Correct use of working directory with ansible-lint github action (#4340)

.github/workflows/tox.yml

@@ -47,11 +47,24 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      - name: Self test for ansible-lint@${{ github.action_ref || 'main' }}
+      - name: Self test 1
         uses: ./
         with:
           # basically we only lint linter own configuration, which should be passing.
           args: .ansible-lint
+      - name: Self test 2
+        uses: ./
+        with:
+          # basically we only lint linter own configuration, which should be passing.
+          args: .ansible-lint
+          working_directory: .
+      - name: Self test 3
+        uses: ./
+        with:
+          # basically we only lint linter own configuration, which should be passing.
+          args: .ansible-lint
+          working_directory: docs
+          expected_return_code: "2" # expected to fail because the given argument does not exist in this folder
   build:
     name: ${{ matrix.name }}
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os || 'ubuntu-22.04' }}

README.md

@@ -29,9 +29,25 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: Run ansible-lint
-        uses: ansible/ansible-lint@main # or version tag instead of 'main'
+        uses: ansible/ansible-lint@main
+        # optional (see below):
+        with:
+          args: ""
+          setup_python: "true"
+          working_directory: ""
+          requirements_file: ""
 ```
 
+All the arguments are optional and most users should not need them:
+
+- `args`: Arguments to be passed to ansible-lint command.
+- `setup_python`: If python should be installed. Default is `true`.
+- `working_directory`: The directory where to run ansible-lint from. Default is
+  `github.workspace`. That might be needed if you want to lint only a subset of
+  your repository.
+- `requirements_file`: Path to the requirements.yml file to install role and
+  collection dependencies.
+
 For more details, see [ansible-lint-action].
 
 # Communication
@@ -63,8 +79,8 @@ original [MIT] license.
 
 # Authors
 
-ansible-lint was created by [Will Thames] and is now maintained as part of the
-[Ansible] by [Red Hat] project.
+ansible-lint was created by [Will Thames] and is now maintained as part of the [Ansible]
+by [Red Hat] project.
 
 [ansible]: https://ansible.com
 [contribution guidelines]:

action.yml

@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ inputs:
     description: Path to the requirements YAML file to install role and collection dependencies.
     required: false
     default: ""
+  expected_return_code:
+    description: Expected return code from ansible-lint. Default is 0. Used for self-testing purposes.
+    required: false
+    default: "0"
 runs:
   using: composite
   steps:
@@ -41,19 +45,22 @@ runs:
     # https://github.com/actions/toolkit/issues/1035
     # https://github.com/actions/setup-python/issues/361
     - name: Generate .git/ansible-lint-requirements.txt
+      id: get_reqs
       shell: bash
       env:
         GH_ACTION_REF: ${{ github.action_ref || 'main' }}
       working-directory: ${{ steps.inputs.outputs.working_directory }}
       run: |
-        wget --output-document=${{ steps.inputs.outputs.working_directory }}/.git/ansible-lint-requirements.txt https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ansible/ansible-lint/$GH_ACTION_REF/.config/requirements-lock.txt
+        reqs_file=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)/.git/ansible-lint-requirements.txt
+        echo "reqs_file=$reqs_file\n" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+        wget --output-document=$reqs_file https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ansible/ansible-lint/$GH_ACTION_REF/.config/requirements-lock.txt
 
     - name: Set up Python
       if: inputs.setup_python == 'true'
       uses: actions/setup-python@v5
       with:
         cache: pip
-        cache-dependency-path: ${{ steps.inputs.outputs.working_directory }}/.git/ansible-lint-requirements.txt
+        cache-dependency-path: ${{ steps.get_reqs.outputs.reqs_file }}
         python-version: "3.11"
 
     - name: Install ansible-lint
@@ -78,4 +85,8 @@ runs:
     - name: Run ansible-lint
       shell: bash
       working-directory: ${{ steps.inputs.outputs.working_directory }}
-      run: ansible-lint ${{ inputs.args }}
+      run: |
+        exit_code=0
+        expected_exit_code=${{ inputs.expected_return_code }}
+        ansible-lint ${{ inputs.args }} || exit_code=$?
+        if [ "$exit_code" != "$expected_exit_code" ]; then echo "Command failed: got '$exit_code', expected '$expected_exit_code'"; exit 1; fi

docs/installing.md

@@ -116,8 +116,24 @@ jobs:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: Run ansible-lint
         uses: ansible/ansible-lint@main
+        # optional (see below):
+        with:
+          args: ""
+          setup_python: "true"
+          working_directory: ""
+          requirements_file: ""
 ```
 
+All the arguments are optional and most users should not need them:
+
+- `args`: Arguments to be passed to ansible-lint command.
+- `setup_python`: If python should be installed. Default is `true`.
+- `working_directory`: The directory where to run ansible-lint from. Default is
+  `github.workspace`. That might be needed if you want to lint only a subset of
+  your repository.
+- `requirements_file`: Path to the requirements.yml file to install role and