- CI/CD First: set up pipeline before manual builds - Verify runner before creating workflows - Dig deeper on infrastructure issues (cascading problems) - Don't remove SSH keys without verifying current access path
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Linux Patch Manager — Lessons Learned
2026-04-24: CI/CD First, Not Manual Builds
Pattern: When creating release packages, set up CI/CD pipeline (Gitea Actions) FIRST before manually building.
Why: Manual builds are one-off and not reproducible. CI/CD ensures every push/tag produces a fresh, consistent package built on the correct target OS (Ubuntu 24.04), with proper glibc compatibility.
Action: Always create .gitea/workflows/ pipeline for automated builds. Use scripts/build-package.sh only for local dev testing.
2026-04-24: Verify Runner Before Workflow
Pattern: Before creating Gitea Actions workflows, verify the act-runner is registered and online.
Why: A workflow file without a running runner is dead code.
Action: Check runner status via Gitea API (/api/v1/repos/echo/linux_patch_manager/actions/runners) or web UI before assuming CI/CD will work.
2026-04-24: Dig Deeper on Infrastructure Issues
Pattern: When troubleshooting infrastructure, investigate fully — don't stop at the surface error.
Why: The runner was crash-looping with a content-type error. The surface cause was a wrong GITEA_INSTANCE_URL, but the deeper issues were: a corrupted /home/§echo directory from unresolved §§secret() substitution, corrupted authorized_keys entries (§echo comment, sh-ed25519 with missing 's'), and stale runner registration.
Action: When troubleshooting, check for cascading issues: file system artifacts, config corruption, stale state. Don't fix one thing and declare victory.
2026-04-24: Don't Remove SSH Keys Without Verifying Which Key You're Using
Pattern: When cleaning up authorized_keys, verify which key is your current access path before removing entries.
Why: I removed the '§echo' key entry thinking it was corrupted, but that was the key I was using to SSH into the runner LXC. Now I'm locked out.
Action: Before modifying authorized_keys, check ssh-add -l or verify which key file maps to which entry. Never remove a key you're actively using.