sillsdev / sillsdev/TheCombine
[GHA] Backend docker build check 5x slower than local docker build
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- Dominant language
- TypeScript
- Stars
- 22
- Forks
- 10
- Avg merge
- 2d 2h
- Merged PRs (30d)
- 9
Description
The workflow job backend / docker_build (https://github.com/sillsdev/TheCombine/blob/master/.github/workflows/backend.yml#L99) usually takes ~13 minutes to run. It's the only pr check that takes longer than 4 minutes. The surprising thing is that with a local docker build, the backend builds in just a couple minutes (faster than the frontend).
Here's a log snippet (from https://github.com/sillsdev/TheCombine/actions/runs/18979636695/job/54208597834) showing the large timespan
2025-10-31T17:02:08.8132847Z INFO:Starting pre-build for backend
2025-10-31T17:02:08.8136359Z INFO:Building component backend
2025-10-31T17:15:33.8368060Z INFO:backend job has finished.
2025-10-31T17:15:33.8368795Z INFO:Starting post-build for backend
Contributor guide
No contributing guide indexed for this repository
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start with the backend / docker_build job in .github/workflows/backend.yml at line 99, then review the linked GitHub Actions run and its timestamps. Compare the workflow's Docker build steps with a local build; done means the backend check is substantially faster than the reported ~13 minutes without losing build coverage.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- docker, github-actions
- Domain
- build-system, ci-cd
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 4/5
- Estimated time
- 3-5 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 35/100