`PATH` variable not being updated

[maifeeulasad]

Describe the bug
PATH variable is not being updated

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

• export PATH="${PATH}:$ANDROID_SDK_ROOT/cmdline-tools/cmdline-tools/bin", export PATH=$ANDROID_SDK_ROOT/cmdline-tools/cmdline-tools/bin:$PATH after running either of these, it succeeds
• but when I do echo, it doesn't return me the newly updated path.

Expected behavior
PATH variable should have been updated

Runner Version and Platform

• Version of your runner?

• I guess the latest one, not sure, but most probably Runner Image, Version: 20221119.2

• OS of the machine running the runner? OSX/Windows/Linux/...

  • ubuntu-20.04.5

What's not working?

PATH variable is not being updated

Job Log Output

Job: https://github.com/maifeeulasad/unmukto/actions/runs/3590283087/jobs/6043518013

Look under echo section.

CI instruction: https://github.com/maifeeulasad/unmukto/blob/c32497cf1154aa7860fc0a6008569f3d20d4f4db/.github/workflows/build.yaml

Runner and Worker's Diagnostic Logs

n/a

[maifeeulasad]

I have even tested it on with a simpler job. Ref: https://github.com/maifeeulasad/action-echo/actions/runs/3595020623/jobs/6054003707

[nikola-jokic]

Hey @maifeeulasad,

So the reason for this is that each script step is written to a file, which later gets executed by the shell you choose, or the default one that would apply. Everything you write in a step is going to be written there. So if you write export PATH=$PATH:/your/path, it is going to be exported to the rest of the commands that are being invoked by that script.

In other words, all exports are visible only to that script, and the scripts that are being called from it. It will not modify the environment of the entire job. It is only scoped to the step.

You can expose PATH on your workflow level like the following:

name: Export PATH to all steps

on:
  workflow_dispatch:

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: self-hosted
    env:
      PATH: $PATH:/path/you-would-like
    steps:
    - ...

I will close this issue, since this is by design. I hope this helps and feel free to comment on it if I did not explain it well ☺️