_modules/semantic-release/cli.js:55:5)
    at module.exports (/home/runner/work/Alphanumeric-Encoder/Alphanumeric-Encoder/node_modules/semantic-release/lib/branches/index.js:66:11)
    at processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:96:5)
    at async run (/home/runner/work/Alphanumeric-Encoder/Alphanumeric-Encoder/node_modules/semantic-release/index.js:65:22)
    at async module.exports (/home/runner/work/Alphanumeric-Encoder/Alphanumeric-Encoder/node_modules/semantic-release/index.js:268:22)
    at async module.exports (/home/runner/work/Alphanumeric-Encoder/Alphanumeric-Encoder/node_modules/semantic-release/cli.js:55:5)
Error: Process completed with exit code 1.

I have successfully published using the NPM_TOKEN from this project during other troubleshooting, so I know that isn't the problem. I believe the issue might be with the GitHub authentication token, but for the life of me I'm stumped. I have no idea what I am doing wrong. How do I correct this error?

CodePudding user response：

Default config assumes branch master, so if you're using main you'll get that ERELEASEBRANCHES error.

You can try setting the .releaserc.js file (or the release property in package.json) with that branch instead.

"branches": ["main", "next"]

Docs for the config are at https://semantic-release.gitbook.io/semantic-release/usage/configuration

There's a PR for adding main as a fallback default branch, but it's not merged yet.