fix: suppress tar leading slash warnings

Replace the Tart-based prototype with a runner-oriented macOS VM
executor backed by runner-executor-macos and Apple Virtualization.

Assisted-by: Codet:MODEL_VERSION

.gitea/workflows/test.yml

@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ jobs:
       # daemon retains them between runs, so this is usually a fast manifest re-check.
       - name: pre-pull test images
         env:
-          TEST_JOB_IMAGE: node:24-bookworm-slim@sha256:3638d9a6fe4030bd716be989438248074489337ba3275657f93595428be4fc03 # renovate: datasource=docker
+          TEST_JOB_IMAGE: node:24-bookworm-slim@sha256:ba849c60be29959425b8734d57b8b4b7d56f98edd9504c9af091d5281095a71e # renovate: datasource=docker
           TEST_SERVICE_IMAGE: nginx:alpine@sha256:db35bfc6b2951e7f8a72db5db120288c127ffaeeb4a6d4b95a26fead017d5913 # renovate: datasource=docker
         run: |
           for image in "$TEST_JOB_IMAGE" "$TEST_SERVICE_IMAGE"; do

Makefile

@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ coverage-report: ## turn coverage.txt from `make test` into .tmp/coverage.md
 test-dind: ## run the daemon-facing tests against the built dind image (TARGET=dind|dind-rootless)
 	@./scripts/test-dind.sh $(TARGET)
 
-E2E_JOB_IMAGE ?= node:24-bookworm@sha256:934240a162082fd8b8a2f90cd5114446443f1eba1c5378f6687167ca405e6584 # renovate: datasource=docker
+E2E_JOB_IMAGE ?= node:24-bookworm@sha256:be23f54a88d34e8824c741b19b91064094f92c1c97b194144bfc8b50d67258e2 # renovate: datasource=docker
 SERVICE_IMAGE ?= nginx:1.31.4-alpine@sha256:db35bfc6b2951e7f8a72db5db120288c127ffaeeb4a6d4b95a26fead017d5913 # renovate: datasource=docker
 E2E_GITEA_IMAGE ?= gitea/gitea:main-nightly
 E2E_CONCURRENCY ?= 8

README.md

@@ -201,10 +201,10 @@ A label is written as:
 | Part | Meaning |
 | --- | --- |
 | `name` | The name a workflow refers to in `runs-on`, e.g. `ubuntu-latest`. |
-| `schema` | Either `docker` or `host`. Defaults to `host` when omitted. |
-| `args` | Only used by the `docker` schema: the image to run the job in. |
+| `schema` | Either `docker`, `host`, or `macos-vm`. Defaults to `host` when omitted. |
+| `args` | Used by `docker` for the image, and by `macos-vm` for the source VM. |
 
-Two schemas are supported:
+Three schemas are supported:
 
 - **`docker://<image>`** — the job runs inside a container created from `<image>`:
 
@@ -218,15 +218,21 @@ Two schemas are supported:
   macos:host
   ```
 
+- **`macos-vm://<source-vm>`** — the job runs inside an ephemeral macOS VM created by `runner-executor-macos`. The VM image must include the runner guest agent. Service containers are not supported with this schema. See `docs/macos-vm-executor.md` for configuration, integration testing, and cleanup details:
+
+  ```text
+  macos-latest:macos-vm://ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-sonoma-base:latest
+  ```
+
 So with the labels
 
 ```text
-ubuntu-latest:docker://docker.gitea.com/runner-images:ubuntu-latest,macos:host
+ubuntu-latest:docker://docker.gitea.com/runner-images:ubuntu-latest,macos:host,macos-latest:macos-vm://ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-sonoma-base:latest
 ```
 
-a workflow with `runs-on: ubuntu-latest` is executed in the `runner-images:ubuntu-latest` container, and one with `runs-on: macos` is executed directly on the host.
+a workflow with `runs-on: ubuntu-latest` is executed in the `runner-images:ubuntu-latest` container, one with `runs-on: macos` is executed directly on the host, and one with `runs-on: macos-latest` is executed in the macOS VM.
 
-Names may themselves contain a colon (for example `pool:e57e18d4-10d4-406f-93bf-60f127221bdd`); only `host` and `docker` are treated as schemas.
+Names may themselves contain a colon (for example `pool:e57e18d4-10d4-406f-93bf-60f127221bdd`); only `host`, `docker`, and `macos-vm` are treated as schemas.
 
 If a job's `runs-on` matches none of the runner's labels, or sets no `runs-on` at all, it still runs: in `runner.default_image` where docker is available, on the host where it is not. Images maintained for this purpose are listed at [gitea/runner-images](https://gitea.com/gitea/runner-images).
 

act/container/docker_run.go

@@ -583,6 +583,14 @@ func (cr *containerReference) mergeContainerConfigs(ctx context.Context, config
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("cannot process container options: '%s': '%w'", options, err)
 	}
+	// workflow aliases join the runner's own, deduped so a re-create cannot grow the input
+	for _, endpoint := range containerConfig.NetworkingConfig.EndpointsConfig {
+		for _, alias := range endpoint.Aliases {
+			if !slices.Contains(cr.input.NetworkAliases, alias) {
+				cr.input.NetworkAliases = append(cr.input.NetworkAliases, alias)
+			}
+		}
+	}
 
 	// For Gitea, forcing --privileged off is not enough, other options reach the host too
 	if !hostConfig.Privileged {

act/container/docker_run_test.go

@@ -833,6 +833,17 @@ func TestMergeContainerConfigsWarnsOnlyAboutOptionsThatWereGiven(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, 1, warnings("--network host", ""))
 }
 
+func TestMergeContainerConfigsKeepsNetworkAliasesFromOptions(t *testing.T) {
+	logger, _ := test.NewNullLogger()
+	cr := &containerReference{input: &NewContainerInput{
+		NetworkMode: "job-network", NetworkAliases: []string{"redis"}, WorkflowOptions: "--network-alias redis-primary",
+	}}
+
+	_, _, err := cr.mergeContainerConfigs(common.WithLogger(t.Context(), logger), &container.Config{}, &container.HostConfig{})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"redis", "redis-primary"}, cr.input.NetworkAliases)
+}
+
 // A dead daemon must fail the job, not panic through logrus and not silently
 // drop the requested platform.
 func TestSupportsContainerImagePlatformDaemonError(t *testing.T) {

act/container/host_environment.go

@@ -629,8 +629,11 @@ func (*HostEnvironment) JoinPathVariable(paths ...string) string {
 func goArchToActionArch(arch string) string {
 	archMapper := map[string]string{
 		"x86_64":  "X64",
+		"amd64":   "X64",
 		"386":     "X86",
+		"arm":     "ARM",
 		"aarch64": "ARM64",
+		"arm64":   "ARM64",
 	}
 	if arch, ok := archMapper[arch]; ok {
 		return arch
@@ -640,7 +643,9 @@ func goArchToActionArch(arch string) string {
 
 func goOsToActionOs(os string) string {
 	osMapper := map[string]string{
-		"darwin": "macOS",
+		"linux":   "Linux",
+		"darwin":  "macOS",
+		"windows": "Windows",
 	}
 	if os, ok := osMapper[os]; ok {
 		return os

act/container/host_environment_test.go

@@ -27,6 +27,11 @@ import (
 // Type assert HostEnvironment implements ExecutionsEnvironment
 var _ ExecutionsEnvironment = &HostEnvironment{}
 
+func TestActionPlatformNames(t *testing.T) {
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"Linux", "macOS", "Windows"}, []string{goOsToActionOs("linux"), goOsToActionOs("darwin"), goOsToActionOs("windows")})
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"X86", "X64", "ARM", "ARM64"}, []string{goArchToActionArch("386"), goArchToActionArch("amd64"), goArchToActionArch("arm"), goArchToActionArch("arm64")})
+}
+
 func TestCopyDir(t *testing.T) {
 	dir := t.TempDir()
 	ctx := context.Background()

act/container/macos_vm_cleanup.go

@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+// Copyright 2026 The Gitea Authors. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+package container
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"encoding/json"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"os/exec"
+	"strings"
+	"time"
+)
+
+type macOSVM struct {
+	Name       string `json:"name"`
+	State      string `json:"state"`
+	Running    bool   `json:"running"`
+	AccessedAt string `json:"accessed_at"`
+}
+
+// CleanupOrphanMacOSVMs deletes local macOS VMs left behind by this runner that
+// have not been accessed since cutoff.
+func CleanupOrphanMacOSVMs(ctx context.Context, executorPath, uuid string, cutoff time.Time) error {
+	if uuid == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	output, err := exec.CommandContext(ctx, executorPath, "list", "--format", "json").Output()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("list macOS VMs: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	var vms []macOSVM
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(output, &vms); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("parse macOS VM list: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	var errs []error
+	for _, name := range macOSVMsToDelete(vms, uuid, cutoff) {
+		if err := exec.CommandContext(ctx, executorPath, "destroy", name).Run(); err != nil {
+			errs = append(errs, fmt.Errorf("destroy macOS VM %s: %w", name, err))
+		}
+	}
+	return errors.Join(errs...)
+}
+
+func macOSVMsToDelete(vms []macOSVM, uuid string, cutoff time.Time) []string {
+	prefix := "GITEA-MACOS-VM-" + uuid + "-"
+	var stale []string
+	for _, vm := range vms {
+		if vm.Running || !strings.HasPrefix(vm.Name, prefix) {
+			continue
+		}
+		accessed, err := parseMacOSVMTime(vm.AccessedAt)
+		if err != nil || accessed.After(cutoff) {
+			continue
+		}
+		stale = append(stale, vm.Name)
+	}
+	return stale
+}
+
+func parseMacOSVMTime(raw string) (time.Time, error) {
+	if raw == "" {
+		return time.Time{}, errors.New("empty access time")
+	}
+	if parsed, err := time.Parse(time.RFC3339Nano, raw); err == nil {
+		return parsed, nil
+	}
+	return time.Parse(time.RFC3339, raw)
+}

act/container/macos_vm_cleanup_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+// Copyright 2026 The Gitea Authors. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+package container
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestMacOSVMsToDelete(t *testing.T) {
+	cutoff := time.Date(2026, 9, 5, 10, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	vms := []macOSVM{
+		{Name: "GITEA-MACOS-VM-runner-1-stale", AccessedAt: "2026-09-04T10:00:00Z"},
+		{Name: "GITEA-MACOS-VM-runner-1-running", AccessedAt: "2026-09-04T10:00:00Z", Running: true},
+		{Name: "GITEA-MACOS-VM-runner-1-fresh", AccessedAt: "2026-09-05T11:00:00Z"},
+		{Name: "GITEA-MACOS-VM-runner-2-stale", AccessedAt: "2026-09-04T10:00:00Z"},
+	}
+
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"GITEA-MACOS-VM-runner-1-stale"}, macOSVMsToDelete(vms, "runner-1", cutoff))
+}
+
+func TestParseMacOSVMTime(t *testing.T) {
+	parsed, err := parseMacOSVMTime("2026-09-05T10:00:00Z")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, time.Date(2026, 9, 5, 10, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC), parsed)
+
+	parsed, err = parseMacOSVMTime("2026-09-05T10:00:00.123456789Z")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, time.Date(2026, 9, 5, 10, 0, 0, 123456789, time.UTC), parsed)
+
+	_, err = parseMacOSVMTime("")
+	require.Error(t, err)
+}

act/container/macos_vm_environment.go

@@ -0,0 +1,450 @@
+// Copyright 2026 The Gitea Authors. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+package container
+
+import (
+	"archive/tar"
+	"context"
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"maps"
+	"os/exec"
+	"path"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
+	"slices"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+	"time"
+
+	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/act/common"
+	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/act/filecollector"
+
+	"github.com/go-git/go-billy/v5/helper/polyfill"
+	"github.com/go-git/go-billy/v5/osfs"
+	"github.com/go-git/go-git/v5/plumbing/format/gitignore"
+)
+
+const (
+	defaultMacOSVMBootTimeout = 5 * time.Minute
+	macOSVMReadyPollInterval  = 500 * time.Millisecond
+	macOSVMStopWaitTimeout    = 10 * time.Second
+)
+
+// MacOSVMEnvironment runs workflow steps in an ephemeral macOS VM.
+type MacOSVMEnvironment struct {
+	Path         string // guest scratch directory
+	TmpDir       string // guest temp directory
+	ToolCache    string // guest tool cache directory
+	Workdir      string // host-side workspace path
+	GuestWorkdir string // guest-side workspace path
+	ActPath      string // guest act directory
+
+	Image        string
+	VMName       string
+	ExecutorPath string
+	CPU          int
+	Memory       int
+	BootTimeout  time.Duration
+
+	Stdout io.Writer
+	Stderr io.Writer
+
+	executorPath string
+	running      bool
+	runCmd       *exec.Cmd
+	runDone      chan struct{}
+	runErr       error
+}
+
+// MacOSVMEnvironmentInput is the input for NewMacOSVMEnvironment.
+type MacOSVMEnvironmentInput struct {
+	Path         string
+	TmpDir       string
+	ToolCache    string
+	Workdir      string
+	GuestWorkdir string
+	ActPath      string
+	Image        string
+	VMName       string
+	ExecutorPath string
+	CPU          int
+	Memory       int
+	BootTimeout  time.Duration
+	Stdout       io.Writer
+	Stderr       io.Writer
+}
+
+func NewMacOSVMEnvironment(input MacOSVMEnvironmentInput) (*MacOSVMEnvironment, error) {
+	if input.Image == "" {
+		return nil, errors.New("macOS VM image is required")
+	}
+	if input.VMName == "" {
+		return nil, errors.New("macOS VM name is required")
+	}
+	if input.BootTimeout <= 0 {
+		input.BootTimeout = defaultMacOSVMBootTimeout
+	}
+	if input.ExecutorPath == "" {
+		input.ExecutorPath = "runner-executor-macos"
+	}
+	return &MacOSVMEnvironment{
+		Path:         input.Path,
+		TmpDir:       input.TmpDir,
+		ToolCache:    input.ToolCache,
+		Workdir:      input.Workdir,
+		GuestWorkdir: input.GuestWorkdir,
+		ActPath:      input.ActPath,
+		Image:        input.Image,
+		VMName:       input.VMName,
+		ExecutorPath: input.ExecutorPath,
+		CPU:          input.CPU,
+		Memory:       input.Memory,
+		BootTimeout:  input.BootTimeout,
+		Stdout:       input.Stdout,
+		Stderr:       input.Stderr,
+		executorPath: input.ExecutorPath,
+	}, nil
+}
+
+var _ ExecutionsEnvironment = &MacOSVMEnvironment{}
+
+func (e *MacOSVMEnvironment) Create(_, _ []string) common.Executor {
+	return func(ctx context.Context) error {
+		if common.Dryrun(ctx) {
+			return nil
+		}
+		// A previous run can leave the deterministic job VM behind. Destroy it first.
+		_ = e.runExecutor(ctx, nil, io.Discard, io.Discard, "destroy", e.VMName)
+
+		args := []string{"provision", e.Image, e.VMName}
+		if e.CPU > 0 {
+			args = append(args, "--cpu", strconv.Itoa(e.CPU))
+		}
+		if e.Memory > 0 {
+			args = append(args, "--memory", strconv.Itoa(e.Memory))
+		}
+		return e.runExecutor(ctx, nil, e.Stdout, e.Stderr, args...)
+	}
+}
+
+func (e *MacOSVMEnvironment) Copy(destPath string, files ...*FileEntry) common.Executor {
+	return func(ctx context.Context) error {
+		if common.Dryrun(ctx) {
+			return nil
+		}
+		for _, file := range files {
+			dest := path.Join(destPath, file.Name)
+			script := `mkdir -p "$1" && cat > "$2" && chmod "$3" "$2"`
+			mode := file.Mode
+			if mode == 0 {
+				mode = 0o644
+			}
+			args := []string{"exec", "--stdin", e.VMName, "/bin/sh", "-c", script, "sh", path.Dir(dest), dest, strconv.FormatInt(mode, 8)}
+			if err := e.runExecutor(ctx, strings.NewReader(file.Body), e.Stdout, e.Stderr, args...); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
+func (e *MacOSVMEnvironment) CopyDir(destPath, srcPath string, useGitIgnore bool) common.Executor {
+	return func(ctx context.Context) error {
+		if common.Dryrun(ctx) {
+			return nil
+		}
+		pipeReader, pipeWriter := io.Pipe()
+		writeDone := make(chan error, 1)
+		go func() {
+			err := e.writeTar(ctx, pipeWriter, srcPath, useGitIgnore)
+			_ = pipeWriter.CloseWithError(err)
+			writeDone <- err
+		}()
+
+		script := `export COPYFILE_DISABLE=1; mkdir -p "$1" && /usr/bin/tar -xf - -C "$1"`
+		cmdErr := e.runExecutor(ctx, pipeReader, e.Stdout, e.Stderr, "exec", "--stdin", e.VMName, "/bin/sh", "-c", script, "sh", destPath)
+		_ = pipeReader.Close()
+		writeErr := <-writeDone
+		return errors.Join(cmdErr, writeErr)
+	}
+}
+
+func (e *MacOSVMEnvironment) writeTar(ctx context.Context, writer io.Writer, srcPath string, useGitIgnore bool) error {
+	tarWriter := tar.NewWriter(writer)
+	defer tarWriter.Close()
+
+	srcPrefix := filepath.Dir(srcPath)
+	if !strings.HasSuffix(srcPrefix, string(filepath.Separator)) {
+		srcPrefix += string(filepath.Separator)
+	}
+
+	var ignorer gitignore.Matcher
+	if useGitIgnore {
+		patterns, err := gitignore.ReadPatterns(polyfill.New(osfs.New(srcPath)), nil)
+		if err != nil {
+			common.Logger(ctx).Debugf("Error loading .gitignore: %v", err)
+		}
+		ignorer = gitignore.NewMatcher(patterns)
+	}
+
+	collector := &filecollector.FileCollector{
+		Ignorer:   ignorer,
+		SrcPath:   srcPath,
+		SrcPrefix: srcPrefix,
+		Handler:   &filecollector.TarCollector{TarWriter: tarWriter},
+	}
+	return filepath.Walk(srcPath, collector.CollectFiles(ctx, []string{}))
+}
+
+func (e *MacOSVMEnvironment) GetContainerArchive(ctx context.Context, srcPath string) (io.ReadCloser, error) {
+	if common.Dryrun(ctx) {
+		return nil, errors.New("DRYRUN is not supported in GetContainerArchive")
+	}
+	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, e.executorPath, "exec", e.VMName, "/usr/bin/env", "COPYFILE_DISABLE=1", "/usr/bin/tar", "-cf", "-", "-C", "/", strings.TrimPrefix(srcPath, "/"))
+	stdout, err := cmd.StdoutPipe()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	cmd.Stderr = e.Stderr
+	if err := cmd.Start(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+	return &macOSVMArchiveReader{ReadCloser: stdout, cmd: cmd}, nil
+}
+
+type macOSVMArchiveReader struct {
+	io.ReadCloser
+	cmd *exec.Cmd
+}
+
+func (r *macOSVMArchiveReader) Close() error {
+	closeErr := r.ReadCloser.Close()
+	return errors.Join(closeErr, r.cmd.Wait())
+}
+
+func (e *MacOSVMEnvironment) Inspect(ctx context.Context) (*Info, error) {
+	if common.Dryrun(ctx) {
+		return &Info{Health: HealthNone, Ports: map[string]string{}}, nil
+	}
+	state := "exited"
+	if e.running {
+		state = StateRunning
+	}
+	return &Info{ID: e.VMName, State: state, Health: HealthNone, Ports: map[string]string{}}, nil
+}
+
+func (e *MacOSVMEnvironment) DumpLogs(context.Context) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (e *MacOSVMEnvironment) Pull(forcePull bool) common.Executor {
+	return func(ctx context.Context) error {
+		if common.Dryrun(ctx) {
+			return nil
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
+func (e *MacOSVMEnvironment) Start(bool) common.Executor {
+	return func(ctx context.Context) error {
+		if common.Dryrun(ctx) {
+			return nil
+		}
+		cmd := exec.Command(e.executorPath, "start", "--no-graphics", e.VMName)
+		cmd.Stdout = e.Stdout
+		cmd.Stderr = e.Stderr
+		if err := cmd.Start(); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		e.runCmd = cmd
+		e.runDone = make(chan struct{})
+		go func() {
+			e.runErr = cmd.Wait()
+			close(e.runDone)
+		}()
+		e.running = true
+		return e.waitReady(ctx)
+	}
+}
+
+func (e *MacOSVMEnvironment) waitReady(ctx context.Context) error {
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, e.BootTimeout)
+	defer cancel()
+
+	var lastErr error
+	for {
+		if err := e.runExecutor(ctx, nil, io.Discard, io.Discard, "exec", e.VMName, "/usr/bin/true"); err == nil {
+			return nil
+		} else {
+			lastErr = err
+		}
+
+		select {
+		case <-ctx.Done():
+			return fmt.Errorf("macOS VM %s did not become ready: %w", e.VMName, lastErr)
+		case <-e.runDone:
+			if e.runErr != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("macOS VM start exited before the VM became ready: %w", e.runErr)
+			}
+			return errors.New("macOS VM start exited before the VM became ready")
+		case <-time.After(macOSVMReadyPollInterval):
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func (e *MacOSVMEnvironment) Exec(command []string, env map[string]string, _, workdir string) common.Executor {
+	return func(ctx context.Context) error {
+		if common.Dryrun(ctx) {
+			return nil
+		}
+		err := e.runExecutor(ctx, nil, e.Stdout, e.Stderr, macOSVMExecArgs(e.VMName, command, env, e.resolveWorkdir(workdir))...)
+		if exitErr, ok := errors.AsType[*exec.ExitError](err); ok {
+			return ExitCodeError(exitErr.ExitCode())
+		}
+		return err
+	}
+}
+
+func macOSVMExecArgs(vmName string, command []string, env map[string]string, workdir string) []string {
+	args := []string{"exec", vmName, "/usr/bin/env"}
+	for _, key := range slices.Sorted(maps.Keys(env)) {
+		args = append(args, key+"="+env[key])
+	}
+	args = append(args, "/bin/sh", "-c", `cd "$1" && shift && exec "$@"`, "sh", workdir)
+	return append(args, command...)
+}
+
+func (e *MacOSVMEnvironment) resolveWorkdir(workdir string) string {
+	switch {
+	case workdir == "":
+		return e.GuestWorkdir
+	case strings.HasPrefix(workdir, "/"):
+		return workdir
+	default:
+		return path.Join(e.GuestWorkdir, workdir)
+	}
+}
+
+func (e *MacOSVMEnvironment) UpdateFromEnv(srcPath string, env *map[string]string) common.Executor {
+	return parseEnvFile(e, srcPath, env)
+}
+
+func (e *MacOSVMEnvironment) UpdateFromImageEnv(*map[string]string) common.Executor {
+	return func(context.Context) error {
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
+func (e *MacOSVMEnvironment) Remove() common.Executor {
+	return func(ctx context.Context) error {
+		if common.Dryrun(ctx) {
+			return nil
+		}
+		cleanCtx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.WithoutCancel(ctx), time.Minute)
+		defer cancel()
+
+		if e.runCmd != nil && e.runDone != nil {
+			select {
+			case <-e.runDone:
+			default:
+				if err := e.runExecutor(cleanCtx, nil, e.Stdout, e.Stderr, "stop", e.VMName, "--timeout", "20"); err != nil {
+					common.Logger(ctx).Debugf("macOS VM stop failed for VM %s: %v", e.VMName, err)
+				}
+				select {
+				case <-e.runDone:
+				case <-time.After(macOSVMStopWaitTimeout):
+					if e.runCmd.Process != nil {
+						_ = e.runCmd.Process.Kill()
+					}
+					common.Logger(ctx).Warnf("timed out waiting for macOS VM start to exit for VM %s", e.VMName)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		e.running = false
+		if err := e.runExecutor(cleanCtx, nil, e.Stdout, e.Stderr, "destroy", e.VMName); err != nil {
+			common.Logger(ctx).Warnf("failed to destroy macOS VM %s: %v", e.VMName, err)
+		}
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
+func (e *MacOSVMEnvironment) Close() common.Executor {
+	return func(ctx context.Context) error {
+		if common.Dryrun(ctx) {
+			return nil
+		}
+		if e.runCmd != nil && e.runCmd.Process != nil {
+			_ = e.runCmd.Process.Kill()
+		}
+		e.runCmd = nil
+		return nil
+	}
+}
+
+func (e *MacOSVMEnvironment) ReplaceLogWriter(stdout, stderr io.Writer) (io.Writer, io.Writer) {
+	oldOut := e.Stdout
+	oldErr := e.Stderr
+	e.Stdout = stdout
+	e.Stderr = stderr
+	return oldOut, oldErr
+}
+
+func (e *MacOSVMEnvironment) ToContainerPath(hostPath string) string {
+	if filepath.Clean(hostPath) == filepath.Clean(e.Workdir) {
+		return e.GuestWorkdir
+	}
+	if rel, err := filepath.Rel(e.Workdir, hostPath); err == nil && rel != "." && rel != ".." && !strings.HasPrefix(rel, ".."+string(filepath.Separator)) {
+		return path.Join(e.GuestWorkdir, filepath.ToSlash(rel))
+	}
+	return filepath.ToSlash(hostPath)
+}
+
+func (e *MacOSVMEnvironment) GetActPath() string {
+	return e.ActPath
+}
+
+func (*MacOSVMEnvironment) GetPathVariableName() string {
+	return "PATH"
+}
+
+func (*MacOSVMEnvironment) DefaultPathVariable() string {
+	return "/usr/local/bin:/opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin"
+}
+
+func (*MacOSVMEnvironment) JoinPathVariable(paths ...string) string {
+	return strings.Join(paths, ":")
+}
+
+func (e *MacOSVMEnvironment) GetRunnerContext(context.Context) map[string]any {
+	return map[string]any{
+		"os":         "macOS",
+		"arch":       goArchToActionArch(runtime.GOARCH),
+		"temp":       e.TmpDir,
+		"tool_cache": e.ToolCache,
+	}
+}
+
+func (*MacOSVMEnvironment) IsEnvironmentCaseInsensitive() bool {
+	return false
+}
+
+func (e *MacOSVMEnvironment) runExecutor(ctx context.Context, stdin io.Reader, stdout, stderr io.Writer, args ...string) error {
+	if stdout == nil {
+		stdout = e.Stdout
+	}
+	if stderr == nil {
+		stderr = e.Stderr
+	}
+	cmd := exec.CommandContext(ctx, e.executorPath, args...)
+	cmd.Stdin = stdin
+	cmd.Stdout = stdout
+	cmd.Stderr = stderr
+	if err := cmd.Run(); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("macOS VM executor %s: %w", args[0], err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}

act/container/macos_vm_environment_integration_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+//go:build macos_vm_integration
+
+// Copyright 2026 The Gitea Authors. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+package container
+
+import (
+	"archive/tar"
+	"bytes"
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"io"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"runtime"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestMacOSVMEnvironmentIntegration(t *testing.T) {
+	if runtime.GOOS != "darwin" {
+		t.Skip("macOS VMs run on macOS")
+	}
+	if _, err := exec.LookPath("runner-executor-macos"); err != nil {
+		t.Skip("runner-executor-macos executable not found")
+	}
+	image := os.Getenv("MACOS_VM_TEST_IMAGE")
+	if image == "" {
+		t.Skip("set MACOS_VM_TEST_IMAGE to a macOS VM image to run this test")
+	}
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	vmName := fmt.Sprintf("gitea-runner-test-%d", time.Now().UnixNano())
+	base := "/Users/admin/runner"
+	if os.Getenv("RUNNER_EXECUTOR_MACOS_DEV_MODE") == "1" {
+		base = t.TempDir()
+	}
+	env, err := NewMacOSVMEnvironment(MacOSVMEnvironmentInput{
+		Path:         base + "/scratch/" + vmName,
+		TmpDir:       base + "/scratch/" + vmName + "/tmp",
+		ToolCache:    base + "/scratch/" + vmName + "/tool_cache",
+		Workdir:      t.TempDir(),
+		GuestWorkdir: base + "/workspace/" + vmName,
+		ActPath:      base + "/scratch/" + vmName + "/act",
+		Image:        image,
+		VMName:       vmName,
+		ExecutorPath: "runner-executor-macos",
+		BootTimeout:  10 * time.Minute,
+		Stdout:       io.Discard,
+		Stderr:       io.Discard,
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
+		_ = env.Remove()(context.Background())
+	})
+
+	require.NoError(t, env.Create(nil, nil)(ctx))
+	require.NoError(t, env.Start(false)(ctx))
+	if os.Getenv("RUNNER_EXECUTOR_MACOS_DEV_MODE") == "1" {
+		require.NoError(t, os.MkdirAll(env.GuestWorkdir, 0o755))
+	}
+	require.NoError(t, env.Exec([]string{"/bin/mkdir", "-p", env.GuestWorkdir}, nil, "", "/")(ctx))
+
+	require.NoError(t, env.Copy("/tmp", &FileEntry{
+		Name: "gitea-runner-macos.txt",
+		Mode: 0o644,
+		Body: "hello from macos-vm",
+	})(ctx))
+
+	archive, err := env.GetContainerArchive(ctx, "/tmp/gitea-runner-macos.txt")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	body := readFirstTarFile(t, archive)
+	require.NoError(t, archive.Close())
+	require.Equal(t, "hello from macos-vm", body)
+
+	var output bytes.Buffer
+	oldOut, oldErr := env.ReplaceLogWriter(&output, &output)
+	defer env.ReplaceLogWriter(oldOut, oldErr)
+	require.NoError(t, env.Exec([]string{"/usr/bin/uname", "-s"}, nil, "", "")(ctx))
+	require.Contains(t, output.String(), "Darwin")
+
+	require.NoError(t, env.Remove()(ctx))
+}
+
+func readFirstTarFile(t *testing.T, archive io.Reader) string {
+	t.Helper()
+	reader := tar.NewReader(archive)
+	header, err := reader.Next()
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.Contains(t, header.Name, "gitea-runner-macos.txt")
+	body, err := io.ReadAll(reader)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	return string(body)
+}

act/container/macos_vm_environment_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+// Copyright 2026 The Gitea Authors. All rights reserved.
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT
+
+package container
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"io"
+	"runtime"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
+)
+
+func TestNewMacOSVMEnvironment(t *testing.T) {
+	env, err := NewMacOSVMEnvironment(MacOSVMEnvironmentInput{
+		Image:  "ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-sonoma-base:latest",
+		VMName: "job-vm",
+	})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-sonoma-base:latest", env.Image)
+	assert.Equal(t, "job-vm", env.VMName)
+	assert.Equal(t, defaultMacOSVMBootTimeout, env.BootTimeout)
+	assert.Equal(t, "runner-executor-macos", env.executorPath)
+
+	_, err = NewMacOSVMEnvironment(MacOSVMEnvironmentInput{VMName: "job-vm"})
+	require.Error(t, err)
+	_, err = NewMacOSVMEnvironment(MacOSVMEnvironmentInput{Image: "macos"})
+	require.Error(t, err)
+}
+
+func TestMacOSVMExecArgs(t *testing.T) {
+	args := macOSVMExecArgs("vm", []string{"bash", "-c", "echo hi"}, map[string]string{"B": "two", "A": "one"}, "/Users/admin/work")
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{
+		"exec", "vm", "/usr/bin/env",
+		"A=one", "B=two",
+		"/bin/sh", "-c", `cd "$1" && shift && exec "$@"`, "sh", "/Users/admin/work",
+		"bash", "-c", "echo hi",
+	}, args)
+
+	args = macOSVMExecArgs("vm", []string{"true"}, nil, "")
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{
+		"exec", "vm", "/usr/bin/env",
+		"/bin/sh", "-c", `cd "$1" && shift && exec "$@"`, "sh", "",
+		"true",
+	}, args)
+}
+
+func TestMacOSVMEnvironmentResolveWorkdir(t *testing.T) {
+	env := &MacOSVMEnvironment{GuestWorkdir: "/Users/admin/work"}
+	assert.Equal(t, "/Users/admin/work", env.resolveWorkdir(""))
+	assert.Equal(t, "/Users/admin/work/sub", env.resolveWorkdir("sub"))
+	assert.Equal(t, "/tmp", env.resolveWorkdir("/tmp"))
+}
+
+func TestMacOSVMEnvironmentToContainerPath(t *testing.T) {
+	env := &MacOSVMEnvironment{Workdir: "/workspace/owner/repo", GuestWorkdir: "/Users/admin/work/owner/repo"}
+	assert.Equal(t, "/Users/admin/work/owner/repo", env.ToContainerPath("/workspace/owner/repo"))
+	assert.Equal(t, "/Users/admin/work/owner/repo/sub", env.ToContainerPath("/workspace/owner/repo/sub"))
+	assert.Equal(t, "/elsewhere", env.ToContainerPath("/elsewhere"))
+}
+
+func TestMacOSVMEnvironmentGetRunnerContext(t *testing.T) {
+	env := &MacOSVMEnvironment{
+		TmpDir:    "/Users/admin/scratch/tmp",
+		ToolCache: "/Users/admin/scratch/tool_cache",
+	}
+	ctx := env.GetRunnerContext(context.Background())
+	assert.Equal(t, "macOS", ctx["os"])
+	assert.Equal(t, goArchToActionArch(runtime.GOARCH), ctx["arch"])
+	assert.Equal(t, "/Users/admin/scratch/tmp", ctx["temp"])
+	assert.Equal(t, "/Users/admin/scratch/tool_cache", ctx["tool_cache"])
+}
+
+func TestMacOSVMEnvironmentReplaceLogWriter(t *testing.T) {
+	oldOut := io.Discard
+	oldErr := io.Discard
+	env := &MacOSVMEnvironment{Stdout: oldOut, Stderr: oldErr}
+	newOut, newErr := env.ReplaceLogWriter(io.Discard, io.Discard)
+	assert.Equal(t, oldOut, newOut)
+	assert.Equal(t, oldErr, newErr)
+}
+
+func TestMacOSVMEnvironmentDefaultPathVariable(t *testing.T) {
+	env := &MacOSVMEnvironment{}
+	assert.Equal(t, "PATH", env.GetPathVariableName())
+	assert.Equal(t, "/usr/local/bin:/opt/homebrew/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin", env.DefaultPathVariable())
+	assert.Equal(t, "/a:/b", env.JoinPathVariable("/a", "/b"))
+	assert.False(t, env.IsEnvironmentCaseInsensitive())
+}

act/container/parse_env_file.go

@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func parseEnvFile(e Container, srcPath string, env *map[string]string) common.Ex
 			case singleLineEnv != -1 && (multiLineEnv == -1 || singleLineEnv < multiLineEnv):
 				localEnv[line[:singleLineEnv]] = line[singleLineEnv+1:]
 			case multiLineEnv != -1:
-				multiLineEnvContent := ""
+				var multiLineEnvContent []string
 				multiLineEnvDelimiter := line[multiLineEnv+2:]
 				delimiterFound := false
 				for s.Scan() {
@@ -59,10 +59,7 @@ func parseEnvFile(e Container, srcPath string, env *map[string]string) common.Ex
 						delimiterFound = true
 						break
 					}
-					if multiLineEnvContent != "" {
-						multiLineEnvContent += "\n"
-					}
-					multiLineEnvContent += content
+					multiLineEnvContent = append(multiLineEnvContent, content)
 				}
 				if err := s.Err(); err != nil {
 					return fmt.Errorf("reading env file: %w", err)
@@ -70,7 +67,7 @@ func parseEnvFile(e Container, srcPath string, env *map[string]string) common.Ex
 				if !delimiterFound {
 					return fmt.Errorf("invalid format delimiter '%v' not found before end of file", multiLineEnvDelimiter)
 				}
-				localEnv[line[:multiLineEnv]] = multiLineEnvContent
+				localEnv[line[:multiLineEnv]] = strings.Join(multiLineEnvContent, "\n")
 			default:
 				return fmt.Errorf("invalid format '%v', expected a line with '=' or '<<'", line)
 			}

act/container/parse_env_file_test.go

@@ -86,6 +86,11 @@ func TestParseEnvFileMultiLineKeepsBlankLines(t *testing.T) {
 	env := map[string]string{}
 	require.NoError(t, parseEnvFile(e, envPath, &env)(context.Background()))
 	assert.Equal(t, "line1\n\nline2", env["FOO"])
+
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(envPath, []byte("FOO<<EOF\n\nline2\nEOF\n"), 0o600))
+	env = map[string]string{}
+	require.NoError(t, parseEnvFile(e, envPath, &env)(context.Background()))
+	assert.Equal(t, "\nline2", env["FOO"])
 }
 
 func TestParseEnvFileUTF8BOM(t *testing.T) {

act/runner/action.go

@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ type actionStep interface {
 	step
 
 	getActionModel() *model.Action
-	getCompositeRunContext(context.Context) *RunContext
+	getCompositeRunContext(context.Context) (*RunContext, error)
 	getCompositeSteps() *compositeSteps
 }
 
@@ -172,7 +172,9 @@ func runActionImpl(step actionStep, actionDir string, remoteAction *remoteAction
 
 		rc.withGithubEnv(ctx, step.getGithubContext(ctx), *step.getEnv())
 		populateEnvsFromSavedState(step.getEnv(), step, rc)
-		populateEnvsFromInput(ctx, step.getEnv(), action, rc)
+		if err := populateEnvsFromInput(ctx, step.getEnv(), action, rc); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 
 		actionLocation := path.Join(actionDir, actionPath)
 		actionName, containerActionDir := getContainerActionPaths(stepModel, actionLocation, rc)
@@ -185,7 +187,7 @@ func runActionImpl(step actionStep, actionDir string, remoteAction *remoteAction
 			if err := maybeCopyToActionDir(ctx, step, actionDir, actionPath, containerActionDir); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			containerArgs := []string{"node", path.Join(containerActionDir, action.Runs.Main)}
+			containerArgs := nodeActionCommand(path.Join(containerActionDir, action.Runs.Main))
 			logger.Debugf("executing remote job container: %s", containerArgs)
 
 			rc.ApplyExtraPath(ctx, step.getEnv())
@@ -232,6 +234,11 @@ func runActionImpl(step actionStep, actionDir string, remoteAction *remoteAction
 	}
 }
 
+// /var/run is a symlink, so without the flag node's import.meta.url differs from argv[1], which ESM actions compare.
+func nodeActionCommand(script string) []string {
+	return []string{"node", "--preserve-symlinks-main", script}
+}
+
 // https://github.com/nektos/act/issues/228#issuecomment-629709055
 // files in .gitignore are not copied in a Docker container
 // this causes issues with actions that ignore other important resources
@@ -347,19 +354,35 @@ func execAsDocker(ctx context.Context, step actionStep, actionName, actionDir, b
 		}
 	}
 	eval := rc.NewActionInputsExpressionEvaluator(ctx, step)
-	cmd, err := shellquote.Split(eval.Interpolate(ctx, step.getStepModel().With["args"]))
+	args, err := eval.Interpolate(ctx, step.getStepModel().With["args"])
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate with.args: %w", err)
+	}
+	cmd, err := shellquote.Split(args)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if len(cmd) == 0 {
-		cmd = action.Runs.Args
-		evalDockerArgs(ctx, step, action, &cmd)
+	ee, err := evalDockerEnv(ctx, step, action)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if action.Runs.Args != nil {
+		// a fresh slice, the manifest is evaluated again for every stage
+		cmd = make([]string, len(action.Runs.Args))
+		for i, v := range action.Runs.Args {
+			if cmd[i], err = ee.Interpolate(ctx, v); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate runs.args: %w", err)
+			}
+		}
 	}
 	entrypoint, err := dockerEntrypoint(ctx, step, eval, stage)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	stepContainer := newStepContainer(ctx, step, image, cmd, entrypoint, rc.Config.ContainerOptions)
+	stepContainer, err := newStepContainer(ctx, step, image, cmd, entrypoint, rc.Config.ContainerOptions)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 	return common.NewPipelineExecutor(
 		prepImage,
 		stepContainer.Pull(forcePull),
@@ -381,10 +404,16 @@ func dockerEntrypoint(ctx context.Context, step actionStep, eval *expressionEval
 	case stepStagePost:
 		entrypoint = runs.PostEntrypoint
 	default:
-		if fields := strings.Fields(eval.Interpolate(ctx, step.getStepModel().With["entrypoint"])); len(fields) > 0 {
-			return fields, nil
-		}
 		entrypoint = runs.Entrypoint
+		if entrypoint == "" {
+			withEntrypoint, err := eval.Interpolate(ctx, step.getStepModel().With["entrypoint"])
+			if err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate with.entrypoint: %w", err)
+			}
+			if fields := strings.Fields(withEntrypoint); len(fields) > 0 {
+				return fields, nil
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	if entrypoint == "" {
@@ -393,36 +422,41 @@ func dockerEntrypoint(ctx context.Context, step actionStep, eval *expressionEval
 	return shellquote.Split(entrypoint)
 }
 
-func evalDockerArgs(ctx context.Context, step step, action *model.Action, cmd *[]string) {
+// evalDockerEnv returns an evaluator bound to the environment it installed.
+func evalDockerEnv(ctx context.Context, step step, action *model.Action) (*expressionEvaluator, error) {
 	rc := step.getRunContext()
 	stepModel := step.getStepModel()
 
+	var err error
 	inputs := make(map[string]string)
 	eval := rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
 	// Set Defaults
 	for k, input := range action.Inputs {
-		inputs[k] = eval.Interpolate(ctx, input.Default)
+		if inputs[k], err = eval.Interpolate(ctx, input.Default); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate the default of input %s: %w", k, err)
+		}
 	}
-	if stepModel.With != nil {
-		for k, v := range stepModel.With {
-			inputs[k] = eval.Interpolate(ctx, v)
+	for k, v := range stepModel.With {
+		if inputs[k], err = eval.Interpolate(ctx, v); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate with.%s: %w", k, err)
 		}
 	}
 	mergeIntoMap(step, step.getEnv(), inputs)
 
-	stepEE := rc.NewActionInputsExpressionEvaluator(ctx, step)
-	for i, v := range *cmd {
-		(*cmd)[i] = stepEE.Interpolate(ctx, v)
-	}
-	mergeIntoMap(step, step.getEnv(), action.Runs.Env)
+	env := make(map[string]string, len(action.Runs.Env)+len(*step.getEnv()))
+	mergeIntoMap(step, &env, action.Runs.Env, *step.getEnv())
+	*step.getEnv() = env
 
 	ee := rc.NewActionInputsExpressionEvaluator(ctx, step)
 	for k, v := range *step.getEnv() {
-		(*step.getEnv())[k] = ee.Interpolate(ctx, v)
+		if (*step.getEnv())[k], err = ee.Interpolate(ctx, v); err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate env %s: %w", k, err)
+		}
 	}
+	return ee, nil
 }
 
-func newStepContainer(ctx context.Context, step step, image string, cmd, entrypoint []string, runnerOptions string) container.Container {
+func newStepContainer(ctx context.Context, step step, image string, cmd, entrypoint []string, runnerOptions string) (container.Container, error) {
 	rc := step.getRunContext()
 	logWriter := rc.commandLogWriter(ctx)
 	envList := make([]string, 0)
@@ -432,9 +466,12 @@ func newStepContainer(ctx context.Context, step step, image string, cmd, entrypo
 
 	envList = append(envList, rc.runnerEnv(ctx)...)
 
-	binds, mounts := rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
+	binds, mounts, err := rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	networkMode := "container:" + rc.jobContainerName()
-	if rc.IsHostEnv(ctx) {
+	if rc.IsHostEnv() {
 		networkMode = "default"
 	}
 	return ContainerNewContainer(&container.NewContainerInput{
@@ -456,7 +493,7 @@ func newStepContainer(ctx context.Context, step step, image string, cmd, entrypo
 		AutoRemove:    true,
 		ValidVolumes:  rc.validVolumes(),
 		AllocatePTY:   rc.Config.AllocatePTY,
-	})
+	}), nil
 }
 
 func populateEnvsFromSavedState(env *map[string]string, step actionStep, rc *RunContext) {
@@ -469,15 +506,19 @@ func populateEnvsFromSavedState(env *map[string]string, step actionStep, rc *Run
 	}
 }
 
-func populateEnvsFromInput(ctx context.Context, env *map[string]string, action *model.Action, rc *RunContext) {
+func populateEnvsFromInput(ctx context.Context, env *map[string]string, action *model.Action, rc *RunContext) error {
 	eval := rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
 	for inputID, input := range action.Inputs {
 		envKey := regexp.MustCompile("[^A-Z0-9-]").ReplaceAllString(strings.ToUpper(inputID), "_")
 		envKey = "INPUT_" + envKey
 		if _, ok := (*env)[envKey]; !ok {
-			(*env)[envKey] = eval.Interpolate(ctx, input.Default)
+			var err error
+			if (*env)[envKey], err = eval.Interpolate(ctx, input.Default); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate the default of input %s: %w", inputID, err)
+			}
 		}
 	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 func getContainerActionPaths(step *model.Step, actionDir string, rc *RunContext) (string, string) {
@@ -577,16 +618,19 @@ func runPreStep(step actionStep) common.Executor {
 		actionDir, actionPath, _, containerActionDir := actionStagePaths(step)
 
 		x := action.Runs.Using
+		if !x.IsComposite() {
+			// defaults in pre steps were missing, however provided inputs are available
+			if err := populateEnvsFromInput(ctx, step.getEnv(), action, rc); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
 		switch {
 		case x.IsNode():
-			// defaults in pre steps were missing, however provided inputs are available
-			populateEnvsFromInput(ctx, step.getEnv(), action, rc)
-
 			if err := maybeCopyToActionDir(ctx, step, actionDir, actionPath, containerActionDir); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
 
-			containerArgs := []string{"node", path.Join(containerActionDir, action.Runs.Pre)}
+			containerArgs := nodeActionCommand(path.Join(containerActionDir, action.Runs.Pre))
 			logger.Debugf("executing remote job container: %s", containerArgs)
 
 			rc.ApplyExtraPath(ctx, step.getEnv())
@@ -594,14 +638,13 @@ func runPreStep(step actionStep) common.Executor {
 			return rc.JobContainer.Exec(containerArgs, *step.getEnv(), "", "")(ctx)
 
 		case x.IsDocker():
-			// defaults in pre steps were missing, however provided inputs are available
-			populateEnvsFromInput(ctx, step.getEnv(), action, rc)
-
 			return execDockerActionStage(ctx, step, stepStagePre)
 
 		case x.IsComposite():
 			if step.getCompositeSteps() == nil {
-				step.getCompositeRunContext(ctx)
+				if _, err := step.getCompositeRunContext(ctx); err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
 			}
 
 			if steps := step.getCompositeSteps(); steps != nil && steps.pre != nil {
@@ -610,9 +653,6 @@ func runPreStep(step actionStep) common.Executor {
 			return errors.New("missing steps in composite action")
 
 		case x == model.ActionRunsUsingGo:
-			// defaults in pre steps were missing, however provided inputs are available
-			populateEnvsFromInput(ctx, step.getEnv(), action, rc)
-
 			if err := maybeCopyToActionDir(ctx, step, actionDir, actionPath, containerActionDir); err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -687,7 +727,7 @@ func runPostStep(step actionStep) common.Executor {
 
 			populateEnvsFromSavedState(step.getEnv(), step, rc)
 
-			containerArgs := []string{"node", path.Join(containerActionDir, action.Runs.Post)}
+			containerArgs := nodeActionCommand(path.Join(containerActionDir, action.Runs.Post))
 			logger.Debugf("executing remote job container: %s", containerArgs)
 
 			rc.ApplyExtraPath(ctx, step.getEnv())

act/runner/action_composite.go

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ package runner
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
+	"fmt"
 	"regexp"
 	"slices"
 	"strconv"
@@ -17,7 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"gitea.dev/actionslib/pkg/model"
 )
 
-func evaluateCompositeInputAndEnv(ctx context.Context, parent *RunContext, step actionStep) map[string]string {
+func evaluateCompositeInputAndEnv(ctx context.Context, parent *RunContext, step actionStep) (map[string]string, error) {
 	env := make(map[string]string)
 	stepEnv := *step.getEnv()
 	for k, v := range stepEnv {
@@ -36,23 +37,44 @@ func evaluateCompositeInputAndEnv(ctx context.Context, parent *RunContext, step
 
 		// lookup if key is defined in the step but the already
 		// evaluated value from the environment
-		_, defined := step.getStepModel().With[inputID]
+		defined := false
+		for key := range step.getStepModel().With {
+			if strings.EqualFold(key, inputID) {
+				defined = true
+				break
+			}
+		}
 		if value, ok := stepEnv[envKey]; defined && ok {
 			env[envKey] = value
 		} else {
 			// defaults could contain expressions
-			env[envKey] = ee.Interpolate(ctx, input.Default)
+			var err error
+			if env[envKey], err = ee.Interpolate(ctx, input.Default); err != nil {
+				return nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate the default of input %s: %w", inputID, err)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	gh := step.getGithubContext(ctx)
 	env["GITHUB_ACTION_REPOSITORY"] = gh.ActionRepository
 	env["GITHUB_ACTION_REF"] = gh.ActionRef
 
-	return env
+	return env, nil
 }
 
-func newCompositeRunContext(ctx context.Context, parent *RunContext, step actionStep, actionPath string) *RunContext {
-	env := evaluateCompositeInputAndEnv(ctx, parent, step)
+func (rc *RunContext) setCompositeActionEnv(env map[string]string) {
+	rc.setActionEnv(env)
+	for key := range rc.Env {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(key, "INPUT_") {
+			delete(rc.Env, key)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+func newCompositeRunContext(ctx context.Context, parent *RunContext, step actionStep, actionPath string) (*RunContext, error) {
+	env, err := evaluateCompositeInputAndEnv(ctx, parent, step)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 
 	// run with the global config but without secrets
 	configCopy := *parent.Config
@@ -62,29 +84,31 @@ func newCompositeRunContext(ctx context.Context, parent *RunContext, step action
 	compositerc := &RunContext{
 		Name:    parent.Name,
 		JobName: parent.JobName,
+		Matrix:  parent.Matrix,
 		Run: &model.Run{
 			JobID: parent.Run.JobID,
 			Workflow: &model.Workflow{
 				Name: parent.Run.Workflow.Name,
 				Jobs: map[string]*model.Job{
-					parent.Run.JobID: {},
+					parent.Run.JobID: {Strategy: parent.Run.Job().Strategy},
 				},
 			},
 		},
-		Config:       &configCopy,
-		StepResults:  map[string]*model.StepResult{},
-		JobContainer: parent.JobContainer,
-		ActionPath:   actionPath,
-		GlobalEnv:    parent.GlobalEnv,
-		Masks:        parent.Masks,
-		ExtraPath:    parent.ExtraPath,
-		Parent:       parent,
-		EventJSON:    parent.EventJSON,
+		Config:        &configCopy,
+		StepResults:   map[string]*model.StepResult{},
+		JobContainer:  parent.JobContainer,
+		ActionPath:    actionPath,
+		GlobalEnv:     parent.GlobalEnv,
+		Masks:         parent.Masks,
+		ExtraPath:     parent.ExtraPath,
+		Parent:        parent,
+		EventJSON:     parent.EventJSON,
+		platformImage: parent.platformImage,
 	}
-	compositerc.setActionEnv(env)
+	compositerc.setCompositeActionEnv(env)
 	compositerc.ExprEval = compositerc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
 
-	return compositerc
+	return compositerc, nil
 }
 
 // appendUniqueMasks appends the masks from src to dst, skipping any mask that
@@ -105,7 +129,10 @@ func execAsComposite(step actionStep) common.Executor {
 	action := step.getActionModel()
 
 	return func(ctx context.Context) error {
-		compositeRC := step.getCompositeRunContext(ctx)
+		compositeRC, err := step.getCompositeRunContext(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 
 		steps := step.getCompositeSteps()
 
@@ -115,14 +142,17 @@ func execAsComposite(step actionStep) common.Executor {
 
 		ctx = WithCompositeLogger(ctx, &compositeRC.Masks)
 
-		err := steps.main(ctx)
+		err = steps.main(ctx)
 
 		// Map outputs from composite RunContext to job RunContext
 		eval := compositeRC.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
 		for outputName, output := range action.Outputs {
-			rc.setOutput(ctx, map[string]string{
-				"name": outputName,
-			}, eval.Interpolate(ctx, output.Value))
+			value, outputErr := eval.Interpolate(ctx, output.Value)
+			if outputErr != nil {
+				err = errors.Join(err, fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate output %s: %w", outputName, outputErr))
+				continue
+			}
+			rc.setOutput(ctx, map[string]string{"name": outputName}, value)
 		}
 
 		// compositeRC.Masks is seeded with rc.Masks (see newCompositeRunContext)
@@ -131,7 +161,7 @@ func execAsComposite(step actionStep) common.Executor {
 		// repeated composite actions grow rc.Masks exponentially.
 		rc.Masks = appendUniqueMasks(rc.Masks, compositeRC.Masks)
 		rc.ExtraPath = compositeRC.ExtraPath
-		// compositeRC.Env is dirty, contains INPUT_ and merged step env, only rely on compositeRC.GlobalEnv
+		// Propagate GlobalEnv only, so composite inputs and step-local values do not escape.
 		mergeIntoMap := mergeIntoMapCaseSensitive
 		if rc.JobContainer.IsEnvironmentCaseInsensitive() {
 			mergeIntoMap = mergeIntoMapCaseInsensitive
@@ -194,6 +224,7 @@ func (rc *RunContext) compositeExecutor(action *model.Action) *compositeSteps {
 	}
 
 	steps = append(steps, common.JobError)
+	preSteps = append(preSteps, common.JobError)
 	return &compositeSteps{
 		pre: func(ctx context.Context) error {
 			return common.NewPipelineExecutor(preSteps...)(common.WithJobErrorContainer(ctx))

act/runner/action_composite_test.go

@@ -6,9 +6,58 @@ package runner
 import (
 	"testing"
 
+	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/act/common"
+	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/act/common/git"
+
+	"gitea.dev/actionslib/pkg/model"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
+func TestCompositeActionParity(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Run("inherits contexts without leaking inputs", func(t *testing.T) {
+		ctx := t.Context()
+		strategy := &model.Strategy{MaxParallel: 3}
+		parent := &RunContext{
+			Config:        &Config{},
+			Matrix:        map[string]any{"os": "linux"},
+			Run:           &model.Run{JobID: "job", Workflow: &model.Workflow{Name: "workflow", Jobs: map[string]*model.Job{"job": {Strategy: strategy}}}},
+			JobContainer:  &jobContainerMock{},
+			platformImage: "-self-hosted",
+		}
+		composite, err := newCompositeRunContext(ctx, parent, &stepActionRemote{
+			Step:       &model.Step{With: map[string]string{"SHARED": "outer"}},
+			RunContext: parent,
+			action:     &model.Action{Inputs: map[string]model.Input{"shared": {Default: "outer-default"}}},
+			env:        map[string]string{"INPUT_SHARED": "outer"},
+		}, "/action")
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+
+		assert.Same(t, strategy, composite.Run.Job().Strategy)
+		assert.True(t, composite.IsHostEnv())
+		interpolated, err := composite.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx).Interpolate(ctx,
+			"${{ matrix.os }}|${{ strategy.max-parallel }}|${{ inputs.shared }}")
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, "linux|3|outer", interpolated)
+		assert.NotContains(t, composite.Env, "INPUT_SHARED")
+
+		nestedEnv := composite.GetEnv()
+		require.NoError(t, populateEnvsFromInput(ctx, &nestedEnv, &model.Action{Inputs: map[string]model.Input{"shared": {Default: "inner-default"}}}, composite))
+		assert.Equal(t, "inner-default", nestedEnv["INPUT_SHARED"])
+	})
+
+	t.Run("propagates pre failures", func(t *testing.T) {
+		setCloneExecutor(t, func(git.NewGitCloneExecutorInput) common.Executor { return common.NewErrorExecutor(assert.AnError) })
+		rc := &RunContext{
+			Config:       &Config{GitHubInstance: "github.com", ActionCacheDir: t.TempDir()},
+			Run:          &model.Run{JobID: "job", Workflow: &model.Workflow{Jobs: map[string]*model.Job{"job": {}}}},
+			JobContainer: &jobContainerMock{},
+		}
+
+		require.ErrorIs(t, rc.compositeExecutor(&model.Action{Runs: model.ActionRuns{Using: "composite", Steps: []model.Step{{ID: "nested", Uses: "org/action@v1"}}}}).pre(t.Context()), assert.AnError)
+	})
+}
+
 func TestAppendUniqueMasks(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		name string

act/runner/action_test.go

@@ -8,6 +8,10 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"io"
 	"io/fs"
+	"os"
+	"os/exec"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"testing"
@@ -234,7 +238,7 @@ func TestActionRunner(t *testing.T) {
 				return true
 			})
 
-			cm.On("Exec", []string{"node", "/var/run/act/actions/dir/path"}, envMatcher, "", "").Return(func(ctx context.Context) error { return nil })
+			cm.On("Exec", []string{"node", "--preserve-symlinks-main", "/var/run/act/actions/dir/path"}, envMatcher, "", "").Return(func(ctx context.Context) error { return nil })
 
 			tt.step.getRunContext().JobContainer = cm
 
@@ -246,6 +250,32 @@ func TestActionRunner(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestNodeActionCommandPreservesSymlinkedEntrypoint(t *testing.T) {
+	if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+		t.Skip("symlink creation requires privileges on Windows")
+	}
+	requireHostTools(t, "node")
+
+	actionDir := t.TempDir()
+	entrypoint := filepath.Join(actionDir, "index.mjs")
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(entrypoint, []byte(`
+import {fileURLToPath} from "node:url";
+const self = fileURLToPath(import.meta.url);
+if (process.argv[1] !== self) {
+	console.log("argv[1]:", process.argv[1], "import.meta.url:", self);
+	process.exitCode = 1;
+}
+`), 0o600))
+
+	symlinkedActionDir := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "action")
+	require.NoError(t, os.Symlink(actionDir, symlinkedActionDir))
+	symlinkedEntrypoint := filepath.Join(symlinkedActionDir, "index.mjs")
+
+	args := nodeActionCommand(symlinkedEntrypoint)
+	output, err := exec.CommandContext(t.Context(), args[0], args[1:]...).CombinedOutput()
+	require.NoError(t, err, "%s", output)
+}
+
 func TestNewStepContainerDoesNotUseDockerSecrets(t *testing.T) {
 	cm := &containerMock{}
 
@@ -286,7 +316,7 @@ func TestNewStepContainerDoesNotUseDockerSecrets(t *testing.T) {
 	step.On("getStepModel").Return(&model.Step{ID: "action"})
 	step.On("getEnv").Return(&env)
 
-	_ = newStepContainer(ctx, step, "registry.example.com/action:tag", nil, nil, "")
+	_, _ = newStepContainer(ctx, step, "registry.example.com/action:tag", nil, nil, "")
 
 	// DOCKER_USERNAME/DOCKER_PASSWORD should not be injected as pull credentials for docker action containers.
 	assert.Empty(t, captured.Username)
@@ -492,8 +522,6 @@ func TestDockerActionImageTag(t *testing.T) {
 	)
 }
 
-// Only the entrypoint is stage specific: every stage of a docker action receives runs.args
-// and runs.env, and the `entrypoint` input applies to the main stage alone.
 func TestExecAsDockerStageEntrypoint(t *testing.T) {
 	orig := ContainerNewContainer
 	defer func() { ContainerNewContainer = orig }()
@@ -501,25 +529,62 @@ func TestExecAsDockerStageEntrypoint(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tc := range []struct {
 		name           string
 		stage          stepStage
+		with           map[string]string
+		runs           model.ActionRuns
+		env            map[string]string
+		wantCmd        []string
 		wantEntrypoint []string
 	}{
 		{
-			name:           "main stage prefers the entrypoint input",
-			stage:          stepStageMain,
-			wantEntrypoint: []string{"input.sh"},
+			name:  "main stage prefers manifest values",
+			stage: stepStageMain,
+			with:  map[string]string{"args": "caller", "entrypoint": "input.sh"},
+			runs: model.ActionRuns{
+				Entrypoint: "main.sh",
+				Args:       []string{"manifest"},
+				Env:        map[string]string{"ACTION_ONLY": "manifest"},
+			},
+			wantCmd:        []string{"manifest"},
+			wantEntrypoint: []string{"main.sh"},
 		},
 		{
-			name:           "pre stage uses runs.pre-entrypoint",
-			stage:          stepStagePre,
+			name:           "main stage uses caller fallbacks",
+			stage:          stepStageMain,
+			with:           map[string]string{"args": "caller --flag", "entrypoint": "input.sh --verbose"},
+			runs:           model.ActionRuns{Env: map[string]string{"ACTION_ONLY": "manifest"}},
+			wantCmd:        []string{"caller", "--flag"},
+			wantEntrypoint: []string{"input.sh", "--verbose"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "explicit empty manifest args suppress caller args",
+			stage:   stepStageMain,
+			with:    map[string]string{"args": "caller"},
+			runs:    model.ActionRuns{Args: []string{}},
+			wantCmd: []string{},
+		},
+		{
+			name:  "pre stage keeps step environment",
+			stage: stepStagePre,
+			with:  map[string]string{"entrypoint": "input.sh"},
+			runs: model.ActionRuns{
+				PreEntrypoint: "pre.sh --verbose",
+				Args:          []string{"hello"},
+				Env:           map[string]string{"SHARED": "manifest"},
+			},
+			env:            map[string]string{"SHARED": "step"},
+			wantCmd:        []string{"hello"},
 			wantEntrypoint: []string{"pre.sh", "--verbose"},
 		},
 		{
-			name:           "post stage uses runs.post-entrypoint",
+			name:           "post stage uses manifest entrypoint",
 			stage:          stepStagePost,
+			runs:           model.ActionRuns{PostEntrypoint: "post.sh", Args: []string{"hello"}},
+			wantCmd:        []string{"hello"},
 			wantEntrypoint: []string{"post.sh"},
 		},
 	} {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			tc.runs.Using, tc.runs.Image = "docker", "docker://node:14"
 			cm := &containerMock{}
 			var input *container.NewContainerInput
 			ContainerNewContainer = func(in *container.NewContainerInput) container.ExecutionsEnvironment {
@@ -528,22 +593,14 @@ func TestExecAsDockerStageEntrypoint(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 
 			step := &stepActionRemote{
-				Step: &model.Step{ID: "1", Uses: "org/action@v1", With: map[string]string{"entrypoint": "input.sh"}},
+				Step: &model.Step{ID: "1", Uses: "org/action@v1", With: tc.with},
 				RunContext: &RunContext{
 					Config:       &Config{},
 					Run:          &model.Run{JobID: "1", Workflow: &model.Workflow{Jobs: map[string]*model.Job{"1": {}}}},
 					JobContainer: cm,
 				},
-				action: &model.Action{Runs: model.ActionRuns{
-					Using:          "docker",
-					Image:          "docker://node:14",
-					PreEntrypoint:  "pre.sh --verbose",
-					Entrypoint:     "main.sh",
-					PostEntrypoint: "post.sh",
-					Args:           []string{"hello"},
-					Env:            map[string]string{"MY_VAR": "world"},
-				}},
-				env: map[string]string{},
+				action: &model.Action{Runs: tc.runs},
+				env:    mergeMaps(tc.env),
 			}
 
 			cm.On("Pull", false).Return(func(context.Context) error { return nil })
@@ -554,9 +611,11 @@ func TestExecAsDockerStageEntrypoint(t *testing.T) {
 
 			require.NoError(t, execAsDocker(context.Background(), step, "action", t.TempDir(), t.TempDir(), false, tc.stage))
 			require.NotNil(t, input)
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.wantCmd, input.Cmd)
 			assert.Equal(t, tc.wantEntrypoint, input.Entrypoint)
-			assert.Equal(t, []string{"hello"}, input.Cmd)
-			assert.Contains(t, input.Env, "MY_VAR=world")
+			for key, value := range mergeMaps(tc.runs.Env, tc.env) {
+				assert.Contains(t, input.Env, key+"="+value)
+			}
 		})
 	}
 }

act/runner/cancellation_test.go

@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ func TestCancelledJobStatusEnablesAlwaysAndCancelledSteps(t *testing.T) {
 	enabled, err := interp.Evaluate("always()", exprparser.DefaultStatusCheckSuccess)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 	assert.Equal(t, true, enabled, "`if: always()` step must run on a cancelled job")
+	setJobResult(context.Background(), rc, rc, true)
+	assert.Equal(t, "cancelled", rc.Run.Job().Result)
 }
 
 // TestMainStepsExecutorRunsAlwaysStepsAfterCancel verifies that newMainStepsExecutor does

act/runner/command.go

@@ -18,11 +18,17 @@ var commandPatternGA *regexp.Regexp
 var commandPatternADO *regexp.Regexp
 
 func init() {
-	commandPatternGA = regexp.MustCompile("^::([^ ]+)( (.+))?::([^\r\n]*)[\r\n]+$")
-	commandPatternADO = regexp.MustCompile("^##\\[([^ ]+)( (.+))?]([^\r\n]*)[\r\n]+$")
+	commandPatternGA = regexp.MustCompile("^::([^ ]+?)( (.+?))?::([^\r\n]*)[\r\n]*$")
+	// excluding ']' ends the command info at the first bracket, as GitHub does
+	commandPatternADO = regexp.MustCompile("^##\\[([^ \\]]+)( ([^\\]]*))?]([^\r\n]*)[\r\n]*$")
 }
 
 func tryParseRawActionCommand(line string) (command string, kvPairs map[string]string, arg string, ok bool) {
+	command, kvPairs, arg, _, ok = tryParseActionCommand(line)
+	return command, kvPairs, arg, ok
+}
+
+func tryParseActionCommand(line string) (command string, kvPairs map[string]string, arg string, legacy, ok bool) {
 	if m := commandPatternGA.FindStringSubmatch(line); m != nil {
 		command = m[1]
 		kvPairs = parseKeyValuePairs(m[3], ",")
@@ -32,19 +38,21 @@ func tryParseRawActionCommand(line string) (command string, kvPairs map[string]s
 		command = m[1]
 		kvPairs = parseKeyValuePairs(m[3], ";")
 		arg = m[4]
+		legacy = true
 		ok = true
 	}
-	return command, kvPairs, arg, ok
+	return command, kvPairs, arg, legacy, ok
 }
 
 func (rc *RunContext) commandHandler(ctx context.Context) common.LineHandler {
 	logger := common.Logger(ctx)
 	resumeCommand := ""
 	return func(line string) bool {
-		command, kvPairs, arg, ok := tryParseRawActionCommand(line)
+		command, kvPairs, arg, legacy, ok := tryParseActionCommand(line)
 		if !ok {
 			return true
 		}
+		command = strings.ToLower(command)
 
 		if resumeCommand != "" {
 			// There should not be any emojis in the log output for Gitea.
@@ -54,19 +62,24 @@ func (rc *RunContext) commandHandler(ctx context.Context) common.LineHandler {
 			logger.Infof("%s", line)
 			// Resumed here rather than from the switch, because the end token is arbitrary
 			// and a token naming a real command would otherwise never resume.
-			if command == resumeCommand {
+			if strings.EqualFold(command, resumeCommand) {
 				resumeCommand = ""
 			}
 			return true
 		}
-		arg = UnescapeCommandData(arg)
-		kvPairs = unescapeKvPairs(kvPairs)
+		if legacy {
+			arg = UnescapeLegacyCommand(arg)
+			kvPairs = unescapeKvPairs(kvPairs, UnescapeLegacyCommand)
+		} else {
+			arg = UnescapeCommandData(arg)
+			kvPairs = unescapeKvPairs(kvPairs, unescapeCommandProperty)
+		}
 		if (command == "set-env" || command == "add-path") && rc.refuseUnsecureCommand(ctx, command) {
 			return true
 		}
 		switch command {
 		case "set-env":
-			rc.setEnv(ctx, kvPairs, arg)
+			rc.setEnv(ctx, kvPairs, arg, true)
 		case "set-output":
 			rc.setOutput(ctx, kvPairs, arg)
 		case "add-path":
@@ -139,8 +152,16 @@ func (rc *RunContext) takeUnsecureCommandError() error {
 	return err
 }
 
-func (rc *RunContext) setEnv(ctx context.Context, kvPairs map[string]string, arg string) {
+func (rc *RunContext) setEnv(ctx context.Context, kvPairs map[string]string, arg string, fromCommand bool) {
 	name := kvPairs["name"]
+	if strings.EqualFold(name, "NODE_OPTIONS") {
+		message := "Can't store NODE_OPTIONS output parameter using '$GITHUB_ENV' command."
+		if fromCommand {
+			message = "Can't update NODE_OPTIONS environment variable using ::set-env:: command."
+		}
+		common.Logger(ctx).WithField(rawOutputField, true).Errorf("##[error]%s", EscapeCommandData(message))
+		return
+	}
 	common.Logger(ctx).Infof("::set-env:: %s=%s", name, arg)
 	if rc.Env == nil {
 		rc.Env = make(map[string]string)
@@ -159,6 +180,10 @@ func (rc *RunContext) setEnv(ctx context.Context, kvPairs map[string]string, arg
 	mergeIntoMap(rc.GlobalEnv, newenv)
 }
 
+func (rc *RunContext) setEnvFile(ctx context.Context, kvPairs map[string]string, arg string) {
+	rc.setEnv(ctx, kvPairs, arg, false)
+}
+
 func (rc *RunContext) setOutput(ctx context.Context, kvPairs map[string]string, arg string) {
 	logger := common.Logger(ctx)
 	stepID := rc.CurrentStep
@@ -189,7 +214,7 @@ func parseKeyValuePairs(kvPairs, separator string) map[string]string {
 	rtn := make(map[string]string)
 	kvPairList := strings.SplitSeq(kvPairs, separator)
 	for kvPair := range kvPairList {
-		kv := strings.Split(kvPair, "=")
+		kv := strings.SplitN(kvPair, "=", 2)
 		if len(kv) == 2 {
 			rtn[kv[0]] = kv[1]
 		}
@@ -202,6 +227,7 @@ var (
 	commandDataEscaper       = strings.NewReplacer("%", "%25", "\r", "%0D", "\n", "%0A")
 	commandDataUnescaper     = strings.NewReplacer("%25", "%", "%0D", "\r", "%0A", "\n")
 	commandPropertyUnescaper = strings.NewReplacer("%25", "%", "%0D", "\r", "%0A", "\n", "%3A", ":", "%2C", ",")
+	legacyCommandUnescaper   = strings.NewReplacer("%3B", ";", "%0D", "\r", "%0A", "\n", "%5D", "]", "%25", "%")
 )
 
 // EscapeCommandData encodes the data part of a "::cmd::" or "##[cmd]" line the runner writes itself,
@@ -218,9 +244,14 @@ func unescapeCommandProperty(arg string) string {
 	return commandPropertyUnescaper.Replace(arg)
 }
 
-func unescapeKvPairs(kvPairs map[string]string) map[string]string {
+// UnescapeLegacyCommand decodes a "##[cmd]" line, which also spells ";" and "]" escaped.
+func UnescapeLegacyCommand(arg string) string {
+	return legacyCommandUnescaper.Replace(arg)
+}
+
+func unescapeKvPairs(kvPairs map[string]string, unescape func(string) string) map[string]string {
 	for k, v := range kvPairs {
-		kvPairs[k] = unescapeCommandProperty(v)
+		kvPairs[k] = unescape(v)
 	}
 	return kvPairs
 }

act/runner/command_test.go

@@ -26,12 +26,21 @@ func unsecureRC() *RunContext {
 
 func TestSetEnv(t *testing.T) {
 	a := assert.New(t)
-	ctx := context.Background()
+	logger, hook := test.NewNullLogger()
+	ctx := common.WithLogger(context.Background(), logger)
 	rc := unsecureRC()
 	handler := rc.commandHandler(ctx)
 
 	handler("::set-env name=x::valz\n")
 	a.Equal("valz", rc.Env["x"])
+	handler("::SET-ENV name=NODE_OPTIONS::--require command.js\n")
+	rc.setEnvFile(ctx, map[string]string{"name": "node_options"}, "--require env.js")
+	a.NotContains(rc.Env, "NODE_OPTIONS")
+	a.NotContains(rc.Env, "node_options")
+	entries := hook.AllEntries()
+	require.Len(t, entries, 3)
+	a.Equal("##[error]Can't update NODE_OPTIONS environment variable using ::set-env:: command.", entries[1].Message)
+	a.Equal("##[error]Can't store NODE_OPTIONS output parameter using '$GITHUB_ENV' command.", entries[2].Message)
 }
 
 func TestStopCommandsKeepsSuppressedLinesInLog(t *testing.T) {
@@ -85,6 +94,16 @@ func TestSetOutput(t *testing.T) {
 
 	handler("::set-output name=x%3A%2C%0A%25%0D%3A::percent2%25%0Atest\n")
 	a.Equal("percent2%\ntest", rc.StepResults["my-step"].Outputs["x:,\n%\r:"])
+	handler("::set-output name=symbol::std::vector")
+	a.Equal("std::vector", rc.StepResults["my-step"].Outputs["symbol"])
+	handler("::set-output name=a=b::value\n")
+	a.Equal("value", rc.StepResults["my-step"].Outputs["a=b"])
+	handler("##[set-output name=legacy%3B%5D]value%3B%5D")
+	a.Equal("value;]", rc.StepResults["my-step"].Outputs["legacy;]"])
+	handler("##[set-output name=bracket]value]tail")
+	a.Equal("value]tail", rc.StepResults["my-step"].Outputs["bracket"])
+	handler("::set-output name=modern%3B%5D::value%3B%5D\n")
+	a.Equal("value%3B%5D", rc.StepResults["my-step"].Outputs["modern%3B%5D"])
 }
 
 func TestAddpath(t *testing.T) {
@@ -110,7 +129,7 @@ func TestStopCommands(t *testing.T) {
 
 	handler("::set-env name=x::valz\n")
 	a.Equal("valz", rc.Env["x"])
-	handler("::stop-commands::my-end-token\n")
+	handler("::stop-commands::MY-END-TOKEN\n")
 	handler("::set-env name=x::abcd\n")
 	a.Equal("valz", rc.Env["x"])
 	handler("::my-end-token::\n")
@@ -163,10 +182,10 @@ func TestAddmask(t *testing.T) {
 
 	rc := new(RunContext)
 	handler := rc.commandHandler(loggerCtx)
-	handler("::add-mask::my-secret-value\n")
+	handler("::ADD-MASK::my::secret")
 
 	a.Equal("***", hook.LastEntry().Message)
-	a.NotEqual("*my-secret-value", hook.LastEntry().Message)
+	a.Equal([]string{"my::secret"}, rc.Masks)
 }
 
 // based on https://stackoverflow.com/a/10476304

act/runner/expression.go

@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import (
 	"reflect"
 	"regexp"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/act/common"
@@ -71,7 +72,7 @@ func (rc *RunContext) NewExpressionEvaluatorWithEnv(ctx context.Context, env map
 	}
 
 	ghc := rc.getGithubContext(ctx)
-	inputs := getEvaluatorInputs(ctx, rc, rc.actionInputs, ghc)
+	inputs := getEvaluatorInputs(rc, rc.actionInputs, ghc)
 
 	ee := &exprparser.EvaluationEnvironment{
 		Github: ghc,
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ func (rc *RunContext) NewExpressionEvaluatorWithEnv(ctx context.Context, env map
 		// todo: should be unavailable
 		// but required to interpolate/evaluate the step outputs on the job
 		Steps:     rc.getStepsContext(),
-		Secrets:   getWorkflowSecrets(ctx, rc),
+		Secrets:   getWorkflowSecrets(rc),
 		Vars:      getWorkflowVars(ctx, rc),
 		Strategy:  strategy,
 		Matrix:    rc.Matrix,
@@ -137,14 +138,14 @@ func (rc *RunContext) newStepExpressionEvaluator(ctx context.Context, step step,
 		Env:      *step.getEnv(),
 		Job:      rc.getJobContext(),
 		Steps:    rc.getStepsContext(),
-		Secrets:  getWorkflowSecrets(ctx, rc),
+		Secrets:  getWorkflowSecrets(rc),
 		Vars:     getWorkflowVars(ctx, rc),
 		Strategy: strategy,
 		Matrix:   rc.Matrix,
 		Needs:    using,
 		// todo: should be unavailable
 		// but required to interpolate/evaluate the inputs in actions/composite
-		Inputs:    getEvaluatorInputs(ctx, rc, stepInputs, rc.getGithubContext(ctx)),
+		Inputs:    getEvaluatorInputs(rc, stepInputs, rc.getGithubContext(ctx)),
 		HashFiles: getHashFilesFunction(ctx, rc),
 	}
 	ee.Runner = rc.getRunnerContext(ctx)
@@ -246,17 +247,18 @@ func (ee expressionEvaluator) EvaluateYamlNode(ctx context.Context, node *yaml.N
 	return ee.shared(ctx).EvaluateYamlNode(node)
 }
 
-func (ee expressionEvaluator) Interpolate(ctx context.Context, in string) string {
-	out, err := ee.interpolate(ctx, in)
-	if err != nil {
-		common.Logger(ctx).Errorf("Unable to interpolate expression '%s': %s", in, err)
-		return ""
-	}
-	return out
+func (ee expressionEvaluator) Interpolate(ctx context.Context, in string) (string, error) {
+	return ee.shared(ctx).Interpolate(in)
 }
 
-func (ee expressionEvaluator) interpolate(ctx context.Context, in string) (string, error) {
-	return ee.shared(ctx).Interpolate(in)
+// InterpolateName keeps the source text of a job or step name that cannot be evaluated, as GitHub does.
+func (ee expressionEvaluator) InterpolateName(ctx context.Context, in string) string {
+	out, err := ee.Interpolate(ctx, in)
+	if err != nil {
+		common.Logger(ctx).Warnf("Unable to evaluate the display name '%s': %s", in, err)
+		return in
+	}
+	return out
 }
 
 // EvalBool evaluates an expression against given evaluator. An `if:` is an expression even without
@@ -277,10 +279,10 @@ func inputsFromEnv(env map[string]string) map[string]any {
 	return inputs
 }
 
-func getEvaluatorInputs(ctx context.Context, rc *RunContext, stepInputs map[string]any, ghc *model.GithubContext) map[string]any {
+func getEvaluatorInputs(rc *RunContext, stepInputs map[string]any, ghc *model.GithubContext) map[string]any {
 	inputs := map[string]any{}
 
-	setupWorkflowInputs(ctx, &inputs, rc)
+	maps.Copy(inputs, rc.workflowCallInputs)
 	maps.Copy(inputs, stepInputs)
 
 	if ghc.EventName == "workflow_dispatch" {
@@ -324,54 +326,49 @@ func coerceInputValue(value any, inputType string) any {
 	return value == "true"
 }
 
-func setupWorkflowInputs(ctx context.Context, inputs *map[string]any, rc *RunContext) {
-	if rc.caller != nil {
-		config := rc.Run.Workflow.WorkflowCallConfig()
+// resolveWorkflowCall evaluates the caller's with: and secrets: once, as the server does before dispatching a called workflow.
+func (rc *RunContext) resolveWorkflowCall(ctx context.Context) error {
+	if rc.caller == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	callerJob := rc.caller.runContext.Run.Job()
+	callerEval := rc.caller.runContext.ExprEval
+	calleeEval := sync.OnceValue(func() *expressionEvaluator { return rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx) })
+	config := rc.Run.Workflow.WorkflowCallConfig()
 
-		for name, input := range config.Inputs {
-			value := rc.caller.runContext.Run.Job().With[name]
-			if value != nil {
-				if str, ok := value.(string); ok {
-					// evaluate using the calling RunContext (outside)
-					value = rc.caller.runContext.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, str)
-				}
+	rc.workflowCallInputs = make(map[string]any, len(config.Inputs))
+	for name, input := range config.Inputs {
+		value, eval, label := callerJob.With[name], callerEval, "input"
+		if value == nil {
+			value, eval, label = input.Default, calleeEval(), "the default of input"
+		}
+		if str, ok := value.(string); ok {
+			var err error
+			if value, err = eval.Interpolate(ctx, str); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate %s %s: %w", label, name, err)
 			}
+		}
+		rc.workflowCallInputs[name] = coerceInputValue(value, input.Type)
+	}
 
-			if value == nil && config != nil && config.Inputs != nil {
-				value = input.Default
-				if rc.ExprEval != nil {
-					if str, ok := value.(string); ok {
-						// evaluate using the called RunContext (inside)
-						value = rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, str)
-					}
-				}
-			}
-
-			(*inputs)[name] = coerceInputValue(value, input.Type)
+	secrets := callerJob.Secrets()
+	if secrets == nil && callerJob.InheritSecrets() {
+		secrets = rc.caller.runContext.Config.Secrets
+	}
+	rc.workflowCallSecrets = make(map[string]string, len(secrets))
+	for k, v := range secrets {
+		var err error
+		if rc.workflowCallSecrets[k], err = callerEval.Interpolate(ctx, v); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate secret %s: %w", k, err)
 		}
 	}
+	return nil
 }
 
-func getWorkflowSecrets(ctx context.Context, rc *RunContext) map[string]string {
+func getWorkflowSecrets(rc *RunContext) map[string]string {
 	if rc.caller != nil {
-		job := rc.caller.runContext.Run.Job()
-		secrets := job.Secrets()
-
-		if secrets == nil && job.InheritSecrets() {
-			secrets = rc.caller.runContext.Config.Secrets
-		}
-
-		// Interpolate into a new map. secrets may be the shared Config.Secrets (or the job's
-		// map), which other parallel jobs read concurrently (e.g. log masking), so mutating it
-		// in place is a data race.
-		interpolated := make(map[string]string, len(secrets))
-		for k, v := range secrets {
-			interpolated[k] = rc.caller.runContext.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, v)
-		}
-
-		return interpolated
+		return rc.workflowCallSecrets
 	}
-
 	return rc.Config.Secrets
 }
 

act/runner/expression_test.go

@@ -266,19 +266,21 @@ func TestInterpolate(t *testing.T) {
 		{"${{ null }}", ""},
 		{"${{ fromJSON('[1,2]') }}", "Array"},
 		{"${{ fromJSON('{\"a\":1}') }}", "Object"},
-		// a malformed part must not restructure its neighbours, and it interpolates to nothing
-		{"${{ 1) && (2 }}", ""},
-		{"run ${{ 1) && (2 }} now", ""},
 		{"${{ 1", "${{ 1"},
 	}
 
 	for _, table := range tables {
 		t.Run("interpolate", func(t *testing.T) {
-			assertObject := assert.New(t)
-			out := ee.Interpolate(context.Background(), table.in)
-			assertObject.Equal(table.out, out, table.in)
+			out, err := ee.Interpolate(context.Background(), table.in)
+			require.NoError(t, err, table.in)
+			assert.Equal(t, table.out, out, table.in)
 		})
 	}
+
+	for _, in := range []string{"${{ 1) && (2 }}", "run ${{ 1) && (2 }} now"} {
+		_, err := ee.Interpolate(context.Background(), in)
+		assert.Error(t, err, in)
+	}
 }
 
 func TestGetEvaluatorInputsBoolean(t *testing.T) {
@@ -352,7 +354,7 @@ on:
 				}
 				ghc := &model.GithubContext{EventName: eventName, Event: table.event}
 
-				inputs := getEvaluatorInputs(context.Background(), rc, nil, ghc)
+				inputs := getEvaluatorInputs(rc, nil, ghc)
 				assert.Equal(t, table.flag, inputs["flag"])
 				assert.Equal(t, "gitea", inputs["name"])
 			})
@@ -372,7 +374,8 @@ jobs:
 
 	runner := &runnerImpl{config: &Config{Secrets: map[string]string{"A": "s3cr3t-a", "B": "s3cr3t-b"}}}
 	containerName := func(jobID string) string {
-		rc := runner.newRunContext(t.Context(), &model.Run{JobID: jobID, Workflow: workflow}, nil)
+		rc, err := runner.newRunContext(t.Context(), &model.Run{JobID: jobID, Workflow: workflow}, nil)
+		require.NoError(t, err)
 		assert.NotContains(t, rc.Name, "s3cr3t")
 		return rc.jobContainerName()
 	}

act/runner/job_executor.go

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 	"slices"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 	"unicode"
 
@@ -154,11 +155,9 @@ func newJobExecutor(info jobInfo, sf stepFactory, rc *RunContext) common.Executo
 		if rc.Run == nil {
 			return nil
 		}
-		rc.ExprEval = rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
-		// evaluate environment variables since they can contain
-		// GitHub's special environment variables.
-		for k, v := range rc.GetEnv() {
-			rc.Env[k] = rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, v)
+		if err := evaluateJobEnvAndDefaults(ctx, rc); err != nil {
+			reportStepError(ctx, rc, err)
+			return err
 		}
 		return nil
 	})
@@ -236,6 +235,15 @@ func newJobExecutor(info jobInfo, sf stepFactory, rc *RunContext) common.Executo
 
 	// Ahead of the teardown below, while the job environment is still up.
 	postExecutor = postExecutor.Finally(rc.runJobCompletedHook)
+	postExecutor = postExecutor.Finally(func(ctx context.Context) error {
+		// swallowed: a bad output fails this job, it must not abandon the rest of the plan
+		if err := info.interpolateOutputs()(ctx); err != nil {
+			reportStepError(ctx, rc, err)
+		} else if err := setJobOutputs(ctx, rc); err != nil {
+			reportStepError(ctx, rc, err)
+		}
+		return nil
+	})
 
 	postExecutor = postExecutor.Finally(func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		jobError := common.JobError(ctx)
@@ -251,7 +259,6 @@ func newJobExecutor(info jobInfo, sf stepFactory, rc *RunContext) common.Executo
 			logger.Errorf("##[error]%s", EscapeCommandData("Error while stop job container: "+err.Error()))
 		}
 		setJobResult(ctx, info, rc, jobError == nil)
-		setJobOutputs(ctx, rc)
 
 		return err
 	})
@@ -267,7 +274,6 @@ func newJobExecutor(info jobInfo, sf stepFactory, rc *RunContext) common.Executo
 			defer cancel()
 			return postExecutor(postCtx)
 		}).
-		Finally(info.interpolateOutputs()).
 		Finally(info.closeContainer()))
 }
 
@@ -365,7 +371,7 @@ func setJobResult(ctx context.Context, info jobInfo, rc *RunContext, success boo
 	// concurrent succeeding one.
 	job := rc.Run.Job()
 	var continueOnError bool
-	if !success {
+	if !success && !rc.jobCancelled {
 		// Use a fresh context so an expired job timeout cannot block expression evaluation.
 		evalCtx := common.WithLogger(context.Background(), common.Logger(ctx))
 		continueOnError = evaluateJobContinueOnError(evalCtx, rc, job)
@@ -378,7 +384,11 @@ func setJobResult(ctx context.Context, info jobInfo, rc *RunContext, success boo
 		if len(info.matrix()) > 0 && job.Result != "" {
 			result = job.Result
 		}
-		if !success {
+		// cancelled is sticky, so a sibling combination finishing last cannot mask it
+		switch {
+		case rc.jobCancelled:
+			result = "cancelled"
+		case !success && result != "cancelled":
 			result = "failure"
 			job.SetContinueOnError(continueOnError)
 		}
@@ -392,38 +402,69 @@ func setJobResult(ctx context.Context, info jobInfo, rc *RunContext, success boo
 		return
 	}
 
-	jobResultMessage := "succeeded"
-	if jobResult != "success" {
-		jobResultMessage = "failed"
+	jobResultMessage := "failed"
+	switch jobResult {
+	case "success":
+		jobResultMessage = "succeeded"
+	case "cancelled":
+		jobResultMessage = "cancelled"
 	}
 
 	logger.WithField("jobResult", jobResult).Infof("Job %s", jobResultMessage)
 }
 
-func setJobOutputs(ctx context.Context, rc *RunContext) {
-	if rc.caller != nil {
-		// map outputs for reusable workflows
-		callerOutputs := make(map[string]string)
-
-		ee := rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
-
-		for k, v := range rc.Run.Workflow.WorkflowCallConfig().Outputs {
-			callerOutputs[k] = ee.Interpolate(ctx, ee.Interpolate(ctx, v.Value))
+// evaluateJobEnvAndDefaults resolves the job's env and defaults.run once, as GitHub does at job setup.
+func evaluateJobEnvAndDefaults(ctx context.Context, rc *RunContext) error {
+	rc.ExprEval = rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
+	var err error
+	for k, v := range rc.GetEnv() {
+		if rc.Env[k], err = rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, v); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate env %s: %w", k, err)
 		}
-
-		// Matrix combinations of a reusable-workflow caller share the caller's *model.Job;
-		// serialize the write so parallel combos don't race on its Outputs field.
-		callerJob := rc.caller.runContext.Run.Job()
-		defer lockJob(callerJob)()
-		callerJob.Outputs = callerOutputs
 	}
+	defaults := rc.Run.Job().Defaults.Run
+	if rc.jobRunDefaults.Shell, err = rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, defaults.Shell); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate defaults.run.shell: %w", err)
+	}
+	if rc.jobRunDefaults.WorkingDirectory, err = rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, defaults.WorkingDirectory); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate defaults.run.working-directory: %w", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+func setJobOutputs(ctx context.Context, rc *RunContext) error {
+	if rc.caller == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	outputs := rc.Run.Workflow.WorkflowCallConfig().Outputs
+	callerOutputs := make(map[string]string, len(outputs))
+	ee := sync.OnceValue(func() *expressionEvaluator { return rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx) })
+	for k, v := range outputs {
+		value := v.Value
+		for range 2 { // two passes, the value resolves through a job output
+			var err error
+			if value, err = ee().Interpolate(ctx, value); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate workflow output %s: %w", k, err)
+			}
+		}
+		callerOutputs[k] = value
+	}
+
+	// Matrix combinations of a reusable-workflow caller share the caller's *model.Job;
+	// serialize the write so parallel combos don't race on its Outputs field.
+	callerJob := rc.caller.runContext.Run.Job()
+	defer lockJob(callerJob)()
+	callerJob.Outputs = callerOutputs
+	return nil
 }
 
 // applyJobTimeout applies the job-level timeout-minutes to ctx, mirroring the
 // step-level evaluateStepTimeout in step.go.
 func applyJobTimeout(ctx context.Context, rc *RunContext, job *model.Job) (context.Context, context.CancelFunc) {
-	timeout := rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, job.TimeoutMinutes)
-	if timeout != "" {
+	timeout, err := rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, job.TimeoutMinutes)
+	if err != nil {
+		common.Logger(ctx).Errorf("An error occurred when attempting to determine the job timeout: %s", err)
+	} else if timeout != "" {
 		if timeoutMinutes, err := strconv.ParseInt(timeout, 10, 64); err == nil {
 			return context.WithTimeout(ctx, time.Duration(timeoutMinutes)*time.Minute)
 		}
@@ -622,7 +663,7 @@ func archiveEntryMatchesPath(entryName, requestedPath string) bool {
 
 func useStepLogger(rc *RunContext, stepModel *model.Step, stage stepStage, executor common.Executor) common.Executor {
 	return func(ctx context.Context) error {
-		ctx = withStepLogger(ctx, stepModel.Number, stepModel.ID, rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, stepModel.String()), stage.String())
+		ctx = withStepLogger(ctx, stepModel.Number, stepModel.ID, rc.ExprEval.InterpolateName(ctx, stepModel.String()), stage.String())
 
 		logWriter := rc.commandLogWriter(ctx)
 

act/runner/job_executor_test.go

@@ -299,6 +299,7 @@ func TestNewJobExecutor(t *testing.T) {
 		executedSteps []string
 		result        string
 		hasError      bool
+		output        string
 	}{
 		{
 			name:          "zeroSteps",
@@ -319,8 +320,8 @@ func TestNewJobExecutor(t *testing.T) {
 			executedSteps: []string{
 				"startContainer",
 				"step1",
-				"stopContainer",
 				"interpolateOutputs",
+				"stopContainer",
 				"closeContainer",
 			},
 			result:   "success",
@@ -336,8 +337,8 @@ func TestNewJobExecutor(t *testing.T) {
 			executedSteps: []string{
 				"startContainer",
 				"step1",
-				"stopContainer",
 				"interpolateOutputs",
+				"stopContainer",
 				"closeContainer",
 			},
 			result:   "failure",
@@ -354,8 +355,8 @@ func TestNewJobExecutor(t *testing.T) {
 				"startContainer",
 				"pre1",
 				"step1",
-				"stopContainer",
 				"interpolateOutputs",
+				"stopContainer",
 				"closeContainer",
 			},
 			result:   "success",
@@ -372,8 +373,8 @@ func TestNewJobExecutor(t *testing.T) {
 				"startContainer",
 				"step1",
 				"post1",
-				"stopContainer",
 				"interpolateOutputs",
+				"stopContainer",
 				"closeContainer",
 			},
 			result:   "success",
@@ -391,8 +392,8 @@ func TestNewJobExecutor(t *testing.T) {
 				"pre1",
 				"step1",
 				"post1",
-				"stopContainer",
 				"interpolateOutputs",
+				"stopContainer",
 				"closeContainer",
 			},
 			result:   "success",
@@ -418,13 +419,22 @@ func TestNewJobExecutor(t *testing.T) {
 				"step3",
 				"post3",
 				"post2",
-				"stopContainer",
 				"interpolateOutputs",
+				"stopContainer",
 				"closeContainer",
 			},
 			result:   "success",
 			hasError: false,
 		},
+		{
+			name:          "jobOutputExpressionFailure",
+			steps:         []*model.Step{{ID: "1"}},
+			preSteps:      []bool{false},
+			postSteps:     []bool{false},
+			executedSteps: []string{"startContainer", "step1", "interpolateOutputs", "stopContainer", "closeContainer"},
+			result:        "failure",
+			output:        "${{ 'test' != test }}",
+		},
 	}
 
 	contains := func(needle string, haystack []string) bool {
@@ -450,6 +460,10 @@ func TestNewJobExecutor(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 				Config: &Config{},
 			}
+			if tt.output != "" {
+				rc.Run.Job().Outputs = map[string]string{"bad": tt.output}
+				rc.outputTemplate = map[string]string{"bad": tt.output}
+			}
 			rc.ExprEval = rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
 			executorOrder := make([]string, 0)
 
@@ -497,6 +511,9 @@ func TestNewJobExecutor(t *testing.T) {
 
 				jim.On("interpolateOutputs").Return(func(ctx context.Context) error {
 					executorOrder = append(executorOrder, "interpolateOutputs")
+					if tt.output != "" {
+						return rc.interpolateOutputs()(ctx)
+					}
 					return nil
 				})
 
@@ -518,6 +535,7 @@ func TestNewJobExecutor(t *testing.T) {
 			executor := newJobExecutor(jim, sfm, rc)
 			err := executor(ctx)
 			assert.NoError(t, err) //nolint:testifylint // pre-existing issue from nektos/act
+			assert.Empty(t, rc.Run.Job().Outputs["bad"])
 			assert.Equal(t, tt.executedSteps, executorOrder)
 
 			jim.AssertExpectations(t)

act/runner/job_hooks.go

@@ -51,10 +51,11 @@ func (rc *RunContext) runJobHook(ctx context.Context, hookPath, name string) err
 		rawLogger.Infof("shell: %s", shell)
 	}
 
-	env := maps.Clone(rc.GetEnv())
+	env := map[string]string{}
 	if jobContainer := rc.Run.Job().Container(); jobContainer != nil {
 		maps.Copy(env, jobContainer.Env)
 	}
+	maps.Copy(env, rc.GetEnv())
 	rc.withGithubEnv(ctx, rc.getGithubContext(ctx), env)
 	rc.ApplyExtraPath(ctx, &env)
 
@@ -95,10 +96,11 @@ func (rc *RunContext) setupHookFileCommands(ctx context.Context, env map[string]
 }
 
 func (rc *RunContext) processHookFileCommands(ctx context.Context) error {
-	if err := processRunnerEnvFileCommand(ctx, hookEnvFileCommand, rc, rc.setEnv); err != nil {
-		return err
+	err := processRunnerEnvFileCommand(ctx, hookEnvFileCommand, rc, rc.setEnvFile)
+	if pathErr := rc.UpdateExtraPath(ctx, path.Join(rc.JobContainer.GetActPath(), hookPathFileCommand)); pathErr != nil && err == nil {
+		err = pathErr
 	}
-	return rc.UpdateExtraPath(ctx, path.Join(rc.JobContainer.GetActPath(), hookPathFileCommand))
+	return err
 }
 
 // hookCommand mirrors actions/runner, which deliberately does not apply the shell flags it

act/runner/logger.go

@@ -168,49 +168,77 @@ func withStepLogger(ctx context.Context, stepNumber int, stepID, stepName, stage
 
 type entryProcessor func(entry *logrus.Entry) *logrus.Entry
 
-// secretValueEncoders are the shapes a secret takes on its way into a log: a base64
-// payload, a JSON string, or a URL component. An action that serializes a secret leaks
-// it in one of these forms, which a mask of the verbatim value alone does not catch, so
-// every form is masked as well. This mirrors the value encoders of GitHub's runner.
 var secretValueEncoders = []func(string) string{
 	func(v string) string { return base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte(v)) },
 	base64ShiftEncoder(1),
 	base64ShiftEncoder(2),
+	base64InteriorEncoder(0),
+	base64InteriorEncoder(1),
+	base64InteriorEncoder(2),
+	expressionStringEscape,
 	jsonStringEscape,
 	jsonStringEscapeNoHTML,
-	url.QueryEscape,
+	uriDataEscape,
+	url.QueryEscape, // the form-encoded twin of uriDataEscape, which spells a space "+"
 	url.PathEscape,
+	xmlDataEscape,
+	trimDoubleQuotes,
 }
 
-// minShiftedBase64Len is the shortest shifted base64 fragment worth masking. A shorter
-// one carries too few bytes of the secret to identify it and would mask unrelated output.
-const minShiftedBase64Len = 8
-
-// base64ShiftEncoder returns the part of a secret's base64 form that survives when the
-// secret does not start on a 3-byte boundary of the payload it is embedded in. base64
-// encodes three bytes at a time, so `Authorization: Basic base64("user:token")` contains
-// the base64 of the token alone only when the prefix length happens to be a multiple of
-// three; at the other two alignments the encoding of the whole value differs. Encoding
-// the secret behind shift filler bytes reproduces those alignments, which is what the
-// Base64StringEscapeShift1/2 encoders of GitHub's runner do.
-//
-// The leading group (filler mixed with the secret's first bytes) and the trailing group
-// (padded here, but continuing into whatever follows the secret) are dropped, leaving the
-// group-aligned middle that does appear verbatim in the log.
+// base64ShiftEncoder reproduces the 3-byte alignments of `Basic base64("user:token")`, and
+// its padded tail only matches a secret that ends the payload.
 func base64ShiftEncoder(shift int) func(string) string {
+	return func(v string) string {
+		value := []byte(v)
+		if len(value) > shift {
+			value = value[shift:]
+		}
+		return base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(value)
+	}
+}
+
+const minInteriorBase64Len = 8 // below this a fragment matches unrelated output
+
+// base64InteriorEncoder keeps the aligned middle, so a secret with data after it still matches.
+func base64InteriorEncoder(shift int) func(string) string {
 	return func(v string) string {
 		buf := make([]byte, shift+len(v))
 		copy(buf[shift:], v)
 		encoded := base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString(buf)
-		// Keep only the aligned middle, and only when enough of it is left to be a
-		// distinctive pattern rather than a fragment that matches unrelated output.
-		if len(encoded) < 8+minShiftedBase64Len {
+		if len(encoded) < 8+minInteriorBase64Len {
 			return ""
 		}
 		return encoded[4 : len(encoded)-4]
 	}
 }
 
+func expressionStringEscape(v string) string {
+	return strings.ReplaceAll(v, "'", "''")
+}
+
+func uriDataEscape(v string) string {
+	return strings.ReplaceAll(url.QueryEscape(v), "+", "%20")
+}
+
+var xmlDataEscaper = strings.NewReplacer(
+	"&", "&amp;",
+	"<", "&lt;",
+	">", "&gt;",
+	`"`, "&quot;",
+	"'", "&apos;",
+)
+
+func xmlDataEscape(v string) string {
+	return xmlDataEscaper.Replace(v)
+}
+
+func trimDoubleQuotes(v string) string {
+	if len(v) > 8 && strings.HasPrefix(v, `"`) && strings.HasSuffix(v, `"`) {
+		return v[1 : len(v)-1]
+	}
+	return ""
+}
+
 // jsonStringEscape returns v as it appears inside a JSON string, without the quotes,
 // which is what `toJSON(secrets)` or any action logging a JSON body produces. Go's encoder
 // escapes <, >, & (as act's own toJSON does); the non-HTML variant below covers the runtimes
@@ -245,36 +273,34 @@ func AppendSecretMaskers(oldnew []string, secrets map[string]string) []string {
 	return oldnew
 }
 
+// AppendSecretMasker registers v and each of its lines, as GitHub does.
 func AppendSecretMasker(oldnew []string, v string) []string {
-	ret := oldnew
-
-	for l := range strings.SplitSeq(v, "\n") {
-		tm := strings.TrimSpace(l)
-		// formatted JSON secrets could otherwise mask {,[,],} everywhere
-		if len(tm) > 1 {
-			ret = append(ret, tm, "***")
-			// command data reaches the log escaped, so "pass%word" also arrives as "pass%25word"
-			if strings.ContainsAny(tm, "%\r\n") {
-				ret = append(ret, EscapeCommandData(tm), "***")
-			}
-		}
+	ret := appendMaskedValue(oldnew, v)
+	for l := range strings.FieldsFuncSeq(v, func(r rune) bool { return r == '\r' || r == '\n' }) {
+		ret = appendMaskedValue(ret, strings.TrimSpace(l))
 	}
+	return ret
+}
 
-	// The encoded forms are derived from the whole value: a multi-line secret is
-	// encoded as one string, not line by line.
-	trimmed := strings.TrimSpace(v)
-	if len(trimmed) <= 1 {
+// appendMaskedValue registers one value and every shape it takes on its way into a log.
+func appendMaskedValue(ret []string, v string) []string {
+	// formatted JSON secrets could otherwise mask {,[,],} everywhere
+	if len(strings.TrimSpace(v)) <= 1 || slices.Contains(ret, v) {
 		return ret
 	}
+	ret = append(ret, v, "***")
+	// command data reaches the log escaped, so "pass%word" also arrives as "pass%25word"
+	if strings.ContainsAny(v, "%\r\n") {
+		ret = append(ret, EscapeCommandData(v), "***")
+	}
 	for _, encode := range secretValueEncoders {
-		encoded := encode(trimmed)
+		encoded := encode(v)
 		// An encoding that leaves the value unchanged is already masked above.
-		if encoded == trimmed || len(encoded) <= 1 || slices.Contains(ret, encoded) {
+		if encoded == v || len(encoded) <= 1 || slices.Contains(ret, encoded) {
 			continue
 		}
 		ret = append(ret, encoded, "***")
 	}
-
 	return ret
 }
 

act/runner/logger_test.go

@@ -64,26 +64,27 @@ func TestValueMasker(t *testing.T) {
 // A secret that reaches the log through an encoding — a base64 payload, a JSON body, a
 // URL — must be masked as well: masking only the verbatim value leaks it.
 func TestValueMaskerEncodedSecrets(t *testing.T) {
-	secret := `p@ss w"rd/1`
-	masker := valueMasker(false, AppendSecretMaskers(nil, map[string]string{"TOKEN": secret}))
-
 	for _, tc := range []struct {
-		name string
-		line string
+		name, secret string
+		encoded      []string
 	}{
-		{"verbatim", "the token is " + secret},
-		{"base64", "Authorization: Basic " + base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte(secret))},
-		{"json", `{"token":"` + jsonStringEscape(secret) + `"}`},
-		{"query escaped", "https://example.com/?token=" + url.QueryEscape(secret)},
-		{"path escaped", "https://example.com/" + url.PathEscape(secret) + "/x"},
+		{"common encodings", `p@ss w"rd/1`, []string{
+			`p@ss w"rd/1`, base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte(`p@ss w"rd/1`)),
+			jsonStringEscape(`p@ss w"rd/1`), url.PathEscape(`p@ss w"rd/1`),
+		}},
+		{"XML expression and quotes", `"a'b&c<d>"`, []string{
+			`&quot;a&apos;b&amp;c&lt;d&gt;&quot;`, `"a''b&c<d>"`, `a'b&c<d>`,
+		}},
+		{"URI spaces", "a b", []string{"a%20b", "a+b"}},
 	} {
 		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
-			entry := masker(&logrus.Entry{Context: t.Context(), Message: tc.line})
+			masker := valueMasker(false, AppendSecretMaskers(nil, map[string]string{"TOKEN": tc.secret}))
+			entry := masker(&logrus.Entry{Context: t.Context(), Message: strings.Join(tc.encoded, " ")})
 
 			assert.Contains(t, entry.Message, "***")
-			assert.NotContains(t, entry.Message, secret)
-			assert.NotContains(t, entry.Message, base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte(secret)))
-			assert.NotContains(t, entry.Message, url.QueryEscape(secret))
+			for _, disallowed := range tc.encoded {
+				assert.NotContains(t, entry.Message, disallowed)
+			}
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -124,15 +125,21 @@ func TestValueMaskerHidesExtraMasks(t *testing.T) {
 
 // ::add-mask:: values go through the same masker, so they get the same treatment.
 func TestValueMaskerEncodedMasks(t *testing.T) {
-	masks := []string{"s3cr3t value"}
+	masks := []string{"s3cr3t value", "first\rsecond", " s3cr3t "}
 	masker := valueMasker(false, AppendSecretMaskers(nil, nil))
 
-	entry := masker(&logrus.Entry{
-		Context: WithMasks(t.Context(), &masks),
-		Message: "encoded: " + base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte("s3cr3t value")),
-	})
-
-	assert.Equal(t, "encoded: ***", entry.Message)
+	for _, tc := range []struct {
+		line, want string
+	}{
+		{"encoded: " + base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte("s3cr3t value")), "encoded: ***"},
+		{"first and second", "*** and ***"},
+		{"encoded: " + base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte(" s3cr3t ")), "encoded: ***"},
+		{"encoded: " + base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte("s3cr3t")), "encoded: ***"},
+		{"encoded: " + base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte("first")), "encoded: ***"},
+	} {
+		entry := masker(&logrus.Entry{Context: WithMasks(t.Context(), &masks), Message: tc.line})
+		assert.Equal(t, tc.want, entry.Message, tc.line)
+	}
 }
 
 // A token in a Basic auth header is base64'd together with the user name, so the token's
@@ -140,7 +147,7 @@ func TestValueMaskerEncodedMasks(t *testing.T) {
 // alignments must be masked as well, or `Authorization: Basic base64("user:token")` leaks
 // the token to anyone who can decode the log.
 func TestValueMaskerBase64Alignments(t *testing.T) {
-	secret := "s3cr3t-token-value"
+	secret := "s3cr3t"
 	masker := valueMasker(false, AppendSecretMaskers(nil, map[string]string{"TOKEN": secret}))
 
 	// One prefix per alignment: len%3 of 0, 1 and 2.
@@ -150,8 +157,6 @@ func TestValueMaskerBase64Alignments(t *testing.T) {
 			entry := masker(&logrus.Entry{Context: t.Context(), Message: "Authorization: Basic " + encoded})
 
 			assert.Contains(t, entry.Message, "***")
-			// The aligned middle of the secret must be gone, so the payload can no longer be
-			// decoded back into the token.
 			assert.NotEqual(t, "Authorization: Basic "+encoded, entry.Message)
 			decodable := strings.TrimPrefix(entry.Message, "Authorization: Basic ")
 			decoded, err := base64.StdEncoding.DecodeString(decodable)
@@ -190,15 +195,14 @@ func TestAppendSecretMaskerSkipsUselessEncodings(t *testing.T) {
 	// JSON, query and path escaping all leave it unchanged.
 	pairs := AppendSecretMasker(nil, "plaintoken")
 	assert.Equal(t, []string{
-		"plaintoken", "***",
-		base64.StdEncoding.EncodeToString([]byte("plaintoken")), "***",
-		// The two shifted alignments, each without its leading and trailing group.
-		"YWludG9r", "***",
-		"bGFpbnRv", "***",
+		"plaintoken", "***", "cGxhaW50b2tlbg==", "***", "bGFpbnRva2Vu", "***", "YWludG9rZW4=", "***",
+		"aW50b2tl", "***", "YWludG9r", "***", "bGFpbnRv", "***",
 	}, pairs)
 
 	// Too short to mask.
 	assert.Empty(t, AppendSecretMasker(nil, "x"))
+	assert.Empty(t, AppendSecretMasker(nil, " \t"))
+	assert.NotContains(t, AppendSecretMasker(nil, `"123456"`), "123456")
 }
 
 func TestJobLogFormatterDecodesCommandData(t *testing.T) {

act/runner/reusable_workflow.go

@@ -95,9 +95,12 @@ func newRemoteReusableWorkflowExecutor(rc *RunContext) common.Executor {
 // remoteReusableWorkflow.URL = rc.getGithubContext(ctx).ServerURL
 func cloneRemoteReusableWorkflow(rc *RunContext, cloneURL, ref, targetDirectory, token string) common.Executor {
 	return func(ctx context.Context) error {
-		cloneURL = rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx).Interpolate(ctx, cloneURL)
+		interpolatedURL, err := rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx).Interpolate(ctx, cloneURL)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate the workflow clone URL: %w", err)
+		}
 		return git.NewGitCloneExecutor(git.NewGitCloneExecutorInput{
-			URL:         cloneURL,
+			URL:         interpolatedURL,
 			Ref:         ref,
 			Dir:         targetDirectory,
 			Token:       token,

act/runner/run_context.go

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import (
 	"io"
 	maps0 "maps"
 	"os"
+	"path"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"regexp"
 	"runtime"
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ import (
 	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/act/common"
 	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/act/container"
 	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/act/ghcontext"
+	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/internal/pkg/labels"
 	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/internal/pkg/lock"
 
 	"gitea.dev/actionslib/pkg/exprparser"
@@ -37,6 +39,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/moby/moby/api/types/mount"
 	"github.com/opencontainers/selinux/go-selinux"
 	"golang.org/x/sync/errgroup"
+	"golang.org/x/text/encoding/unicode"
+	"golang.org/x/text/transform"
 )
 
 // RunContext contains info about current job
@@ -65,7 +69,11 @@ type RunContext struct {
 	actionInputs        map[string]any // inputs of the composite action this runs, nil for a job
 	Masks               []string
 	cleanUpJobContainer common.Executor
-	caller              *caller // job calling this RunContext (reusable workflows)
+	caller              *caller           // job calling this RunContext (reusable workflows)
+	workflowCallInputs  map[string]any    // the caller's with:, resolved once by resolveWorkflowCall
+	workflowCallSecrets map[string]string // the caller's secrets:, resolved once by resolveWorkflowCall
+	jobRunDefaults      model.RunDefaults // defaults.run, resolved once at job setup as GitHub does
+	platformImage       string            // container.image or the runs-on pick, resolved once by isEnabled
 	// summaryFileInitialized tracks which per-step summary files (workflow/step-summary-N.md)
 	// have already been created on the JobContainer. The runner sets up file-command files
 	// via JobContainer.Copy at the start of every phase, which truncates them — fine for
@@ -88,6 +96,7 @@ type RunContext struct {
 	jobFailed bool
 	// empty for a host-mode job, which starts no container
 	jobContainerID string
+	hasBash        *bool // memoized implicit-shell probe, only set on the top-level RunContext
 	jobNetworkName string
 	// stepEnv is a copy of the running step's environment, so that workflow commands parsed out
 	// of the container's output can be judged against it. Written by runStepExecutor and read on
@@ -243,6 +252,9 @@ func (rc *RunContext) validVolumes() []string {
 	if rc.Config.SharedToolCache {
 		volumes = append(volumes, sharedToolCacheVolume)
 	}
+	if rc.Config.BindWorkdir {
+		volumes = append(volumes, rc.Config.Workdir)
+	}
 	// TODO: add a new configuration to control whether the docker daemon can be mounted
 	return append(volumes, name, name+"-env",
 		getDockerDaemonSocketMountPath(rc.containerDaemonSocket()))
@@ -296,7 +308,7 @@ func splitVolumes(specs []string) ([]string, map[string]string, map[string]bool)
 }
 
 // Returns the binds and mounts for the container, resolving paths as appopriate
-func (rc *RunContext) GetBindsAndMounts() ([]string, map[string]string) {
+func (rc *RunContext) GetBindsAndMounts() ([]string, map[string]string, error) {
 	name := rc.jobContainerName()
 	ext := container.LinuxContainerEnvironmentExtensions{}
 
@@ -305,7 +317,10 @@ func (rc *RunContext) GetBindsAndMounts() ([]string, map[string]string) {
 		if container := job.Container(); container != nil {
 			for _, v := range container.Volumes {
 				if rc.ExprEval != nil {
-					v = rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(context.Background(), v)
+					var err error
+					if v, err = rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(context.Background(), v); err != nil {
+						return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate container.volumes: %w", err)
+					}
 				}
 				volumes = append(volumes, v)
 			}
@@ -339,7 +354,7 @@ func (rc *RunContext) GetBindsAndMounts() ([]string, map[string]string) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	return binds, mounts
+	return binds, mounts, nil
 }
 
 func (rc *RunContext) startHostEnvironment() common.Executor {
@@ -411,6 +426,113 @@ func (rc *RunContext) startHostEnvironment() common.Executor {
 	}
 }
 
+// printStartMacOSVMGroup mirrors the "Starting job container" section for macOS VMs.
+func printStartMacOSVMGroup(ctx context.Context, image, name string) func() {
+	rawLogger := common.Logger(ctx).WithField(rawOutputField, true)
+	rawLogger.Infof("::group::Starting job VM")
+	rawLogger.Infof("image: %s", image)
+	rawLogger.Infof("name: %s", name)
+	return func() {
+		rawLogger.Infof("::endgroup::")
+	}
+}
+
+func (rc *RunContext) startMacOSVMEnvironment() common.Executor {
+	return func(ctx context.Context) error {
+		if len(rc.Run.Job().Services) > 0 {
+			return errors.New("service containers are not supported with the macOS VM executor; see docs/macos-vm-executor.md")
+		}
+
+		image := rc.macOSVMImage()
+		logWriter := rc.commandLogWriter(ctx)
+		name := rc.macOSVMName()
+		rc.Env["JOB_CONTAINER_NAME"] = name
+
+		guestWorkdir := rc.macOSVMGuestWorkdir()
+		scratch := path.Join("/", rc.macOSVMWorkdirParent(), "scratch", name)
+		actPath := path.Join(scratch, "act")
+		tmpDir := path.Join(scratch, "tmp")
+		toolCache := rc.toolCache(path.Join(scratch, "tool_cache"))
+
+		jobContainer, err := container.NewMacOSVMEnvironment(container.MacOSVMEnvironmentInput{
+			Path:         scratch,
+			TmpDir:       tmpDir,
+			ToolCache:    toolCache,
+			Workdir:      rc.Config.Workdir,
+			GuestWorkdir: guestWorkdir,
+			ActPath:      actPath,
+			Image:        image,
+			VMName:       name,
+			ExecutorPath: rc.Config.MacOSVM.ExecutorPath,
+			CPU:          rc.Config.MacOSVM.CPU,
+			Memory:       rc.Config.MacOSVM.Memory,
+			BootTimeout:  rc.Config.MacOSVM.BootTimeout,
+			Stdout:       logWriter,
+			Stderr:       logWriter,
+		})
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		rc.JobContainer = jobContainer
+		rc.cleanUpJobContainer = jobContainer.Remove()
+
+		for k, v := range rc.getRunnerContext(ctx) {
+			if v, ok := v.(string); ok {
+				rc.Env["RUNNER_"+strings.ToUpper(k)] = v
+			}
+		}
+		for _, env := range os.Environ() {
+			if k, v, ok := strings.Cut(env, "="); ok {
+				if _, ok := rc.Env[k]; !ok {
+					rc.Env[k] = v
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		defer printStartMacOSVMGroup(ctx, image, name)()
+		return common.NewPipelineExecutor(
+			jobContainer.Pull(rc.Config.ForcePull),
+			jobContainer.Create(nil, nil),
+			jobContainer.Start(false),
+			jobContainer.Exec([]string{"/bin/mkdir", "-p", guestWorkdir, actPath, tmpDir, toolCache}, nil, "", "/"),
+			rc.captureJobContainerInfo(),
+			jobContainer.Copy(jobContainer.GetActPath()+"/", &container.FileEntry{
+				Name: "workflow/event.json",
+				Mode: 0o644,
+				Body: rc.EventJSON,
+			}, &container.FileEntry{
+				Name: "workflow/envs.txt",
+				Mode: 0o666,
+				Body: "",
+			}),
+		)(ctx)
+	}
+}
+
+func (rc *RunContext) macOSVMImage() string {
+	return strings.TrimPrefix(rc.platformImage, labels.MacOSVMSchemePrefix)
+}
+
+func (rc *RunContext) macOSVMName() string {
+	nameParts := []string{"GITEA-MACOS-VM", rc.Config.RunnerUUID, rc.Config.ContainerNamePrefix, "WORKFLOW-" + rc.Run.Workflow.Name, "JOB-" + rc.Run.JobID, rc.Name}
+	if rc.caller != nil {
+		nameParts = append(nameParts, "CALLED-BY-"+rc.caller.runContext.JobName)
+	}
+	return createContainerName(nameParts...)
+}
+
+func (rc *RunContext) macOSVMGuestWorkdir() string {
+	rel := strings.TrimLeft(filepath.ToSlash(rc.Config.Workdir), "/")
+	return path.Join("/", rc.macOSVMWorkdirParent(), rel)
+}
+
+func (rc *RunContext) macOSVMWorkdirParent() string {
+	if rc.Config.MacOSVM.WorkdirParent != "" {
+		return rc.Config.MacOSVM.WorkdirParent
+	}
+	return "/Users/admin/runner"
+}
+
 // printStartJobContainerGroup mirrors actions/runner's "Starting job container"
 // section: emit the group header and summary, return a closer for ::endgroup::.
 func printStartJobContainerGroup(ctx context.Context, image, name, network string) func() {
@@ -430,7 +552,7 @@ var newContainer = container.NewContainer
 func (rc *RunContext) startJobContainer() common.Executor {
 	return func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		logger := common.Logger(ctx)
-		image := rc.platformImage(ctx)
+		image := rc.platformImage
 		logWriter := rc.commandLogWriter(ctx)
 
 		username, password, err := rc.handleCredentials(ctx)
@@ -449,7 +571,10 @@ func (rc *RunContext) startJobContainer() common.Executor {
 		envList = append(envList, fmt.Sprintf("%s=%s", "LANG", "C.UTF-8")) // Use same locale as GitHub Actions
 
 		ext := container.LinuxContainerEnvironmentExtensions{}
-		binds, mounts := rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
+		binds, mounts, err := rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 
 		// specify the network to which the container will connect when `docker create` stage. (like execute command line: docker create --network <networkName> <image>)
 		// if using service containers, will create a new network for the containers.
@@ -460,7 +585,10 @@ func (rc *RunContext) startJobContainer() common.Executor {
 		for serviceID, spec := range rc.Run.Job().Services {
 			// GitHub compatibility: skip services whose image evaluates to an
 			// empty string, enabling conditional services via expressions
-			serviceImage := rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, spec.Image)
+			serviceImage, err := rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, spec.Image)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate service %s image: %w", serviceID, err)
+			}
 			if serviceImage == "" {
 				logger.Infof("The service '%s' will not be started because the container definition has an empty image.", serviceID)
 				continue
@@ -470,16 +598,20 @@ func (rc *RunContext) startJobContainer() common.Executor {
 			// a service reaches the internet the way the job does; its own env still wins
 			maps0.Copy(interpolatedEnvs, rc.Config.ProxyEnv)
 			for k, v := range spec.Env {
-				interpolatedEnvs[k] = rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, v)
+				if interpolatedEnvs[k], err = rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, v); err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate service %s env %s: %w", serviceID, k, err)
+				}
 			}
 			envs := make([]string, 0, len(interpolatedEnvs))
 			for k, v := range interpolatedEnvs {
 				envs = append(envs, fmt.Sprintf("%s=%s", k, v))
 			}
 			// interpolate cmd
-			interpolatedCmd := make([]string, 0, len(spec.Cmd))
-			for _, v := range spec.Cmd {
-				interpolatedCmd = append(interpolatedCmd, rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, v))
+			interpolatedCmd := make([]string, len(spec.Cmd))
+			for i, v := range spec.Cmd {
+				if interpolatedCmd[i], err = rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, v); err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate service %s command: %w", serviceID, err)
+				}
 			}
 			// keep these local: reusing username/password would overwrite the
 			// credentials the job container is pulled with further down
@@ -488,25 +620,32 @@ func (rc *RunContext) startJobContainer() common.Executor {
 				return fmt.Errorf("failed to handle service %s credentials: %w", serviceID, err)
 			}
 
-			interpolatedVolumes := make([]string, 0, len(spec.Volumes))
-			for _, volume := range spec.Volumes {
-				interpolatedVolumes = append(interpolatedVolumes, rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, volume))
+			interpolatedVolumes := make([]string, len(spec.Volumes))
+			for i, volume := range spec.Volumes {
+				if interpolatedVolumes[i], err = rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, volume); err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate service %s volumes: %w", serviceID, err)
+				}
 			}
 			serviceBinds, serviceMounts, _ := splitVolumes(interpolatedVolumes)
 
-			interpolatedPorts := make([]string, 0, len(spec.Ports))
-			for _, port := range spec.Ports {
-				interpolatedPorts = append(interpolatedPorts, rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, port))
+			interpolatedPorts := make([]string, len(spec.Ports))
+			for i, port := range spec.Ports {
+				if interpolatedPorts[i], err = rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, port); err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate service %s ports: %w", serviceID, err)
+				}
 			}
 			exposedPorts, portBindings, err := nat.ParsePortSpecs(interpolatedPorts)
 			if err != nil {
 				return fmt.Errorf("failed to parse service %s ports: %w", serviceID, err)
 			}
+			serviceOptions, err := rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, spec.Options)
+			if err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate service %s options: %w", serviceID, err)
+			}
 
 			serviceContainerName := createContainerName(rc.jobContainerName(), serviceID)
 			c := newContainer(&container.NewContainerInput{
 				Name:            serviceContainerName,
-				WorkingDir:      ext.ToContainerPath(rc.Config.Workdir),
 				Image:           serviceImage,
 				Username:        serviceUsername,
 				Password:        servicePassword,
@@ -520,7 +659,7 @@ func (rc *RunContext) startJobContainer() common.Executor {
 				UsernsMode:      rc.Config.UsernsMode,
 				Platform:        rc.Config.ContainerArchitecture,
 				AutoRemove:      false, // so a dead service's log survives, cleanupJobResources removes it
-				WorkflowOptions: rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, spec.Options),
+				WorkflowOptions: serviceOptions,
 				NetworkMode:     networkName,
 				NetworkAliases:  []string{serviceID},
 				ExposedPorts:    exposedPorts,
@@ -536,6 +675,10 @@ func (rc *RunContext) startJobContainer() common.Executor {
 		// For Gitea, `jobContainerNetwork` should be the same as `networkName`
 		jobContainerNetwork := networkName
 
+		workflowOptions, err := rc.workflowOptions(ctx)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 		rc.JobContainer = newContainer(&container.NewContainerInput{
 			Cmd:             nil,
 			Entrypoint:      []string{"/bin/sleep", fmt.Sprint(rc.Config.ContainerMaxLifetime.Round(time.Second).Seconds())},
@@ -555,7 +698,7 @@ func (rc *RunContext) startJobContainer() common.Executor {
 			UsernsMode:      rc.Config.UsernsMode,
 			Platform:        rc.Config.ContainerArchitecture,
 			RunnerOptions:   rc.Config.ContainerOptions,
-			WorkflowOptions: rc.workflowOptions(ctx),
+			WorkflowOptions: workflowOptions,
 			AutoRemove:      true,
 			ValidVolumes:    rc.validVolumes(),
 			AllocatePTY:     rc.Config.AllocatePTY,
@@ -679,13 +822,18 @@ func (rc *RunContext) UpdateExtraPath(ctx context.Context, githubEnvPath string)
 	if err != nil && err != io.EOF {
 		return err
 	}
-	s := bufio.NewScanner(reader)
+	decoded := transform.NewReader(reader, unicode.BOMOverride(unicode.UTF8.NewDecoder()))
+	s := bufio.NewScanner(decoded)
+	s.Buffer(make([]byte, 0, 64*1024), 16*1024*1024)
 	for s.Scan() {
 		line := s.Text()
 		if len(line) > 0 {
 			rc.addPath(ctx, line)
 		}
 	}
+	if err := s.Err(); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("reading path file: %w", err)
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -917,20 +1065,36 @@ func (rc *RunContext) interpolateOutputs() common.Executor {
 		// pristine snapshot (outputTemplate) and write under the lock, so each combo overwrites
 		// with its own resolved values (last wins, as on GitHub) instead of the first combo's
 		// resolved values freezing the shared template against later combos.
-		defer lockJob(job)()
+		// Resolved up front so one failure publishes none of them, as GitHub does.
+		outputs := make(map[string]string, len(rc.outputTemplate))
+		var err error
 		for k, v := range rc.outputTemplate {
-			job.Outputs[k] = ee.Interpolate(ctx, v)
+			if outputs[k], err = ee.Interpolate(ctx, v); err != nil {
+				err = fmt.Errorf("failed to evaluate job output %q: %w", k, err)
+				break
+			}
 		}
-		return nil
+		defer lockJob(job)()
+		for k := range rc.outputTemplate {
+			if err != nil {
+				job.Outputs[k] = ""
+				continue
+			}
+			job.Outputs[k] = outputs[k]
+		}
+		return err
 	}
 }
 
 func (rc *RunContext) startContainer() common.Executor {
 	return func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		var err error
-		if rc.IsHostEnv(ctx) {
+		switch {
+		case rc.IsHostEnv():
 			err = rc.startHostEnvironment()(ctx)
-		} else {
+		case rc.IsMacOSVMEnv():
+			err = rc.startMacOSVMEnvironment()(ctx)
+		default:
 			err = rc.startJobContainer()(ctx)
 		}
 		if err != nil {
@@ -958,10 +1122,13 @@ func (rc *RunContext) cleanupFailedStart(ctx context.Context) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (rc *RunContext) IsHostEnv(ctx context.Context) bool {
-	platform := rc.runsOnImage(ctx)
-	image := rc.containerImage(ctx)
-	return image == "" && strings.EqualFold(platform, "-self-hosted")
+func (rc *RunContext) IsHostEnv() bool {
+	return strings.EqualFold(rc.platformImage, "-self-hosted")
+}
+
+// IsMacOSVMEnv reports whether the resolved platform image requests a macOS VM.
+func (rc *RunContext) IsMacOSVMEnv() bool {
+	return strings.HasPrefix(rc.platformImage, labels.MacOSVMSchemePrefix)
 }
 
 func (rc *RunContext) stopContainer() common.Executor {
@@ -1046,32 +1213,35 @@ func (rc *RunContext) Executor() (common.Executor, error) {
 	}, nil
 }
 
-func (rc *RunContext) containerImage(ctx context.Context) string {
-	job := rc.Run.Job()
-
-	c := job.Container()
-	if c != nil {
-		return rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, c.Image)
+func (rc *RunContext) containerImage(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
+	c := rc.Run.Job().Container()
+	if c == nil {
+		return "", nil
 	}
-
-	return ""
+	image, err := rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, c.Image)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate container.image: %w", err)
+	}
+	return image, nil
 }
 
-func (rc *RunContext) runsOnImage(ctx context.Context) string {
+func (rc *RunContext) runsOnImage(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
 	if rc.Run.Job().RunsOn() == nil {
 		common.Logger(ctx).Errorf("'runs-on' key not defined in %s", rc.String())
 	}
 
-	job := rc.Run.Job()
-	runsOn := job.RunsOn()
+	runsOn := rc.Run.Job().RunsOn()
 	for i, v := range runsOn {
-		runsOn[i] = rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, v)
+		var err error
+		if runsOn[i], err = rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, v); err != nil {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate runs-on: %w", err)
+		}
 	}
 
 	if rc.Config.PlatformPicker != nil {
-		return rc.Config.PlatformPicker(runsOn)
+		return rc.Config.PlatformPicker(runsOn), nil
 	}
-	return ""
+	return "", nil
 }
 
 func (rc *RunContext) runsOnPlatformNames(ctx context.Context) []string {
@@ -1092,21 +1262,26 @@ func (rc *RunContext) runsOnPlatformNames(ctx context.Context) []string {
 	return model.RunsOnFromNode(rawRunsOn)
 }
 
-func (rc *RunContext) platformImage(ctx context.Context) string {
-	if containerImage := rc.containerImage(ctx); containerImage != "" {
-		return containerImage
+// resolvePlatformImage evaluates the job's image once, so every consumer sees the image the job started with.
+func (rc *RunContext) resolvePlatformImage(ctx context.Context) error {
+	image, err := rc.containerImage(ctx)
+	if err == nil && image == "" {
+		image, err = rc.runsOnImage(ctx)
 	}
-
-	return rc.runsOnImage(ctx)
+	rc.platformImage = image
+	return err
 }
 
-func (rc *RunContext) workflowOptions(ctx context.Context) string {
+func (rc *RunContext) workflowOptions(ctx context.Context) (string, error) {
 	c := rc.Run.Job().Container()
 	if c == nil {
-		return ""
+		return "", nil
 	}
-
-	return rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, c.Options)
+	options, err := rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, c.Options)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate container.options: %w", err)
+	}
+	return options, nil
 }
 
 func (rc *RunContext) isEnabled(ctx context.Context) (bool, error) {
@@ -1136,8 +1311,10 @@ func (rc *RunContext) isEnabled(ctx context.Context) (bool, error) {
 		return true, nil
 	}
 
-	img := rc.platformImage(ctx)
-	if img == "" {
+	if err := rc.resolvePlatformImage(ctx); err != nil {
+		return false, err
+	}
+	if rc.platformImage == "" {
 		for _, platformName := range rc.runsOnPlatformNames(ctx) {
 			l.Infof("Skipping unsupported platform -- Try running with `-P %+v=...`", platformName)
 		}
@@ -1245,12 +1422,23 @@ func (rc *RunContext) getRunnerContext(ctx context.Context) map[string]any {
 	}
 	runnerContext["name"] = rc.Config.RunnerName
 	runnerContext["environment"] = "self-hosted"
+	runnerContext["workspace"] = parentDir(rc.githubWorkspace())
 	if rc.Config.RunnerDebug() {
 		runnerContext["debug"] = "1"
 	}
 	return runnerContext
 }
 
+func (rc *RunContext) githubWorkspace() string {
+	if rc.JobContainer != nil {
+		return rc.JobContainer.ToContainerPath(rc.Config.Workdir)
+	}
+	if workspace := rc.Config.Env["GITHUB_WORKSPACE"]; workspace != "" {
+		return workspace
+	}
+	return rc.Config.Workdir
+}
+
 func (rc *RunContext) getGithubContext(ctx context.Context) *model.GithubContext {
 	logger := common.Logger(ctx)
 	ghc := &model.GithubContext{
@@ -1277,11 +1465,10 @@ func (rc *RunContext) getGithubContext(ctx context.Context) *model.GithubContext
 		RefType:          rc.Config.Env["GITHUB_REF_TYPE"],
 		BaseRef:          rc.Config.Env["GITHUB_BASE_REF"],
 		HeadRef:          rc.Config.Env["GITHUB_HEAD_REF"],
-		Workspace:        rc.Config.Env["GITHUB_WORKSPACE"],
+		Workspace:        rc.githubWorkspace(),
 	}
 	if rc.JobContainer != nil {
 		ghc.EventPath = rc.JobContainer.GetActPath() + "/workflow/event.json"
-		ghc.Workspace = rc.JobContainer.ToContainerPath(rc.Config.Workdir)
 	}
 
 	if ghc.RunID == "" {
@@ -1514,7 +1701,7 @@ func (rc *RunContext) imageOS(ctx context.Context) string {
 		// log that runs-on is missing.
 		return ""
 	}
-	if imageOS := imageOSFromImage(rc.platformImage(ctx)); imageOS != "" {
+	if imageOS := imageOSFromImage(rc.platformImage); imageOS != "" {
 		return imageOS
 	}
 
@@ -1576,14 +1763,23 @@ func (rc *RunContext) interpolateCredentials(ctx context.Context, credentials ma
 	}
 
 	ee := rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
-	username := ee.Interpolate(ctx, credentials["username"])
-	if username == "" {
-		return "", "", errors.New("failed to interpolate " + prefix + "credentials.username")
+	interpolate := func(key string) (string, error) {
+		value, err := ee.Interpolate(ctx, credentials[key])
+		if err != nil {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to interpolate %scredentials.%s: %w", prefix, key, err)
+		}
+		if value == "" {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to interpolate %scredentials.%s", prefix, key)
+		}
+		return value, nil
 	}
-	password := ee.Interpolate(ctx, credentials["password"])
-	if password == "" {
-		return "", "", errors.New("failed to interpolate " + prefix + "credentials.password")
+	username, err := interpolate("username")
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", "", err
+	}
+	password, err := interpolate("password")
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", "", err
 	}
-
 	return username, password, nil
 }

act/runner/run_context_test.go

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"os"
 	"runtime"
 	"strings"
@@ -17,6 +18,7 @@ import (
 
 	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/act/common"
 	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/act/container"
+	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/internal/pkg/labels"
 
 	"gitea.dev/actionslib/pkg/exprparser"
 	"gitea.dev/actionslib/pkg/model"
@@ -266,6 +268,7 @@ func startJobContainerInputs(t *testing.T, workflowYAML string, cfg *Config) []*
 		},
 	}
 	rc.ExprEval = rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(t.Context())
+	require.NoError(t, rc.resolvePlatformImage(t.Context()))
 
 	// the inputs are built before the missing daemon fails the first call
 	t.Setenv("DOCKER_HOST", "unix:///nonexistent.sock")
@@ -326,6 +329,7 @@ jobs:
 	require.Equal(t, []string{"data"}, redis.ValidVolumes)
 	require.Equal(t, map[string]string{"data": "/data"}, redis.Mounts)
 	require.Empty(t, redis.Binds) // the docker socket is the job container's alone
+	require.Empty(t, redis.WorkingDir)
 }
 
 // Only the workflow's options may be stripped later, so the two sources have to reach the
@@ -449,7 +453,8 @@ func TestRunContext_GetBindsAndMounts(t *testing.T) {
 					config := testcase.rc.Config
 					config.Workdir = testcase.name
 					config.BindWorkdir = bindWorkDir
-					gotbind, gotmount := rctemplate.GetBindsAndMounts()
+					gotbind, gotmount, err := rctemplate.GetBindsAndMounts()
+					require.NoError(t, err)
 
 					// Name binds/mounts are either/or
 					if config.BindWorkdir {
@@ -508,7 +513,8 @@ func TestRunContext_GetBindsAndMounts(t *testing.T) {
 			rc.Run.Workflow.Jobs = map[string]*model.Job{"job1": job}
 			rc.ExprEval = rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(context.Background())
 
-			gotbind, gotmount := rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
+			gotbind, gotmount, err := rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
+			require.NoError(t, err)
 			assert.Contains(t, gotbind, "/host/mame/roms:/root/.mame/roms:ro")
 			assert.NotContains(t, gotbind, "${{ secrets.MAME }}")
 			assert.NotContains(t, gotmount, "${{ secrets.MAME }}")
@@ -537,7 +543,8 @@ func TestRunContext_GetBindsAndMounts(t *testing.T) {
 				rc.Run.JobID = "job1"
 				rc.Run.Workflow.Jobs = map[string]*model.Job{"job1": job}
 
-				gotbind, gotmount := rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
+				gotbind, gotmount, err := rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
+				require.NoError(t, err)
 
 				if len(testcase.wantbind) > 0 {
 					assert.Contains(t, gotbind, testcase.wantbind)
@@ -572,11 +579,13 @@ func TestRunContext_GetBindsAndMounts(t *testing.T) {
 			Config: &Config{},
 		}
 
-		_, gotmount := rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
+		_, gotmount, err := rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
+		require.NoError(t, err)
 		assert.NotContains(t, gotmount, sharedToolCacheVolume)
 
 		rc.Config.SharedToolCache = true
-		_, gotmount = rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
+		_, gotmount, err = rc.GetBindsAndMounts()
+		require.NoError(t, err)
 		assert.Equal(t, container.DefaultToolCache, gotmount[sharedToolCacheVolume])
 	})
 }
@@ -602,6 +611,11 @@ func TestRunContextValidVolumes(t *testing.T) {
 	// a job may mount it only while the runner does
 	rc.Config.SharedToolCache = false
 	assert.NotContains(t, rc.validVolumes(), sharedToolCacheVolume)
+
+	rc.Config.Workdir = "/workspace/1/owner/repo"
+	assert.NotContains(t, rc.validVolumes(), rc.Config.Workdir)
+	rc.Config.BindWorkdir = true
+	assert.Contains(t, rc.validVolumes(), rc.Config.Workdir)
 }
 
 func TestCleanupJobResourcesCleansServicesWithoutJobContainer(t *testing.T) {
@@ -653,8 +667,10 @@ func TestInterpolateOutputsIsPerMatrixCombo(t *testing.T) {
 	r := &runnerImpl{config: &Config{}}
 	ctx := context.Background()
 
-	rcA := r.newRunContext(ctx, run, map[string]any{"v": "a"})
-	rcB := r.newRunContext(ctx, run, map[string]any{"v": "b"})
+	rcA, err := r.newRunContext(ctx, run, map[string]any{"v": "a"})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	rcB, err := r.newRunContext(ctx, run, map[string]any{"v": "b"})
+	require.NoError(t, err)
 
 	require.NoError(t, rcA.interpolateOutputs()(ctx))
 	require.NoError(t, rcB.interpolateOutputs()(ctx))
@@ -1327,12 +1343,14 @@ func TestRunContextImageOS(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("prefers the release in the resolved image tag", func(t *testing.T) {
 		rc := createRunsOnRunContext(t, "ubuntu-latest")
 		rc.Config.PlatformPicker = func([]string) string { return "docker.gitea.com/runner-images:ubuntu-24.04" }
+		require.NoError(t, rc.resolvePlatformImage(ctx))
 		assert.Equal(t, "ubuntu24", rc.imageOS(ctx))
 	})
 
 	t.Run("falls back to the runs-on label", func(t *testing.T) {
 		rc := createRunsOnRunContext(t, "ubuntu-22.04")
 		rc.Config.PlatformPicker = func([]string) string { return "some-image" }
+		require.NoError(t, rc.resolvePlatformImage(ctx))
 		assert.Equal(t, "ubuntu22", rc.imageOS(ctx))
 	})
 
@@ -1352,10 +1370,15 @@ func TestRunContextGetRunnerContext(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("adds the runner values the container cannot know", func(t *testing.T) {
 		rc := createRunsOnRunContext(t, "ubuntu-latest")
 		rc.Config.RunnerName = "runner-1"
+		rc.Config.Workdir = "/workspace/owner/repo"
 
 		runnerContext := rc.getRunnerContext(ctx)
 		assert.Equal(t, "runner-1", runnerContext["name"])
 		assert.Equal(t, "self-hosted", runnerContext["environment"])
+		assert.Equal(t, "/workspace/owner", runnerContext["workspace"])
+		assert.Equal(t, "/workspace/owner/repo", rc.getGithubContext(ctx).Workspace)
+		rc.Config.Env = map[string]string{"GITHUB_WORKSPACE": "/configured/work"}
+		assert.Equal(t, "/configured/work", rc.getGithubContext(ctx).Workspace)
 		assert.NotContains(t, runnerContext, "debug")
 	})
 
@@ -1368,15 +1391,52 @@ func TestRunContextGetRunnerContext(t *testing.T) {
 
 	t.Run("keeps the execution environment values", func(t *testing.T) {
 		rc := createRunsOnRunContext(t, "ubuntu-latest")
-		rc.JobContainer = &container.HostEnvironment{TmpDir: "/tmp/act", ToolCache: "/tmp/tool_cache"}
+		rc.Config.Workdir = "/host/work/owner/repo"
+		rc.JobContainer = &container.HostEnvironment{Workdir: rc.Config.Workdir, Path: "/container/work/owner/repo", TmpDir: "/tmp/act", ToolCache: "/tmp/tool_cache"}
 
 		runnerContext := rc.getRunnerContext(ctx)
 		assert.Equal(t, "/tmp/act", runnerContext["temp"])
 		assert.Equal(t, "/tmp/tool_cache", runnerContext["tool_cache"])
+		assert.Equal(t, "/container/work/owner", runnerContext["workspace"])
+		assert.Equal(t, "/container/work/owner/repo", rc.getGithubContext(ctx).Workspace)
 		assert.NotEmpty(t, runnerContext["os"])
 	})
 }
 
+func TestRunContextUpdateExtraPath(t *testing.T) {
+	longPath := strings.Repeat("x", 64*1024+1)
+	for _, testcase := range []struct {
+		name    string
+		content []byte
+		want    string
+		wantErr bool
+	}{
+		{name: "UTF-8 BOM", content: []byte("\xef\xbb\xbf/utf8/tools\n"), want: "/utf8/tools"},
+		{name: "UTF-16 BOM", content: []byte{0xff, 0xfe, 'C', 0, ':', 0, '\\', 0, 't', 0, 'o', 0, 'o', 0, 'l', 0, 's', 0, '\n', 0}, want: `C:\tools`},
+		{name: "over 64 KiB", content: []byte(longPath + "\n"), want: longPath},
+		{name: "over 16 MiB", content: []byte(strings.Repeat("x", 16*1024*1024+1)), wantErr: true},
+	} {
+		t.Run(testcase.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			logger := log.New()
+			logger.SetOutput(io.Discard)
+			ctx := common.WithLogger(t.Context(), logger)
+			jobContainer := &containerMock{}
+			jobContainer.On("GetContainerArchive", mock.Anything, "/github/path").
+				Return(io.NopCloser(bytes.NewReader(tarArchive(t, tarEntry{name: "path", body: string(testcase.content)}))), nil).Once()
+			defer jobContainer.AssertExpectations(t)
+			rc := &RunContext{JobContainer: jobContainer}
+
+			err := rc.UpdateExtraPath(ctx, "/github/path")
+			if testcase.wantErr {
+				require.ErrorContains(t, err, "reading path file")
+				return
+			}
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.Equal(t, []string{testcase.want}, rc.ExtraPath)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestParentDir(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Empty(t, parentDir(""))
 	assert.Empty(t, parentDir("repo"))
@@ -1399,3 +1459,25 @@ func TestRunContextWithGithubEnvRunnerValues(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, "/workspace/owner", env["RUNNER_WORKSPACE"])
 	assert.Equal(t, "1", env["RUNNER_DEBUG"])
 }
+
+func TestRunContextMacOSVMPlatform(t *testing.T) {
+	rc := createRunsOnRunContext(t, "macos-latest")
+	rc.Config.PlatformPicker = func([]string) string {
+		return labels.MacOSVMSchemePrefix + "ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-sonoma-base:latest"
+	}
+	require.NoError(t, rc.resolvePlatformImage(t.Context()))
+
+	assert.True(t, rc.IsMacOSVMEnv())
+	assert.False(t, rc.IsHostEnv())
+	assert.Equal(t, "ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-sonoma-base:latest", rc.macOSVMImage())
+}
+
+func TestRunContextMacOSVMGuestWorkdir(t *testing.T) {
+	rc := createRunsOnRunContext(t, "macos-latest")
+	rc.Config.Workdir = "/workspace/owner/repo"
+	rc.Config.MacOSVM.WorkdirParent = "/Users/admin/runner"
+	rc.Config.RunnerUUID = "runner-1"
+
+	assert.Equal(t, "/Users/admin/runner/workspace/owner/repo", rc.macOSVMGuestWorkdir())
+	assert.Contains(t, rc.macOSVMName(), "GITEA-MACOS-VM-runner-1-")
+}

act/runner/runner.go

@@ -79,9 +79,20 @@ type Config struct {
 	MaxParallel                       int           // max parallel jobs to run across all workflows (0 = no limit, uses CPU count)
 	AllocatePTY                       bool          // allocate a pseudo-TTY for each step's process
 	ServiceReadyTimeout               time.Duration // how long a job waits for its service containers to report healthy (0 uses the default)
+	RunnerUUID                        string        // UUID this runner registered with, used to identify its macOS VMs
 	RunnerName                        string        // name this runner registered with, reported as `runner.name`, defaults to the hostname
 	JobStartedHook                    string        // script run inside the job environment before the job's first step; ACTIONS_RUNNER_HOOK_JOB_STARTED is read from Env when empty
 	JobCompletedHook                  string        // script run inside the job environment after the job's last step; ACTIONS_RUNNER_HOOK_JOB_COMPLETED is read from Env when empty
+	MacOSVM                           MacOSVMConfig // configures the macOS VM executor
+}
+
+// MacOSVMConfig contains the macOS VM executor settings that come from the runner config.
+type MacOSVMConfig struct {
+	ExecutorPath  string        // path to the runner-executor-macos binary
+	WorkdirParent string        // guest directory under which the job workspace is created
+	CPU           int           // number of virtual CPUs, 0 keeps the image default
+	Memory        int           // VM memory in megabytes, 0 keeps the image default
+	BootTimeout   time.Duration // how long to wait for the VM to become ready
 }
 
 // RunnerDebug reports whether debug logging is on, exposed as `runner.debug` and
@@ -198,7 +209,10 @@ func (runner *runnerImpl) NewPlanExecutor(plan *model.Plan) common.Executor {
 					log.Debugf("Job.Strategy.MaxParallelString: %v", job.Strategy.MaxParallelString)
 					log.Debugf("Job.Strategy.RawMatrix: %v", job.Strategy.RawMatrix)
 
-					strategyRc := runner.newRunContext(ctx, run, nil)
+					strategyRc, err := runner.newRunContext(ctx, run, nil)
+					if err != nil {
+						return err
+					}
 					// Resolve template expressions in the matrix node before Matrix() is called.
 					// On failure the literal string is kept and normalizeMatrixValue wraps it as a fallback.
 					if err := strategyRc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx).EvaluateYamlNode(ctx, &job.Strategy.RawMatrix); err != nil {
@@ -230,7 +244,10 @@ func (runner *runnerImpl) NewPlanExecutor(plan *model.Plan) common.Executor {
 				log.Infof("Running job with maxParallel=%d for %d matrix combinations", maxParallel, len(matrixes))
 
 				for i, matrix := range matrixes {
-					rc := runner.newRunContext(ctx, run, matrix)
+					rc, err := runner.newRunContext(ctx, run, matrix)
+					if err != nil {
+						return err
+					}
 					rc.JobName = rc.Name
 					if len(matrixes) > 1 {
 						rc.Name = fmt.Sprintf("%s-%d", rc.Name, i+1)
@@ -315,7 +332,7 @@ func handleFailure(plan *model.Plan) common.Executor {
 	}
 }
 
-func (runner *runnerImpl) newRunContext(ctx context.Context, run *model.Run, matrix map[string]any) *RunContext {
+func (runner *runnerImpl) newRunContext(ctx context.Context, run *model.Run, matrix map[string]any) (*RunContext, error) {
 	rc := &RunContext{
 		Config:      runner.config,
 		Run:         run,
@@ -324,15 +341,18 @@ func (runner *runnerImpl) newRunContext(ctx context.Context, run *model.Run, mat
 		Matrix:      matrix,
 		caller:      runner.caller,
 	}
+	if err := rc.resolveWorkflowCall(ctx); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	rc.ExprEval = rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
-	rc.Name = rc.maskSecrets(rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, run.String()))
+	rc.Name = rc.maskSecrets(rc.ExprEval.InterpolateName(ctx, run.String()))
 	// Snapshot the job's pristine output expressions now, before any matrix combo runs and
 	// rewrites the shared Job.Outputs (see interpolateOutputs).
 	if job := run.Job(); job != nil {
 		rc.outputTemplate = maps.Clone(job.Outputs)
 	}
 
-	return rc
+	return rc, nil
 }
 
 // For Gitea

act/runner/step.go

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"path"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 
 	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/act/common"
@@ -58,13 +59,10 @@ func (s stepStage) String() string {
 func processRunnerEnvFileCommand(ctx context.Context, fileName string, rc *RunContext, setter func(context.Context, map[string]string, string)) error {
 	env := map[string]string{}
 	err := rc.JobContainer.UpdateFromEnv(path.Join(rc.JobContainer.GetActPath(), fileName), &env)(ctx)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
 	for k, v := range env {
 		setter(ctx, map[string]string{"name": k}, v)
 	}
-	return nil
+	return err
 }
 
 func runStepExecutor(step step, stage stepStage, executor common.Executor) common.Executor {
@@ -85,23 +83,26 @@ func runStepExecutor(step step, stage stepStage, executor common.Executor) commo
 			rc.StepResults[rc.CurrentStep] = stepResult
 		}
 
-		setupEnv(ctx, step)
-
-		runStep, err := isStepEnabled(ctx, ifExpression, step, stage)
+		err := setupEnv(ctx, step)
+		var runStep bool
+		if err == nil {
+			runStep, err = isStepEnabled(ctx, ifExpression, step, stage)
+		}
 		if err != nil {
 			stepResult.Conclusion = model.StepStatusFailure
 			stepResult.Outcome = model.StepStatusFailure
+			logger.WithField("stepResult", stepResult.Conclusion).Infof("Failure - %s %s", stage, stepModel)
 			return err
 		}
 
 		if !runStep {
 			stepResult.Conclusion = model.StepStatusSkipped
 			stepResult.Outcome = model.StepStatusSkipped
-			logger.WithField("stepResult", stepResult.Outcome).Debugf("Skipping step '%s' due to '%s'", stepModel, ifExpression)
+			logger.WithField("stepResult", stepResult.Conclusion).Debugf("Skipping step '%s' due to '%s'", stepModel, ifExpression)
 			return nil
 		}
 
-		stepString := rc.ExprEval.Interpolate(ctx, stepModel.String())
+		stepString := rc.ExprEval.InterpolateName(ctx, stepModel.String())
 		if strings.Contains(stepString, "::add-mask::") {
 			stepString = "add-mask command"
 		}
@@ -157,11 +158,11 @@ func runStepExecutor(step step, stage stepStage, executor common.Executor) commo
 		if topRC.summaryFileInitialized == nil {
 			topRC.summaryFileInitialized = map[int]bool{}
 		}
+		_ = rc.JobContainer.Copy(actPath, files...)(ctx)
 		if !topRC.summaryFileInitialized[stepSummaryIndex] {
-			files = append(files, &container.FileEntry{Name: summaryFileCommand, Mode: 0o666})
+			_ = rc.JobContainer.Copy(actPath, &container.FileEntry{Name: summaryFileCommand, Mode: 0o666})(ctx)
 			topRC.summaryFileInitialized[stepSummaryIndex] = true
 		}
-		_ = rc.JobContainer.Copy(actPath, files...)(ctx)
 
 		// The command handler needs the step's env to judge ACTIONS_ALLOW_UNSECURE_COMMANDS.
 		// Cloned: the step executor keeps writing to its own env map after this point, on a
@@ -179,15 +180,29 @@ func runStepExecutor(step step, stage stepStage, executor common.Executor) commo
 		if err == nil {
 			err = insecureErr
 		}
+		if fileErr := processRunnerEnvFileCommand(ctx, envFileCommand, rc, rc.setEnvFile); fileErr != nil && err == nil {
+			err = fileErr
+		}
+		if fileErr := processRunnerEnvFileCommand(ctx, stateFileCommand, rc, rc.saveState); fileErr != nil && err == nil {
+			err = fileErr
+		}
+		if fileErr := processRunnerEnvFileCommand(ctx, outputFileCommand, rc, rc.setOutput); fileErr != nil && err == nil {
+			err = fileErr
+		}
+		if fileErr := rc.UpdateExtraPath(ctx, path.Join(actPath, pathFileCommand)); fileErr != nil && err == nil {
+			err = fileErr
+		}
+		_ = rc.JobContainer.Copy(actPath, files...)(ctx)
 
 		if err == nil {
-			logger.WithField("stepResult", stepResult.Outcome).Infof("Success - %s %s", stage, stepString)
+			logger.WithField("stepResult", stepResult.Conclusion).Infof("Success - %s %s", stage, stepString)
 		} else {
 			stepResult.Outcome = model.StepStatusFailure
 
 			continueOnError, parseErr := isContinueOnError(ctx, stepModel.RawContinueOnError, step, stage)
 			if parseErr != nil {
 				stepResult.Conclusion = model.StepStatusFailure
+				logger.WithField("stepResult", stepResult.Conclusion).Infof("Failure - %s %s", stage, stepString)
 				return parseErr
 			}
 
@@ -202,64 +217,51 @@ func runStepExecutor(step step, stage stepStage, executor common.Executor) commo
 
 			// Infof: Errorf entries are promoted to the user log by the reporter,
 			// which would duplicate the ##[error] annotation emitted elsewhere.
-			logger.WithField("stepResult", stepResult.Outcome).Infof("Failure - %s %s", stage, stepString)
-		}
-		// Process Runner File Commands
-		orgerr := err
-		err = processRunnerEnvFileCommand(ctx, envFileCommand, rc, rc.setEnv)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		err = processRunnerEnvFileCommand(ctx, stateFileCommand, rc, rc.saveState)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		err = processRunnerEnvFileCommand(ctx, outputFileCommand, rc, rc.setOutput)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		err = rc.UpdateExtraPath(ctx, path.Join(actPath, pathFileCommand))
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		if orgerr != nil {
-			return orgerr
+			logger.WithField("stepResult", stepResult.Conclusion).Infof("Failure - %s %s", stage, stepString)
 		}
 		return err
 	}
 }
 
 func evaluateStepTimeout(ctx context.Context, exprEval *expressionEvaluator, stepModel *model.Step) (context.Context, context.CancelFunc) {
-	timeout := exprEval.Interpolate(ctx, stepModel.TimeoutMinutes)
-	if timeout != "" {
-		if timeOutMinutes, err := strconv.ParseInt(timeout, 10, 64); err == nil {
+	timeout, err := exprEval.Interpolate(ctx, stepModel.TimeoutMinutes)
+	if err != nil {
+		common.Logger(ctx).Errorf("An error occurred when attempting to determine the step timeout: %s", err)
+	} else if timeout != "" {
+		if timeOutMinutes, err := strconv.ParseInt(timeout, 10, 64); err == nil && timeOutMinutes > 0 {
 			return context.WithTimeout(ctx, time.Duration(timeOutMinutes)*time.Minute)
 		}
 	}
 	return ctx, func() {}
 }
 
-func setupEnv(ctx context.Context, step step) {
+func setupEnv(ctx context.Context, step step) error {
 	rc := step.getRunContext()
 
 	mergeEnv(ctx, step)
 	// merge step env last, since it should not be overwritten
 	mergeIntoMap(step, step.getEnv(), step.getStepModel().GetEnv())
 
+	var err error
 	exprEval := rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
 	for k, v := range *step.getEnv() {
 		if !strings.HasPrefix(k, "INPUT_") {
-			(*step.getEnv())[k] = exprEval.Interpolate(ctx, v)
+			if (*step.getEnv())[k], err = exprEval.Interpolate(ctx, v); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate env %s: %w", k, err)
+			}
 		}
 	}
 	// after we have an evaluated step context, update the expressions evaluator with a new env context
 	// you can use step level env in the with property of a uses construct
-	exprEval = rc.NewExpressionEvaluatorWithEnv(ctx, *step.getEnv())
+	inputEval := sync.OnceValue(func() *expressionEvaluator { return rc.NewExpressionEvaluatorWithEnv(ctx, *step.getEnv()) })
 	for k, v := range *step.getEnv() {
 		if strings.HasPrefix(k, "INPUT_") {
-			(*step.getEnv())[k] = exprEval.Interpolate(ctx, v)
+			if (*step.getEnv())[k], err = inputEval().Interpolate(ctx, v); err != nil {
+				return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate env %s: %w", k, err)
+			}
 		}
 	}
+	return nil
 }
 
 func mergeEnv(ctx context.Context, step step) {
@@ -269,7 +271,8 @@ func mergeEnv(ctx context.Context, step step) {
 
 	c := job.Container()
 	if c != nil {
-		mergeIntoMap(step, env, rc.GetEnv(), c.Env)
+		// container env is the image's baseline, which job env and $GITHUB_ENV override
+		mergeIntoMap(step, env, c.Env, rc.GetEnv())
 	} else {
 		mergeIntoMap(step, env, rc.GetEnv())
 	}

act/runner/step_action_local.go

@@ -122,15 +122,19 @@ func (sal *stepActionLocal) getActionModel() *model.Action {
 	return sal.action
 }
 
-func (sal *stepActionLocal) getCompositeRunContext(ctx context.Context) *RunContext {
+func (sal *stepActionLocal) getCompositeRunContext(ctx context.Context) (*RunContext, error) {
 	if sal.compositeRunContext == nil {
 		actionDir := filepath.Join(sal.RunContext.Config.Workdir, sal.Step.Uses)
 		_, containerActionDir := getContainerActionPaths(sal.getStepModel(), actionDir, sal.RunContext)
 
-		sal.compositeRunContext = newCompositeRunContext(ctx, sal.RunContext, sal, containerActionDir)
-		sal.compositeSteps = sal.compositeRunContext.compositeExecutor(sal.action)
+		compositeRunContext, err := newCompositeRunContext(ctx, sal.RunContext, sal, containerActionDir)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		sal.compositeRunContext = compositeRunContext
+		sal.compositeSteps = compositeRunContext.compositeExecutor(sal.action)
 	}
-	return sal.compositeRunContext
+	return sal.compositeRunContext, nil
 }
 
 func (sal *stepActionLocal) getCompositeSteps() *compositeSteps {

act/runner/step_action_local_test.go

@@ -254,7 +254,8 @@ func TestStepActionLocalPost(t *testing.T) {
 			if tt.mocks.exec {
 				suffixMatcher := func(suffix string) any {
 					return mock.MatchedBy(func(array []string) bool {
-						return strings.HasSuffix(array[1], suffix)
+						return len(array) == 3 && array[0] == "node" && array[1] == "--preserve-symlinks-main" &&
+							strings.HasSuffix(array[2], suffix)
 					})
 				}
 				cm.On("Exec", suffixMatcher("runner/local/action/post.js"), sal.env, "", "").Return(func(ctx context.Context) error { return tt.err })

act/runner/step_action_remote.go

@@ -51,7 +51,11 @@ func (sar *stepActionRemote) prepareActionExecutor() common.Executor {
 		// Since actions can specify the download source via a url prefix.
 		// The prefix may contain some sensitive information that needs to be stored in secrets,
 		// so we need to interpolate the expression value for uses first.
-		sar.Step.Uses = sar.RunContext.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx).Interpolate(ctx, sar.Step.Uses)
+		uses, err := sar.RunContext.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx).Interpolate(ctx, sar.Step.Uses)
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate uses: %w", err)
+		}
+		sar.Step.Uses = uses
 
 		github := sar.getGithubContext(ctx) // read before remoteAction is set, so `$/` resolves against the enclosing action
 		if strings.HasPrefix(sar.Step.Uses, selfRepoPrefix) {
@@ -160,8 +164,11 @@ func (sar *stepActionRemote) main() common.Executor {
 					common.Logger(ctx).Debugf("Skipping local actions/checkout because you bound your workspace")
 					return nil
 				}
-				eval := sar.RunContext.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
-				copyToPath := path.Join(sar.RunContext.JobContainer.ToContainerPath(sar.RunContext.Config.Workdir), eval.Interpolate(ctx, sar.Step.With["path"]))
+				checkoutPath, err := sar.RunContext.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx).Interpolate(ctx, sar.Step.With["path"])
+				if err != nil {
+					return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate with.path: %w", err)
+				}
+				copyToPath := path.Join(sar.RunContext.JobContainer.ToContainerPath(sar.RunContext.Config.Workdir), checkoutPath)
 				return sar.RunContext.JobContainer.CopyDir(copyToPath, sar.RunContext.Config.Workdir+string(filepath.Separator)+".", sar.RunContext.Config.UseGitIgnore)(ctx)
 			}
 
@@ -229,14 +236,18 @@ func (sar *stepActionRemote) getActionModel() *model.Action {
 	return sar.action
 }
 
-func (sar *stepActionRemote) getCompositeRunContext(ctx context.Context) *RunContext {
+func (sar *stepActionRemote) getCompositeRunContext(ctx context.Context) (*RunContext, error) {
 	if sar.compositeRunContext == nil {
 		actionDir := sar.actionDir()
 		actionLocation := path.Join(actionDir, sar.remoteAction.Path)
 		_, containerActionDir := getContainerActionPaths(sar.getStepModel(), actionLocation, sar.RunContext)
 
-		sar.compositeRunContext = newCompositeRunContext(ctx, sar.RunContext, sar, containerActionDir)
-		sar.compositeSteps = sar.compositeRunContext.compositeExecutor(sar.action)
+		compositeRunContext, err := newCompositeRunContext(ctx, sar.RunContext, sar, containerActionDir)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		sar.compositeRunContext = compositeRunContext
+		sar.compositeSteps = compositeRunContext.compositeExecutor(sar.action)
 	} else {
 		// Re-evaluate environment here. For remote actions the environment
 		// need to be re-created for every stage (pre, main, post) as there
@@ -244,11 +255,14 @@ func (sar *stepActionRemote) getCompositeRunContext(ctx context.Context) *RunCon
 		// stages are executed. (e.g. the output of another action is the
 		// input for this action during the main stage, but the env
 		// was already created during the pre stage)
-		env := evaluateCompositeInputAndEnv(ctx, sar.RunContext, sar)
-		sar.compositeRunContext.setActionEnv(env)
+		env, err := evaluateCompositeInputAndEnv(ctx, sar.RunContext, sar)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		sar.compositeRunContext.setCompositeActionEnv(env)
 		sar.compositeRunContext.ExtraPath = sar.RunContext.ExtraPath
 	}
-	return sar.compositeRunContext
+	return sar.compositeRunContext, nil
 }
 
 func (sar *stepActionRemote) getCompositeSteps() *compositeSteps {

act/runner/step_action_remote_test.go

@@ -242,6 +242,24 @@ func TestStepActionRemote(t *testing.T) {
 			cm.AssertExpectations(t)
 		})
 	}
+
+	t.Run("refreshes composite inputs without leaking environment", func(t *testing.T) {
+		step := &stepActionRemote{
+			Step:         &model.Step{Uses: "org/composite@v1", With: map[string]string{"SHARED": "first"}},
+			RunContext:   &RunContext{Config: &Config{ActionCacheDir: t.TempDir()}, Run: &model.Run{JobID: "job", Workflow: &model.Workflow{Jobs: map[string]*model.Job{"job": {}}}}, JobContainer: &jobContainerMock{}},
+			action:       &model.Action{Inputs: map[string]model.Input{"shared": {}}},
+			env:          map[string]string{},
+			remoteAction: newRemoteAction("org/composite@v1"),
+		}
+
+		for _, value := range []string{"first", "second"} {
+			step.env["INPUT_SHARED"] = value
+			composite, err := step.getCompositeRunContext(t.Context())
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			assert.Equal(t, map[string]any{"shared": value}, composite.actionInputs)
+			assert.NotContains(t, composite.Env, "INPUT_SHARED")
+		}
+	})
 }
 
 func TestStepActionRemotePrepare(t *testing.T) {
@@ -453,10 +471,10 @@ func TestStepActionRemotePost(t *testing.T) {
 			if tt.mocks.exec {
 				// Use mock.MatchedBy to match the exec command with hash-based path
 				execMatcher := mock.MatchedBy(func(args []string) bool {
-					if len(args) != 2 {
+					if len(args) != 3 {
 						return false
 					}
-					return args[0] == "node" && strings.Contains(args[1], "post.js")
+					return args[0] == "node" && args[1] == "--preserve-symlinks-main" && strings.Contains(args[2], "post.js")
 				})
 
 				cm.On("Exec", execMatcher, sar.env, "", "").Return(func(ctx context.Context) error { return tt.err })

act/runner/step_docker.go

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ package runner
 
 import (
 	"context"
+	"fmt"
 	"strings"
 
 	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/act/common"
@@ -58,17 +59,28 @@ func (sd *stepDocker) runUsesContainer() common.Executor {
 	return func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		image := strings.TrimPrefix(step.Uses, "docker://")
 		eval := rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
-		cmd, err := shellquote.Split(eval.Interpolate(ctx, step.With["args"]))
+		args, err := eval.Interpolate(ctx, step.With["args"])
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate with.args: %w", err)
+		}
+		cmd, err := shellquote.Split(args)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 
 		var entrypoint []string
-		if entry := eval.Interpolate(ctx, step.With["entrypoint"]); entry != "" {
+		entry, err := eval.Interpolate(ctx, step.With["entrypoint"])
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate with.entrypoint: %w", err)
+		}
+		if entry != "" {
 			entrypoint = []string{entry}
 		}
 
-		stepContainer := newStepContainer(ctx, sd, image, cmd, entrypoint, "")
+		stepContainer, err := newStepContainer(ctx, sd, image, cmd, entrypoint, "")
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 
 		return common.NewPipelineExecutor(
 			stepContainer.Pull(rc.Config.ForcePull),

act/runner/step_docker_test.go

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"gitea.dev/actionslib/pkg/model"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/mock"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
 func TestStepDockerMain(t *testing.T) {
@@ -144,7 +145,7 @@ func TestStepDockerNewStepContainerAllocatePTY(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 			sd.RunContext.ExprEval = sd.RunContext.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
 
-			_ = newStepContainer(ctx, sd, "node:14", []string{"echo", "hi"}, nil, "")
+			_, _ = newStepContainer(ctx, sd, "node:14", []string{"echo", "hi"}, nil, "")
 			assert.Equal(t, tc.allocPTY, captured.AllocatePTY)
 		})
 	}
@@ -210,10 +211,10 @@ func TestStepDockerNewStepContainerNetworkMode(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 			sd.RunContext.ExprEval = sd.RunContext.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx)
 
-			assert.Equal(t, tc.expectDefault, sd.RunContext.IsHostEnv(ctx),
-				"IsHostEnv mismatch for platform %q", tc.platform)
+			require.NoError(t, sd.RunContext.resolvePlatformImage(ctx))
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.expectDefault, sd.RunContext.IsHostEnv(), "IsHostEnv mismatch for platform %q", tc.platform)
 
-			_ = newStepContainer(ctx, sd, "alpine:3.20", []string{"echo", "hello"}, nil, "")
+			_, _ = newStepContainer(ctx, sd, "alpine:3.20", []string{"echo", "hello"}, nil, "")
 
 			if tc.expectDefault {
 				assert.Equal(t, "default", captured.NetworkMode,

act/runner/step_run.go

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ package runner
 import (
 	"context"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"maps"
 	"runtime"
 	"slices"
@@ -22,6 +23,8 @@ import (
 	yaml "go.yaml.in/yaml/v4"
 )
 
+var builtinShells = []string{"bash", "sh", "pwsh", "powershell", "cmd", "python"}
+
 type stepRun struct {
 	Step               *model.Step
 	RunContext         *RunContext
@@ -251,15 +254,35 @@ func getScriptName(rc *RunContext, step *model.Step) string {
 // OCI runtime exec failed: exec failed: container_linux.go:380: starting container process caused: exec: "${{": executable file not found in $PATH: unknown
 func (sr *stepRun) setupShellCommand(ctx context.Context) (name, script string, err error) {
 	logger := common.Logger(ctx)
-	sr.setupShell(ctx)
-	sr.setupWorkingDirectory(ctx)
+	eval := sr.RunContext.NewStepExpressionEvaluator(ctx, sr)
+	implicitShell, err := sr.setupShell(ctx, eval)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", "", err
+	}
+	if err := sr.setupWorkingDirectory(ctx, eval); err != nil {
+		return "", "", err
+	}
 
 	step := sr.Step
 
-	script = sr.RunContext.NewStepExpressionEvaluator(ctx, sr).Interpolate(ctx, step.Run)
+	script, err = eval.Interpolate(ctx, step.Run)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate the run script: %w", err)
+	}
 	sr.interpolatedScript = script
 
+	// GitHub matches the built-in names case-insensitively, so `shell: PWSH` is valid
+	if slices.Contains(builtinShells, strings.ToLower(step.Shell)) {
+		step.Shell = strings.ToLower(step.Shell)
+	}
+
 	scCmd := step.ShellCommand()
+	if implicitShell && (step.Shell == "bash" || step.Shell == "sh") {
+		scCmd = step.Shell + " -e {0}"
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(scCmd, "{0}") {
+		return "", "", fmt.Errorf("invalid shell option %q: format must contain {0}", step.Shell)
+	}
 	sr.shellCommand = scCmd
 
 	name = getScriptName(sr.RunContext, step)
@@ -268,7 +291,8 @@ func (sr *stepRun) setupShellCommand(ctx context.Context) (name, script string,
 	// Reference: https://github.com/actions/runner/blob/8109c962f09d9acc473d92c595ff43afceddb347/src/Runner.Worker/Handlers/ScriptHandlerHelpers.cs#L19-L27
 	runPrepend := ""
 	runAppend := ""
-	switch step.Shell {
+	shellCommand, _, _ := strings.Cut(step.Shell, " ")
+	switch shellCommand {
 	case "bash", "sh":
 		name += ".sh"
 	case "pwsh", "powershell":
@@ -292,64 +316,78 @@ func (sr *stepRun) setupShellCommand(ctx context.Context) (name, script string,
 
 	rc := sr.getRunContext()
 	scriptPath := fmt.Sprintf("%s/%s", rc.JobContainer.GetActPath(), name)
-	sr.cmdline = strings.Replace(scCmd, `{0}`, scriptPath, 1)
+	sr.cmdline = strings.ReplaceAll(scCmd, `{0}`, scriptPath)
 	sr.cmd, err = shellquote.Split(sr.cmdline)
 
 	return name, script, err
 }
 
-func (sr *stepRun) setupShell(ctx context.Context) {
+func (sr *stepRun) setupShell(ctx context.Context, eval *expressionEvaluator) (bool, error) {
 	rc := sr.RunContext
 	step := sr.Step
 
-	if step.Shell == "" {
-		step.Shell = rc.Run.Job().Defaults.Run.Shell
+	shell, err := eval.Interpolate(ctx, step.Shell)
+	if err != nil {
+		return false, fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate the shell: %w", err)
 	}
-
-	step.Shell = rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx).Interpolate(ctx, step.Shell)
-
-	if step.Shell == "" {
-		step.Shell = rc.Run.Workflow.Defaults.Run.Shell
+	if shell == "" {
+		shell = rc.jobRunDefaults.Shell
 	}
+	if shell == "" {
+		shell = rc.Run.Workflow.Defaults.Run.Shell
+	}
+	step.Shell = shell
 
-	if step.Shell == "" {
+	implicitShell := step.Shell == ""
+	if implicitShell {
+		shellWithFallback := []string{"bash", "sh"}
+		env := maps.Clone(sr.env)
+		rc.ApplyExtraPath(ctx, &env)
 		if _, ok := rc.JobContainer.(*container.HostEnvironment); ok {
-			shellWithFallback := []string{"bash", "sh"}
 			// Don't use bash on windows by default, if not using a docker container
 			if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
 				shellWithFallback = []string{"pwsh", "powershell"}
 			}
 			step.Shell = shellWithFallback[0]
-			env := maps.Clone(sr.env)
-			sr.getRunContext().ApplyExtraPath(ctx, &env)
 			_, err := lookpath.LookPath2(shellWithFallback[0], env)
 			if err != nil {
 				step.Shell = shellWithFallback[1]
 			}
-		} else if containerImage := rc.containerImage(ctx); containerImage != "" {
-			// Currently only linux containers are supported, use sh by default like actions/runner
-			step.Shell = "sh"
+		} else {
+			step.Shell = shellWithFallback[0]
+			if !rc.containerHasBash(ctx, env) {
+				step.Shell = shellWithFallback[1]
+			}
 		}
 	}
+	return implicitShell, nil
 }
 
-func (sr *stepRun) setupWorkingDirectory(ctx context.Context) {
-	rc := sr.RunContext
-	step := sr.Step
-	var workingdirectory string
-
-	if step.WorkingDirectory == "" {
-		workingdirectory = rc.Run.Job().Defaults.Run.WorkingDirectory
-	} else {
-		workingdirectory = step.WorkingDirectory
+// containerHasBash probes once per job, else every implicit-shell step pays for an exec.
+func (rc *RunContext) containerHasBash(ctx context.Context, env map[string]string) bool {
+	top := rc.topLevelRunContext()
+	if top.hasBash == nil {
+		stdout, stderr := rc.JobContainer.ReplaceLogWriter(io.Discard, io.Discard)
+		found := rc.JobContainer.Exec([]string{"sh", "-c", "command -v bash >/dev/null 2>&1"}, env, "", "")(ctx) == nil
+		rc.JobContainer.ReplaceLogWriter(stdout, stderr)
+		top.hasBash = &found
 	}
+	return *top.hasBash
+}
 
-	// jobs can receive context values, so we interpolate
-	workingdirectory = rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(ctx).Interpolate(ctx, workingdirectory)
-
-	// but top level keys in workflow file like `defaults` or `env` can't
+func (sr *stepRun) setupWorkingDirectory(ctx context.Context, eval *expressionEvaluator) error {
+	rc := sr.RunContext
+	workingdirectory, err := eval.Interpolate(ctx, sr.Step.WorkingDirectory)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to interpolate the working directory: %w", err)
+	}
+	if workingdirectory == "" {
+		workingdirectory = rc.jobRunDefaults.WorkingDirectory
+	}
+	// top level keys in workflow file like `defaults` or `env` can't hold expressions
 	if workingdirectory == "" {
 		workingdirectory = rc.Run.Workflow.Defaults.Run.WorkingDirectory
 	}
 	sr.WorkingDirectory = workingdirectory
+	return nil
 }

act/runner/step_run_test.go

@@ -6,8 +6,12 @@ package runner
 
 import (
 	"bytes"
+	"cmp"
 	"context"
 	"io"
+	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
+	"runtime"
 	"testing"
 
 	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/act/container"
@@ -15,8 +19,13 @@ import (
 	"gitea.dev/actionslib/pkg/model"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/mock"
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
+type shellContainerMock struct{ *containerMock }
+
+func (*shellContainerMock) ReplaceLogWriter(_, _ io.Writer) (io.Writer, io.Writer) { return nil, nil }
+
 func TestStepRun(t *testing.T) {
 	cm := &containerMock{}
 	fileEntry := &container.FileEntry{
@@ -34,17 +43,12 @@ func TestStepRun(t *testing.T) {
 				JobID: "1",
 				Workflow: &model.Workflow{
 					Jobs: map[string]*model.Job{
-						"1": {
-							Defaults: model.Defaults{
-								Run: model.RunDefaults{
-									Shell: "bash",
-								},
-							},
-						},
+						"1": {},
 					},
 				},
 			},
-			JobContainer: cm,
+			JobContainer:   cm,
+			jobRunDefaults: model.RunDefaults{Shell: "bash"},
 		},
 		Step: &model.Step{
 			ID:               "1",
@@ -73,3 +77,118 @@ func TestStepRun(t *testing.T) {
 
 	cm.AssertExpectations(t)
 }
+
+func TestStepRunShellParity(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name, run, shell, workingDir string
+		env                          map[string]string
+		host                         bool
+		probeErr                     error
+		wantExt                      string
+		wantCmd                      []string
+		wantErr                      string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:    "implicit host bash",
+			host:    true,
+			wantCmd: []string{"bash", "-e", "/var/run/act/workflow/1.sh"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "implicit container bash",
+			wantCmd: []string{"bash", "-e", "/var/run/act/workflow/1.sh"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "implicit container sh fallback",
+			probeErr: assert.AnError,
+			wantCmd:  []string{"sh", "-e", "/var/run/act/workflow/1.sh"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "custom pwsh template",
+			shell:   "pwsh -NoProfile -File {0}",
+			wantExt: ".ps1",
+			wantCmd: []string{"pwsh", "-NoProfile", "-File", "/var/run/act/workflow/1.ps1"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "missing placeholder",
+			shell:   "bash -e",
+			wantErr: `invalid shell option "bash -e": format must contain {0}`,
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "all placeholders",
+			shell:   "bash -c '. {0}; . {0}'",
+			wantCmd: []string{"bash", "-c", ". /var/run/act/workflow/1.sh; . /var/run/act/workflow/1.sh"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:       "step env expressions",
+			shell:      "${{ env.SHELL }}",
+			workingDir: "${{ env.DIR }}",
+			env:        map[string]string{"SHELL": "python {0}", "DIR": "subdir"},
+			wantExt:    ".py",
+			wantCmd:    []string{"python", "/var/run/act/workflow/1.py"},
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "run expression without a context",
+			run:     "echo ${{ COMMIT_SHA }}",
+			wantErr: "unable to interpolate the run script:",
+		},
+		{
+			name:    "shell expression without a context",
+			shell:   "${{ SHELL }}",
+			wantErr: "unable to interpolate the shell:",
+		},
+		{
+			name:       "working directory expression without a context",
+			workingDir: "${{ DIR }}",
+			wantErr:    "unable to interpolate the working directory:",
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, test := range tests {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			cm := &containerMock{}
+			var jobContainer container.ExecutionsEnvironment = &shellContainerMock{cm}
+			if test.host {
+				if runtime.GOOS == "windows" {
+					t.Skip("Linux host shell selection")
+				}
+				test.env = map[string]string{"PATH": t.TempDir()}
+				require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(filepath.Join(test.env["PATH"], "bash"), nil, 0o755))
+				jobContainer = &container.HostEnvironment{ActPath: "/var/run/act"}
+			} else if test.shell == "" {
+				cm.On("Exec", []string{"sh", "-c", "command -v bash >/dev/null 2>&1"},
+					mock.AnythingOfType("map[string]string"), "", "").Return(func(context.Context) error {
+					return test.probeErr
+				})
+			}
+
+			sr := &stepRun{
+				RunContext: &RunContext{
+					Config:       &Config{},
+					Run:          &model.Run{JobID: "1", Workflow: &model.Workflow{Jobs: map[string]*model.Job{"1": {}}}},
+					JobContainer: jobContainer,
+				},
+				Step: &model.Step{ID: "1", Run: cmp.Or(test.run, "echo hi"), Shell: test.shell, WorkingDirectory: test.workingDir},
+				env:  test.env,
+			}
+
+			name, script, err := sr.setupShellCommand(t.Context())
+			if test.wantErr != "" {
+				require.ErrorContains(t, err, test.wantErr)
+				return
+			}
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			if test.wantExt == "" {
+				test.wantExt = ".sh"
+			}
+			wantScript := "\necho hi\n"
+			if test.wantExt == ".ps1" {
+				wantScript = "$ErrorActionPreference = 'stop'\necho hi\nif ((Test-Path -LiteralPath variable:/LASTEXITCODE)) { exit $LASTEXITCODE }"
+			}
+			assert.Equal(t, "workflow/1"+test.wantExt, name)
+			assert.Equal(t, wantScript, script)
+			assert.Equal(t, test.wantCmd, sr.cmd)
+			assert.Equal(t, test.env["DIR"], sr.WorkingDirectory)
+			cm.AssertExpectations(t)
+		})
+	}
+}

act/runner/step_test.go

@@ -7,12 +7,15 @@ package runner
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
+	"os"
 	"testing"
 
 	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/act/common"
+	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/act/container"
 
 	"gitea.dev/actionslib/pkg/model"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+	logrustest "github.com/sirupsen/logrus/hooks/test"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/mock"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
@@ -157,7 +160,7 @@ func TestSetupEnv(t *testing.T) {
 	sm.On("getStepModel").Return(step)
 	sm.On("getEnv").Return(&env)
 
-	setupEnv(context.Background(), sm)
+	require.NoError(t, setupEnv(context.Background(), sm))
 
 	// These are commit or system specific
 	delete(env, "GITHUB_REF")
@@ -404,3 +407,92 @@ func TestRunStepExecutorDoesNotLeakRefusalToNextStep(t *testing.T) {
 	errB := runStepExecutor(stepB, stepStageMain, func(context.Context) error { return nil })(ctx)
 	require.NoError(t, errB)
 }
+
+func TestRunStepExecutorParity(t *testing.T) {
+	newStep := func(t *testing.T, stepModel *model.Step) *stepRun {
+		rc := createRunContext(t)
+		rc.JobContainer = &container.HostEnvironment{ActPath: t.TempDir()}
+		rc.ExprEval = rc.NewExpressionEvaluator(context.Background())
+		return &stepRun{RunContext: rc, Step: stepModel, env: map[string]string{}}
+	}
+	badExpression := "${{ 'test' != test }}"
+	for _, test := range []struct {
+		name, wantError string
+		step            *model.Step
+		executor        common.Executor
+	}{
+		{"condition error", "if-expression", &model.Step{ID: "condition", If: yaml.Node{Value: badExpression}}, noopExecutor},
+		{"continue-on-error expression error", "continue-on-error expression", &model.Step{ID: "continue", RawContinueOnError: badExpression}, common.NewErrorExecutor(assert.AnError)},
+	} {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			step := newStep(t, test.step)
+			logger, hook := logrustest.NewNullLogger()
+			err := runStepExecutor(step, stepStageMain, test.executor)(common.WithLogger(context.Background(), logger))
+
+			require.ErrorContains(t, err, test.wantError)
+			assert.Equal(t, model.StepStatusFailure, step.RunContext.StepResults[test.step.ID].Conclusion)
+			assert.Equal(t, model.StepStatusFailure, hook.LastEntry().Data["stepResult"])
+		})
+	}
+
+	t.Run("file command error honors continue-on-error", func(t *testing.T) {
+		step := newStep(t, &model.Step{ID: "commands", RawContinueOnError: "true"})
+		logger, hook := logrustest.NewNullLogger()
+		err := runStepExecutor(step, stepStageMain, func(context.Context) error {
+			require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(step.env["GITHUB_ENV"], []byte("GOOD=1\nmalformed\n"), 0o600))
+			require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(step.env["GITHUB_OUTPUT"], []byte("kept=value\n"), 0o600))
+			require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(step.env["GITHUB_STATE"], []byte("saved=value\n"), 0o600))
+			return nil
+		})(common.WithLogger(context.Background(), logger))
+
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		result := step.RunContext.StepResults[step.Step.ID]
+		assert.Equal(t, model.StepStatusFailure, result.Outcome)
+		assert.Equal(t, model.StepStatusSuccess, result.Conclusion)
+		assert.Equal(t, model.StepStatusSuccess, hook.LastEntry().Data["stepResult"])
+		assert.Equal(t, "1", step.RunContext.Env["GOOD"])
+		assert.Equal(t, "value", result.Outputs["kept"])
+		assert.Equal(t, "value", step.RunContext.IntraActionState[step.Step.ID]["saved"])
+		for _, name := range []string{"GITHUB_ENV", "GITHUB_OUTPUT", "GITHUB_STATE", "GITHUB_PATH"} {
+			contents, readErr := os.ReadFile(step.env[name])
+			require.NoError(t, readErr)
+			assert.Empty(t, contents)
+		}
+	})
+
+	t.Run("composite child files do not leak", func(t *testing.T) {
+		outer := newStep(t, &model.Step{ID: "outer"})
+		childRC := &RunContext{
+			Config: outer.RunContext.Config, Run: outer.RunContext.Run, Env: map[string]string{}, StepResults: map[string]*model.StepResult{},
+			JobContainer: outer.RunContext.JobContainer, Parent: outer.RunContext,
+		}
+		childRC.ExprEval = childRC.NewExpressionEvaluator(context.Background())
+		child := &stepRun{RunContext: childRC, Step: &model.Step{ID: "child"}, env: map[string]string{}}
+
+		err := runStepExecutor(outer, stepStageMain, func(ctx context.Context) error {
+			require.NoError(t, runStepExecutor(child, stepStageMain, func(context.Context) error {
+				require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(child.env["GITHUB_OUTPUT"], []byte("declared=child\nundeclared=leak\n"), 0o600))
+				require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(child.env["GITHUB_STATE"], []byte("saved=child\n"), 0o600))
+				return nil
+			})(ctx))
+			outer.RunContext.setOutput(ctx, map[string]string{"name": "declared"}, "outer")
+			return nil
+		})(context.Background())
+
+		require.NoError(t, err)
+		assert.Equal(t, map[string]string{"declared": "outer"}, outer.RunContext.StepResults[outer.Step.ID].Outputs)
+		assert.Equal(t, map[string]string{"declared": "child", "undeclared": "leak"}, childRC.StepResults[child.Step.ID].Outputs)
+		assert.Empty(t, outer.RunContext.IntraActionState)
+		assert.Equal(t, "child", childRC.IntraActionState[child.Step.ID]["saved"])
+	})
+
+	t.Run("timeout must be positive", func(t *testing.T) {
+		exprEval := createRunContext(t).NewExpressionEvaluator(context.Background())
+		for timeout, wantDeadline := range map[string]bool{"-1": false, "0": false, "1": true} {
+			ctx, cancel := evaluateStepTimeout(context.Background(), exprEval, &model.Step{TimeoutMinutes: timeout})
+			_, hasDeadline := ctx.Deadline()
+			cancel()
+			assert.Equal(t, wantDeadline, hasDeadline, timeout)
+		}
+	})
+}

docs/macos-vm-executor.md

@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+# macOS VM executor
+
+The runner can execute a job in an ephemeral macOS VM by registering a
+`macos-vm` label:
+
+```yaml
+runner:
+  labels:
+    - macos-latest:macos-vm://registry.example.com/macos-15.2-xcode-26.1
+```
+
+The VM is created and managed by `runner-executor-macos`, a dedicated Swift
+binary built on Apple Virtualization.framework. The source VM must include the
+runner guest agent.
+
+## Configuration
+
+```yaml
+macos_vm:
+  executor_path: runner-executor-macos
+  workdir_parent: /Users/admin/runner
+  cpu: 0
+  memory: 0
+  boot_timeout: 5m
+```
+
+`workdir_parent` is the guest directory under which job workspaces are created.
+`executor_path` is the binary to invoke; an empty value uses PATH lookup.
+
+## Executor CLI
+
+The runner uses a narrow, runner-oriented command set:
+
+```text
+runner-executor-macos provision <image> <name> [--cpu N] [--memory MB]
+runner-executor-macos start <name> [--no-graphics]
+runner-executor-macos exec <name> [--stdin] <argv...>
+runner-executor-macos stop <name> [--timeout N]
+runner-executor-macos destroy <name>
+runner-executor-macos list --format json
+runner-executor-macos version
+```
+
+`list --format json` returns:
+
+```json
+[
+  {
+    "name": "GITEA-MACOS-VM-<runner-uuid>-...",
+    "state": "stopped",
+    "running": false,
+    "accessed_at": "2026-09-05T12:00:00Z"
+  }
+]
+```
+
+## Integration test
+
+The end-to-end test is opt-in because it provisions and boots a real VM:
+
+```bash
+MACOS_VM_TEST_IMAGE=/path/or/reference \
+  go test -tags macos_vm_integration ./act/container -run '^TestMacOSVMEnvironmentIntegration$' -v
+```
+
+The test skips when `MACOS_VM_TEST_IMAGE` is unset.
+
+## Orphaned VM cleanup
+
+Job VM names start with `GITEA-MACOS-VM-<runner-uuid>-`. While the runner is
+idle, it lists local VMs and destroys the non-running ones whose name has this
+runner's UUID and whose access time is older than
+`runner.workdir_cleanup_age`.
+
+## Service containers
+
+Service containers are intentionally rejected for macOS VM jobs today. Docker
+service containers live on a Docker network and are reached by workflow service
+id, which a macOS VM cannot resolve.
+
+Possible future designs:
+
+1. **Host-published Docker services + guest host mapping** — publish each
+   service port on the runner host and inject `<service-id> -> <host-ip>` into
+   the VM through the guest agent.
+2. **macOS VM services** — run each service as another VM; this requires
+   service discovery and is much heavier than Docker containers.
+3. **Environment-based discovery** — require workflows to read service
+   addresses from env vars instead of hostnames, breaking GitHub Actions
+   compatibility.
+
+Option 1 is the most compatible direction once the guest agent and host network
+configuration are stable.

go.mod

@@ -102,6 +102,6 @@ require (
 	go.opentelemetry.io/otel/metric v1.45.0 // indirect
 	go.opentelemetry.io/otel/trace v1.45.0 // indirect
 	go.yaml.in/yaml/v3 v3.0.5 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/crypto v0.55.0 // indirect
+	golang.org/x/crypto v0.56.0 // indirect
 	gopkg.in/warnings.v0 v0.1.2 // indirect
 )

go.sum

@@ -234,8 +234,8 @@ go.yaml.in/yaml/v3 v3.0.5/go.mod h1:HVTZu1O7/Vkt2N+BFy8Zza+lnLsABggaTM2ZpNIGuKg=
 go.yaml.in/yaml/v4 v4.0.0-rc.3 h1:3h1fjsh1CTAPjW7q/EMe+C8shx5d8ctzZTrLcs/j8Go=
 go.yaml.in/yaml/v4 v4.0.0-rc.3/go.mod h1:aZqd9kCMsGL7AuUv/m/PvWLdg5sjJsZ4oHDEnfPPfY0=
 golang.org/x/crypto v0.0.0-20220622213112-05595931fe9d/go.mod h1:IxCIyHEi3zRg3s0A5j5BB6A9Jmi73HwBIUl50j+osU4=
-golang.org/x/crypto v0.55.0 h1:+KWHjbgOaAQ66dh/YlkZKHlz9ZUlq61AFirAR9ntP8M=
-golang.org/x/crypto v0.55.0/go.mod h1:uq0V9dE/fzQuJtbnL+2EhWOE63vo164FY8xqEnV9xis=
+golang.org/x/crypto v0.56.0 h1:GUh5Ii4J5jtcseSMiRqr1jXCNHoxjeV9Fmekc2oLy6Y=
+golang.org/x/crypto v0.56.0/go.mod h1:OMW5y6CY9l38uPLmxU6l6pwcXp1obtLo3e6gT7gQR2I=
 golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20260410095643-746e56fc9e2f h1:W3F4c+6OLc6H2lb//N1q4WpJkhzJCK5J6kUi1NTVXfM=
 golang.org/x/exp v0.0.0-20260410095643-746e56fc9e2f/go.mod h1:J1xhfL/vlindoeF/aINzNzt2Bket5bjo9sdOYzOsU80=
 golang.org/x/net v0.0.0-20211112202133-69e39bad7dc2/go.mod h1:9nx3DQGgdP8bBQD5qxJ1jj9UTztislL4KSBs9R2vV5Y=

internal/app/cmd/exec.go

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"crypto/rand"
 	"encoding/hex"
+	"encoding/json/v2"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"maps"
@@ -45,6 +46,8 @@ type executeArgs struct {
 	forcePull             bool
 	forceRebuild          bool
 	jsonLogger            bool
+	inputs                []string
+	inputfile             string
 	envs                  []string
 	envfile               string
 	secrets               []string
@@ -90,6 +93,11 @@ func (i *executeArgs) Envfile() string {
 	return i.resolve(i.envfile)
 }
 
+// Inputfile returns path to .env-format inputfile
+func (i *executeArgs) Inputfile() string {
+	return i.resolve(i.inputfile)
+}
+
 func (i *executeArgs) LoadSecrets() map[string]string {
 	s := make(map[string]string)
 	for _, secretPair := range i.secrets {
@@ -128,19 +136,55 @@ func readEnvs(path string, envs map[string]string) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
-func (i *executeArgs) LoadEnvs() map[string]string {
-	envs := make(map[string]string)
-	if i.envs != nil {
-		for _, envVar := range i.envs {
-			e := strings.SplitN(envVar, `=`, 2)
-			if len(e) == 2 {
-				envs[e[0]] = e[1]
-			} else {
-				envs[e[0]] = ""
-			}
+func (i *executeArgs) LoadVars() map[string]string {
+	return parseKVAndFile(i.vars, "")
+}
+
+func (i *executeArgs) LoadInputs() map[string]string {
+	return parseKVAndFile(i.inputs, i.Inputfile())
+}
+
+// eventJSON assembles the payload the run is triggered with, the `--input` values overriding
+// the inputs the `--eventpath` file carries.
+func (i *executeArgs) eventJSON() (string, error) {
+	payload := []byte("{}")
+	if path := i.resolve(i.eventpath); path != "" {
+		var err error
+		if payload, err = os.ReadFile(path); err != nil {
+			return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to read %s: %w", path, err)
 		}
 	}
-	_ = readEnvs(i.Envfile(), envs)
+
+	cliInputs := i.LoadInputs()
+	if len(cliInputs) == 0 {
+		return string(payload), nil
+	}
+
+	var event map[string]any
+	if err := json.Unmarshal(payload, &event); err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to parse event payload: %w", err)
+	}
+	if event == nil { // a JSON `null` payload unmarshals into a nil map
+		event = make(map[string]any)
+	}
+	inputs, ok := event["inputs"].(map[string]any)
+	if !ok {
+		inputs = make(map[string]any)
+	}
+	for name, value := range cliInputs {
+		inputs[name] = value
+	}
+	event["inputs"] = inputs
+
+	merged, err := json.Marshal(event)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", fmt.Errorf("failed to marshal event payload: %w", err)
+	}
+	return string(merged), nil
+}
+
+func (i *executeArgs) LoadEnvs() map[string]string {
+	envs := parseKVAndFile(i.envs, i.Envfile())
 
 	envs["ACTIONS_CACHE_URL"] = i.cacheHandler.ExternalURL() + "/"
 	// The same server answers the cache service v2 API, so let the actions reach it.
@@ -149,20 +193,19 @@ func (i *executeArgs) LoadEnvs() map[string]string {
 	return envs
 }
 
-func (i *executeArgs) LoadVars() map[string]string {
-	vars := make(map[string]string)
-	if i.vars != nil {
-		for _, runVar := range i.vars {
-			e := strings.SplitN(runVar, `=`, 2)
-			if len(e) == 2 {
-				vars[e[0]] = e[1]
-			} else {
-				vars[e[0]] = ""
-			}
+func parseKVAndFile(rawKVs []string, filePath string) map[string]string {
+	result := make(map[string]string)
+	_ = readEnvs(filePath, result)
+
+	for _, raw := range rawKVs {
+		parts := strings.SplitN(raw, "=", 2)
+		if len(parts) == 2 {
+			result[parts[0]] = parts[1]
+		} else {
+			result[parts[0]] = ""
 		}
 	}
-
-	return vars
+	return result
 }
 
 // Workdir returns path to workdir
@@ -329,6 +372,52 @@ func runExecList(planner model.WorkflowPlanner, execArgs *executeArgs) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func (i *executeArgs) runnerConfig(eventName string, env, proxyEnv map[string]string, maxLifetime time.Duration, sharedToolCache bool) (*runner.Config, error) {
+	eventJSON, err := i.eventJSON()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return &runner.Config{
+		Workdir:               i.Workdir(),
+		BindWorkdir:           false,
+		ForcePull:             i.forcePull,
+		ForceRebuild:          i.forceRebuild,
+		JSONLogger:            i.jsonLogger,
+		Env:                   env,
+		ProxyEnv:              proxyEnv,
+		Vars:                  i.LoadVars(),
+		Secrets:               i.LoadSecrets(),
+		InsecureSecrets:       i.insecureSecrets,
+		Privileged:            i.privileged,
+		UsernsMode:            i.usernsMode,
+		ContainerArchitecture: i.containerArchitecture,
+		ContainerDaemonSocket: i.containerDaemonSocket,
+		UseGitIgnore:          i.useGitIgnore,
+		GitHubInstance:        i.githubInstance,
+		ContainerCapAdd:       i.containerCapAdd,
+		ContainerCapDrop:      i.containerCapDrop,
+		ContainerOptions:      i.containerOptions,
+		ArtifactServerPath:    i.artifactServerPath,
+		ArtifactServerPort:    i.artifactServerPort,
+		ArtifactServerAddr:    i.artifactServerAddr,
+		NoSkipCheckout:        i.noSkipCheckout,
+		EventName:             eventName,
+		EventJSON:             eventJSON,
+		// PresetGitHubContext:   preset,
+		ContainerNamePrefix:               "GITEA-ACTIONS-TASK-" + eventName,
+		ContainerMaxLifetime:              maxLifetime,
+		ContainerNetworkMode:              container.NetworkMode(i.network),
+		DefaultActionInstance:             i.defaultActionsURL,
+		DefaultActionInstanceIsSelfHosted: i.defaultActionsURL != "" && i.defaultActionsURL != "https://github.com",
+		PlatformPicker: func(_ []string) string {
+			return i.image
+		},
+		ValidVolumes:    []string{"**"}, // All volumes are allowed for `exec` command
+		SharedToolCache: sharedToolCache,
+	}, nil
+}
+
 func runExec(ctx context.Context, execArgs *executeArgs) func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 	return func(cmd *cobra.Command, args []string) error {
 		planner, err := model.NewWorkflowPlanner(execArgs.WorkflowsPath(), execArgs.noWorkflowRecurse)
@@ -445,43 +534,9 @@ func runExec(ctx context.Context, execArgs *executeArgs) func(cmd *cobra.Command
 		}
 
 		// run the plan
-		config := &runner.Config{
-			Workdir:               execArgs.Workdir(),
-			BindWorkdir:           false,
-			ForcePull:             execArgs.forcePull,
-			ForceRebuild:          execArgs.forceRebuild,
-			JSONLogger:            execArgs.jsonLogger,
-			Env:                   env,
-			ProxyEnv:              proxyEnv,
-			Vars:                  execArgs.LoadVars(),
-			Secrets:               execArgs.LoadSecrets(),
-			InsecureSecrets:       execArgs.insecureSecrets,
-			Privileged:            execArgs.privileged,
-			UsernsMode:            execArgs.usernsMode,
-			ContainerArchitecture: execArgs.containerArchitecture,
-			ContainerDaemonSocket: execArgs.containerDaemonSocket,
-			UseGitIgnore:          execArgs.useGitIgnore,
-			GitHubInstance:        execArgs.githubInstance,
-			ContainerCapAdd:       execArgs.containerCapAdd,
-			ContainerCapDrop:      execArgs.containerCapDrop,
-			ContainerOptions:      execArgs.containerOptions,
-			ArtifactServerPath:    execArgs.artifactServerPath,
-			ArtifactServerPort:    execArgs.artifactServerPort,
-			ArtifactServerAddr:    execArgs.artifactServerAddr,
-			NoSkipCheckout:        execArgs.noSkipCheckout,
-			EventPath:             execArgs.resolve(execArgs.eventpath),
-			// PresetGitHubContext:   preset,
-			// EventJSON:             string(eventJSON),
-			ContainerNamePrefix:               "GITEA-ACTIONS-TASK-" + eventName,
-			ContainerMaxLifetime:              maxLifetime,
-			ContainerNetworkMode:              container.NetworkMode(execArgs.network),
-			DefaultActionInstance:             execArgs.defaultActionsURL,
-			DefaultActionInstanceIsSelfHosted: execArgs.defaultActionsURL != "" && execArgs.defaultActionsURL != "https://github.com",
-			PlatformPicker: func(_ []string) string {
-				return execArgs.image
-			},
-			ValidVolumes:    []string{"**"}, // All volumes are allowed for `exec` command
-			SharedToolCache: shared,
+		config, err := execArgs.runnerConfig(eventName, env, proxyEnv, maxLifetime, shared)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
 		}
 
 		config.Env["ACT_EXEC"] = "true"
@@ -536,7 +591,9 @@ func loadExecCmd(ctx context.Context) *cobra.Command {
 	execCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&execArg.forcePull, "pull", "p", false, "pull docker image(s) even if already present")
 	execCmd.Flags().BoolVarP(&execArg.forceRebuild, "rebuild", "", false, "rebuild local action docker image(s) even if already present")
 	execCmd.PersistentFlags().BoolVar(&execArg.jsonLogger, "json", false, "Output logs in json format")
-	execCmd.Flags().StringArrayVarP(&execArg.envs, "env", "", []string{}, "env to make available to actions with optional value (e.g. --env myenv=foo or --env myenv)")
+	execCmd.Flags().StringArrayVarP(&execArg.inputs, "input", "", []string{}, "set an input the workflow declares under its workflow_dispatch or workflow_call trigger, others stay invisible to the inputs context (e.g. --input name=bar; can be specified multiple times with highest precedence)")
+	execCmd.Flags().StringVarP(&execArg.inputfile, "input-file", "", "", "path to an .env-format file containing key=value pairs as baseline workflow inputs (override event inputs)")
+	execCmd.Flags().StringArrayVarP(&execArg.envs, "env", "", []string{}, "env to make available to actions with optional value (e.g. --env myenv=foo or --env myenv; override env-file)")
 	execCmd.PersistentFlags().StringVarP(&execArg.envfile, "env-file", "", ".env", "environment file to read and use as env in the containers")
 	execCmd.Flags().StringArrayVarP(&execArg.secrets, "secret", "s", []string{}, "secret to make available to actions with optional value (e.g. -s mysecret=foo or -s mysecret)")
 	execCmd.Flags().StringArrayVarP(&execArg.vars, "var", "", []string{}, "variable to make available to actions with optional value (e.g. --var myvar=foo or --var myvar)")

internal/app/cmd/exec_test.go

@@ -56,6 +56,81 @@ func TestExecuteArgsPaths(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Equal(t, workdir, args.Workdir())
 }
 
+func TestExecuteArgsLoadInputs(t *testing.T) {
+	require.Empty(t, (&executeArgs{}).LoadInputs())
+
+	dir := t.TempDir()
+	envFile := filepath.Join(dir, ".env")
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(envFile, []byte("BAZ=qux\nOVERRIDE=from_file\n"), 0o600))
+
+	args := &executeArgs{inputs: []string{"FOO=bar", "EMPTY", "WITH=eq=sign", "OVERRIDE=from_cli"}, inputfile: envFile}
+	require.Equal(t, map[string]string{
+		"FOO":      "bar",
+		"EMPTY":    "",
+		"WITH":     "eq=sign",
+		"BAZ":      "qux",
+		"OVERRIDE": "from_cli",
+	}, args.LoadInputs())
+}
+
+func TestExecuteArgsEventJSON(t *testing.T) {
+	payload := func(content string) string {
+		path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "event.json")
+		require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(path, []byte(content), 0o600))
+		return path
+	}
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name      string
+		eventpath string
+		inputs    []string
+		expected  string
+	}{
+		{
+			name:      "keeps a payload without inputs to merge",
+			eventpath: payload(`{"inputs": {"kept": "from_event"}}`),
+			expected:  `{"inputs": {"kept": "from_event"}}`,
+		},
+		{
+			name:      "overrides the event inputs it names, keeping the rest",
+			eventpath: payload(`{"inputs": {"kept": "from_event", "named": "from_event"}}`),
+			inputs:    []string{"named=from_cli"},
+			expected:  `{"inputs": {"kept": "from_event", "named": "from_cli"}}`,
+		},
+		{
+			name:      "adds inputs to a payload carrying none",
+			eventpath: payload(`{"repository": {"name": "test-repo"}}`),
+			inputs:    []string{"flag=val"},
+			expected:  `{"repository": {"name": "test-repo"}, "inputs": {"flag": "val"}}`,
+		},
+		{
+			name:      "handles a null payload",
+			eventpath: payload("null"),
+			inputs:    []string{"flag=val"},
+			expected:  `{"inputs": {"flag": "val"}}`,
+		},
+		{
+			name:     "builds a payload without an event file",
+			inputs:   []string{"flag=val"},
+			expected: `{"inputs": {"flag": "val"}}`,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			eventJSON, err := (&executeArgs{eventpath: tt.eventpath, inputs: tt.inputs}).eventJSON()
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.JSONEq(t, tt.expected, eventJSON)
+		})
+	}
+
+	args := &executeArgs{inputs: []string{"flag=val"}}
+	config, err := args.runnerConfig("workflow_dispatch", nil, nil, 0, false)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	require.JSONEq(t, `{"inputs": {"flag": "val"}}`, config.EventJSON)
+	require.Equal(t, "workflow_dispatch", config.EventName) // the inputs context stays empty without it
+}
+
 func TestExecuteArgsLoadVars(t *testing.T) {
 	require.Empty(t, (&executeArgs{}).LoadVars())
 

internal/app/cmd/register_test.go

@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ func TestRegisterInputsValidate(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestValidateLabels(t *testing.T) {
 	require.NoError(t, validateLabels([]string{"ubuntu:host", "ubuntu:docker://node:18"}))
+	require.NoError(t, validateLabels([]string{"macos-latest:macos-vm://ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-sonoma-base:latest"}))
 	// a colon that is not a supported schema is part of the label name
 	require.NoError(t, validateLabels([]string{"pool:e57e18d4-10d4-406f-93bf-60f127221bdd"}))
 	require.Error(t, validateLabels([]string{"ubuntu:host", ""}))

internal/app/run/runner.go

@@ -144,6 +144,9 @@ func (r *Runner) Close() error {
 // removeOrphanNetworks is a variable so tests can substitute one that needs no Docker daemon.
 var removeOrphanNetworks = container.RemoveOrphanNetworks
 
+// removeOrphanMacOSVMs is a variable so tests can substitute one that needs no macOS VM executor.
+var removeOrphanMacOSVMs = container.CleanupOrphanMacOSVMs
+
 // OnIdle performs lightweight maintenance during polling idle windows.
 // It runs synchronously on the poller goroutine; shouldRunIdleCleanup
 // throttles invocations to runner.idle_cleanup_interval so the impact on
@@ -166,6 +169,7 @@ func (r *Runner) OnIdle(ctx context.Context) {
 		r.cleanupStaleDirs(ctx, hostRoot, isHostScratchDir)
 	}
 	r.cleanupOrphanNetworks(ctx)
+	r.cleanupOrphanMacOSVMs(ctx)
 }
 
 // cleanupOrphanNetworks reclaims the per-job networks of jobs this runner did not live to
@@ -182,6 +186,16 @@ func (r *Runner) cleanupOrphanNetworks(ctx context.Context) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (r *Runner) cleanupOrphanMacOSVMs(ctx context.Context) {
+	if r.uuid == "" || !r.labels.RequireMacOSVM() || r.cfg.Runner.WorkdirCleanupAge <= 0 {
+		return
+	}
+	cutoff := r.now().Add(-r.cfg.Runner.WorkdirCleanupAge)
+	if err := removeOrphanMacOSVMs(ctx, r.cfg.MacOSVM.ExecutorPath, r.uuid, cutoff); err != nil {
+		log.Warnf("failed to clean up macOS VMs left behind by earlier jobs: %v", err)
+	}
+}
+
 func (r *Runner) shouldRunIdleCleanup() bool {
 	if r.cfg.Runner.WorkdirCleanupAge <= 0 || r.cfg.Runner.IdleCleanupInterval <= 0 {
 		return false
@@ -548,8 +562,16 @@ func (r *Runner) run(ctx context.Context, task *runnerv1.Task, reporter *report.
 		Vars:                              task.Vars,
 		ValidVolumes:                      r.cfg.Container.ValidVolumes,
 		SharedToolCache:                   r.cfg.Runner.ToolCacheMode == config.ToolCacheModeShared,
-		InsecureSkipTLS:                   r.cfg.Runner.Insecure,
-		RunnerName:                        r.name,
+		MacOSVM: runner.MacOSVMConfig{
+			ExecutorPath:  r.cfg.MacOSVM.ExecutorPath,
+			WorkdirParent: r.cfg.MacOSVM.WorkdirParent,
+			CPU:           r.cfg.MacOSVM.CPU,
+			Memory:        r.cfg.MacOSVM.Memory,
+			BootTimeout:   r.cfg.MacOSVM.BootTimeout,
+		},
+		InsecureSkipTLS: r.cfg.Runner.Insecure,
+		RunnerUUID:      r.uuid,
+		RunnerName:      r.name,
 	}
 
 	rr, err := runner.New(runnerConfig)

internal/app/run/runner_idle_cleanup_test.go

@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"time"
 
 	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/internal/pkg/config"
+	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/internal/pkg/labels"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
@@ -331,3 +332,37 @@ func TestRunnerOnIdleRemovesOrphanNetworks(t *testing.T) {
 	hostOnly.OnIdle(context.Background())
 	assert.Equal(t, []string{"runner-1"}, swept)
 }
+
+func TestRunnerOnIdleRemovesOrphanMacOSVMs(t *testing.T) {
+	now := time.Date(2026, time.April, 29, 20, 0, 0, 0, time.UTC)
+	cfg := &config.Config{
+		Runner: config.Runner{
+			WorkdirCleanupAge:   24 * time.Hour,
+			IdleCleanupInterval: time.Minute,
+		},
+	}
+	macOSVMLabel, err := labels.Parse("macos-latest:macos-vm://ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-sonoma-base:latest")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	var swept []string
+	var sweptCutoff time.Time
+	origRemoveOrphanMacOSVMs := removeOrphanMacOSVMs
+	removeOrphanMacOSVMs = func(_ context.Context, _, runnerUUID string, accessedBefore time.Time) error {
+		swept = append(swept, runnerUUID)
+		sweptCutoff = accessedBefore
+		return nil
+	}
+	t.Cleanup(func() { removeOrphanMacOSVMs = origRemoveOrphanMacOSVMs })
+
+	r := &Runner{uuid: "runner-1", cfg: cfg, labels: labels.Labels{macOSVMLabel}, now: func() time.Time { return now }}
+	r.OnIdle(context.Background())
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"runner-1"}, swept)
+	assert.Equal(t, now.Add(-24*time.Hour), sweptCutoff)
+
+	// a docker-only runner has no macOS VMs to sweep
+	dockerLabel, err := labels.Parse("ubuntu:docker://node:18")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	dockerOnly := &Runner{uuid: "runner-2", cfg: &config.Config{Runner: cfg.Runner}, labels: labels.Labels{dockerLabel}, now: func() time.Time { return now }}
+	dockerOnly.OnIdle(context.Background())
+	assert.Equal(t, []string{"runner-1"}, swept)
+}

internal/pkg/config/config.example.yaml

@@ -92,7 +92,8 @@ runner:
   # at the price of the stock artifact actions refusing and the cache client keeping to v1.
   #patch_actions: true
   # The labels of a runner are used to determine which jobs the runner can run, and how to run them.
-  # Like: "macos-arm64:host" or "ubuntu-latest:docker://docker.gitea.com/runner-images:ubuntu-latest"
+  # Like: "macos-arm64:host", "ubuntu-latest:docker://docker.gitea.com/runner-images:ubuntu-latest",
+  # or "macos-latest:macos-vm://ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-sonoma-base:latest"
   # Find more images provided by Gitea at https://gitea.com/gitea/runner-images .
   # If it's empty when registering, it will ask for inputting labels.
   # If it's empty when execute `daemon`, will use labels in `.runner` file.
@@ -260,7 +261,7 @@ container:
   # This is required for Docker-in-Docker (DinD) setups when jobs use docker compose
   # with bind mounts (e.g., ".:/app"), as volume-based workspaces are not accessible
   # from the DinD daemon's filesystem. When enabled, ensure the workspace parent
-  # directory is also mounted into the runner container and listed in valid_volumes.
+  # directory is also mounted into the runner container.
   #bind_workdir: false
   # How long a job waits for a service container that declares a healthcheck to become
   # healthy. A negative value (e.g. -1s) starts the steps without waiting.
@@ -271,6 +272,19 @@ host:
   # If it's empty, $HOME/.cache/act/ will be used.
   #workdir_parent:
 
+macos_vm:
+  # Path to the runner-executor-macos binary. Empty uses PATH lookup.
+  #executor_path: runner-executor-macos
+  # The guest directory under which the job workspace is created. The VM must run
+  # as a user that can write there.
+  #workdir_parent: /Users/admin/runner
+  # Number of virtual CPUs. Omit or set to 0 to keep the image default.
+  #cpu: 0
+  # VM memory in megabytes. Omit or set to 0 to keep the image default.
+  #memory: 0
+  # How long to wait for the VM to become ready after it starts.
+  #boot_timeout: 5m
+
 # Optional local task-admission checks. Disabled by default. When enabled, low
 # disk space or a failing script pauses new task fetching; existing jobs continue.
 # No health checks run while any job is active; the last result is reused until idle.

internal/pkg/config/config.go

@@ -179,6 +179,15 @@ type Host struct {
 	WorkdirParent string `yaml:"workdir_parent"` // WorkdirParent specifies the parent directory for the host's working directory.
 }
 
+// MacOSVM represents the configuration for the macOS VM executor.
+type MacOSVM struct {
+	ExecutorPath  string        `yaml:"executor_path"`  // ExecutorPath is the runner-executor-macos binary to invoke.
+	WorkdirParent string        `yaml:"workdir_parent"` // WorkdirParent is the guest directory under which the job workspace is created.
+	CPU           int           `yaml:"cpu"`            // CPU is the number of virtual CPUs. Zero keeps the image default.
+	Memory        int           `yaml:"memory"`         // Memory is the VM memory in megabytes. Zero keeps the image default.
+	BootTimeout   time.Duration `yaml:"boot_timeout"`   // BootTimeout bounds how long to wait for the VM to become ready.
+}
+
 // Metrics represents the configuration for the Prometheus metrics endpoint.
 type Metrics struct {
 	Enabled        bool          `yaml:"enabled"`         // Enabled indicates whether the metrics endpoint is exposed.
@@ -203,6 +212,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	Cache       Cache       `yaml:"cache"`        // Cache represents the configuration for caching.
 	Container   Container   `yaml:"container"`    // Container represents the configuration for the container.
 	Host        Host        `yaml:"host"`         // Host represents the configuration for the host.
+	MacOSVM     MacOSVM     `yaml:"macos_vm"`     // MacOSVM represents the configuration for the macOS VM executor.
 	Metrics     Metrics     `yaml:"metrics"`      // Metrics represents the configuration for the Prometheus metrics endpoint.
 	HealthCheck HealthCheck `yaml:"health_check"` // HealthCheck controls opt-in local task-admission checks.
 }
@@ -300,6 +310,15 @@ func LoadDefault(file string) (*Config, error) {
 		}
 		cfg.Host.WorkdirParent = filepath.Join(home, ".cache", "act")
 	}
+	if cfg.MacOSVM.ExecutorPath == "" {
+		cfg.MacOSVM.ExecutorPath = "runner-executor-macos"
+	}
+	if cfg.MacOSVM.WorkdirParent == "" {
+		cfg.MacOSVM.WorkdirParent = "/Users/admin/runner"
+	}
+	if cfg.MacOSVM.BootTimeout <= 0 {
+		cfg.MacOSVM.BootTimeout = 5 * time.Minute
+	}
 	if cfg.Runner.FetchTimeout <= 0 {
 		cfg.Runner.FetchTimeout = 5 * time.Second
 	}

internal/pkg/config/config_test.go

@@ -67,6 +67,31 @@ func TestLoadDefault_DefaultsWorkdirCleanupAge(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, DefaultImage, cfg.Runner.DefaultImage)
 }
 
+func TestLoadDefault_MacOSVMDefaults(t *testing.T) {
+	cfg, err := LoadDefault("")
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "runner-executor-macos", cfg.MacOSVM.ExecutorPath)
+	assert.Equal(t, "/Users/admin/runner", cfg.MacOSVM.WorkdirParent)
+	assert.Equal(t, 5*time.Minute, cfg.MacOSVM.BootTimeout)
+
+	path := filepath.Join(t.TempDir(), "config.yaml")
+	require.NoError(t, os.WriteFile(path, []byte(`
+macos_vm:
+  executor_path: /usr/local/bin/runner-executor-macos
+  workdir_parent: /Users/runner
+  cpu: 4
+  memory: 8192
+  boot_timeout: 3m
+`), 0o600))
+	cfg, err = LoadDefault(path)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+	assert.Equal(t, "/usr/local/bin/runner-executor-macos", cfg.MacOSVM.ExecutorPath)
+	assert.Equal(t, "/Users/runner", cfg.MacOSVM.WorkdirParent)
+	assert.Equal(t, 4, cfg.MacOSVM.CPU)
+	assert.Equal(t, 8192, cfg.MacOSVM.Memory)
+	assert.Equal(t, 3*time.Minute, cfg.MacOSVM.BootTimeout)
+}
+
 func TestLoadDefault_HealthChecksAreOptIn(t *testing.T) {
 	cfg, err := LoadDefault("")
 	require.NoError(t, err)

internal/pkg/labels/labels.go

@@ -9,11 +9,15 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	SchemeHost   = "host"
-	SchemeDocker = "docker"
+	SchemeHost    = "host"
+	SchemeDocker  = "docker"
+	SchemeMacOSVM = "macos-vm"
 
 	// SelfHostedPlatform is the platform marker act treats as "run on the host".
 	SelfHostedPlatform = "-self-hosted"
+
+	// MacOSVMSchemePrefix marks a platform image that act should run in a macOS VM.
+	MacOSVMSchemePrefix = "macos-vm://"
 )
 
 type Label struct {
@@ -42,7 +46,7 @@ func Parse(str string) (*Label, error) {
 	if len(splits) >= 3 {
 		label.Arg = splits[2]
 	}
-	if label.Schema != SchemeHost && label.Schema != SchemeDocker {
+	if label.Schema != SchemeHost && label.Schema != SchemeDocker && label.Schema != SchemeMacOSVM {
 		// Not a schema we know: the colon belongs to the label name itself.
 		return &Label{
 			Name:   str,
@@ -64,6 +68,15 @@ func (l Labels) RequireDocker() bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+func (l Labels) RequireMacOSVM() bool {
+	for _, label := range l {
+		if label.Schema == SchemeMacOSVM {
+			return true
+		}
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
 // PickPlatform returns the platform of the first runs-on entry this runner has a label for, or "".
 func (l Labels) PickPlatform(runsOn []string) string {
 	platforms := make(map[string]string, len(l))
@@ -72,10 +85,12 @@ func (l Labels) PickPlatform(runsOn []string) string {
 		case SchemeDocker:
 			// "//" will be ignored
 			platforms[label.Name] = strings.TrimPrefix(label.Arg, "//")
+		case SchemeMacOSVM:
+			platforms[label.Name] = MacOSVMSchemePrefix + strings.TrimPrefix(label.Arg, "//")
 		case SchemeHost:
 			platforms[label.Name] = SelfHostedPlatform
 		default:
-			// unreachable: Parse only produces host or docker schemas
+			// unreachable: Parse only produces host, docker, or macOS VM schemas
 			continue
 		}
 	}

internal/pkg/labels/labels_test.go

@@ -25,6 +25,15 @@ func TestParse(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			wantErr: false,
 		},
+		{
+			args: "macos-latest:macos-vm://ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-sonoma-base:latest",
+			want: &Label{
+				Name:   "macos-latest",
+				Schema: "macos-vm",
+				Arg:    "//ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-sonoma-base:latest",
+			},
+			wantErr: false,
+		},
 		{
 			args: "ubuntu:host",
 			want: &Label{
@@ -103,6 +112,7 @@ func TestRequireDocker(t *testing.T) {
 		{"empty", nil, false},
 		{"only host", []string{"ubuntu:host", "self-hosted"}, false},
 		{"has docker", []string{"ubuntu:host", "ubuntu:docker://node:18"}, true},
+		{"macos-vm does not require docker", []string{"macos-latest:macos-vm://ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-sonoma-base:latest"}, false},
 	}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
@@ -111,10 +121,29 @@ func TestRequireDocker(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestRequireMacOSVM(t *testing.T) {
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		strs []string
+		want bool
+	}{
+		{"empty", nil, false},
+		{"only host", []string{"ubuntu:host", "self-hosted"}, false},
+		{"only docker", []string{"ubuntu:docker://node:18"}, false},
+		{"has macos-vm", []string{"macos-latest:macos-vm://ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-sonoma-base:latest"}, true},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			require.Equal(t, tt.want, mustParse(t, tt.strs...).RequireMacOSVM())
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func TestPickPlatform(t *testing.T) {
 	ls := mustParse(t,
 		"ubuntu:docker://node:18",
 		"self-hosted:host",
+		"macos-latest:macos-vm://ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-sonoma-base:latest",
 	)
 
 	tests := []struct {
@@ -124,6 +153,7 @@ func TestPickPlatform(t *testing.T) {
 	}{
 		{"docker strips leading slashes", []string{"ubuntu"}, "node:18"},
 		{"host maps to self-hosted marker", []string{"self-hosted"}, SelfHostedPlatform},
+		{"macos-vm prefixes platform marker", []string{"macos-latest"}, MacOSVMSchemePrefix + "ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-sonoma-base:latest"},
 		{"first match wins", []string{"self-hosted", "ubuntu"}, SelfHostedPlatform},
 		{"unknown label picks nothing", []string{"windows"}, ""},
 		{"no runsOn picks nothing", nil, ""},
@@ -145,12 +175,14 @@ func TestToStrings(t *testing.T) {
 	ls := mustParse(t,
 		"ubuntu:docker://node:18",
 		"self-hosted:host",
+		"macos-latest:macos-vm://ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-sonoma-base:latest",
 		"bare",
 		"pool:e57e18d4",
 	)
 	require.Equal(t, []string{
 		"ubuntu:docker://node:18",
 		"self-hosted:host",
+		"macos-latest:macos-vm://ghcr.io/cirruslabs/macos-sonoma-base:latest",
 		"bare:host",
 		"pool:e57e18d4",
 	}, ls.ToStrings())

internal/pkg/report/reporter.go

@@ -783,8 +783,9 @@ var cmdRegex = regexp.MustCompile(`^::([^ :]+)( [^:]*)?::(.*)$`)
 // handleCommand takes value still escaped, so that the web UI decodes it exactly once. Only
 // the branches that consume the payload here decode it.
 func (r *Reporter) handleCommand(originalContent, command, properties, value string) *string {
+	command = strings.ToLower(command) // GitHub matches command names case-insensitively
 	if r.stopCommandEndToken != "" {
-		if command != r.stopCommandEndToken {
+		if !strings.EqualFold(command, r.stopCommandEndToken) {
 			return &originalContent
 		}
 		// Resumed here rather than from the switch, because the end token is arbitrary and a
@@ -871,13 +872,20 @@ func parseCommandProperties(properties string) map[string]string {
 	return props
 }
 
+func cutPrefixFold(s, prefix string) (string, bool) {
+	if len(s) < len(prefix) || !strings.EqualFold(s[:len(prefix)], prefix) {
+		return s, false
+	}
+	return s[len(prefix):], true
+}
+
 func (r *Reporter) parseLogRow(entry *log.Entry) *runnerv1.LogRow {
 	content := strings.TrimRight(entry.Message, "\r\n")
 
 	// cmdRegex only covers the ::cmd:: form, so the ##[add-mask] one would otherwise reach
 	// the log carrying its own secret. Registered and dropped like its ::add-mask:: twin.
-	if arg, ok := strings.CutPrefix(content, "##[add-mask]"); ok {
-		r.addMask(runner.UnescapeCommandData(arg))
+	if arg, ok := cutPrefixFold(content, "##[add-mask]"); ok {
+		r.addMask(runner.UnescapeLegacyCommand(arg))
 		return nil
 	}
 

internal/pkg/report/reporter_test.go

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import (
 	"gitea.com/gitea/runner/internal/pkg/metrics"
 
 	connect_go "connectrpc.com/connect"
+	"gitea.dev/actionslib/pkg/model"
 	runnerv1 "gitea.dev/actionslib/runner/v1"
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 	logrustest "github.com/sirupsen/logrus/hooks/test"
@@ -273,14 +274,14 @@ func TestReporter_Fire(t *testing.T) {
 			"stepID":     []string{"0", "0"},
 			"stepNumber": 0,
 			"raw_output": true,
-			"stepResult": "failure",
+			"stepResult": model.StepStatusFailure,
 		}}))
 		assert.Equal(t, runnerv1.Result_RESULT_UNSPECIFIED, reporter.state.Steps[0].Result)
 		require.NoError(t, reporter.Fire(&log.Entry{Message: "step result", Data: map[string]any{
 			"stage":      "Main",
 			"stepNumber": 0,
 			"raw_output": true,
-			"stepResult": "success",
+			"stepResult": model.StepStatusSuccess,
 		}}))
 		assert.Equal(t, runnerv1.Result_RESULT_SUCCESS, reporter.state.Steps[0].Result)