HTTP error 404 on deletion stops processing

[ehuelsmann]

Hi,

Thanks a lot for this Action! I've started using the action to clean up old packages in our org (ledgersmb); for the last - and most used and until now most often manually cleaned - package, I'm getting a 404 on the DELETE call. (See https://github.com/ledgersmb/ledgersmb-docker/actions/runs/12526197538/job/34938501087). Although it's obviously unexpected that the package doesn't exist, but I'd say this should be a WARNing, not an error, because the end result is the intended result: It doesn't exist.

Regards,
Erik.

[rohanmars]

Hi @ehuelsmann

That's great to hear.

Definately agree. I saw the same thing in one of my own repos a few weeks ago. I think it's a github API error/bug/timing issue. It doesn't make sense for the package API to return a package to which a delete then returns a 404. I've coded around it by catching 404 and printing out a warning (as you've also suggested). All other errors will trigger errors still. I've only done the work currently in my own fork. I'll merge/release sometime soon.

ee7b64f#diff-df3f033f405e2152d400f4bc608d95c38e2c37eac9e4ec3c3d951320abe56bab

[rohanmars]

In my case I actually saw a 500 error followed by a 404 in the logs. The retry layer retried the github API call from the 500, but the delete call went through even though it returned a 500. Your log doesn't have the same flow. More strange the package API actually returned that package but deleting it caused a 404, it could be a timing issue if the image was just built and then deleted. The fix I have will at least swallow those errors.

[ehuelsmann]

In my case, two workflows used the action, triggered some time apart (a minute?); both failed, which seems to contradict your reasoning. Maybe I should register a support issue with GitHub if the package keeps being reported even after a cleanup of your action has been successfully run on our repository. For now, I'll see what happens after several runs with your "continue on 404" change.

[rohanmars]

How are the images pushed into that repository/package? From the same repo or from a different repo pipeline? It may be a permission problem. The default GitHub token may not have permission to delete that package, even though it can see it and get the manifest.

It might be a useful test to use a PAT token with the cleanup action if it was pushed into the package using a PAT from a different repo.