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Tabby AI Keyboard uses GitHub Actions to automatically build and release Windows installers. This guide explains how the release workflow functions and how to trigger new releases.

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Release Workflow Overview

The release workflow is defined in .github/workflows/release.yml:1-46 and automatically:
  1. Builds the Windows application on a Windows runner
  2. Creates a production .exe installer
  3. Publishes a draft GitHub Release
  4. Attaches the installer to the release

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Prerequisites

1

Configure GitHub Secrets

Add these secrets to your GitHub repository settings (Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions):
Secret NameDescription
GH_TOKENGitHub Personal Access Token (classic) with repo scope
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URLYour Supabase project URL
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEYYour Supabase anonymous key
NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_NAMEApplication display name
NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_ICONApplication icon path
NEXT_PUBLIC_API_URLBackend API URL
NEXT_PUBLIC_MEMORY_API_URLMemory service API URL
Ensure your GH_TOKEN has the repo scope enabled. This is required for creating releases and uploading assets.
2

Verify package.json version

Update the version in frontend/package.json:
{
  "name": "tabby",
  "version": "0.1.1",
  // ...
}
The version number will be used for the Git tag and release name.

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Triggering a Release

1

Navigate to frontend directory

cd frontend
2

Run the release command

pnpm run release
Or with npm:
npm run release
This script (package.json:30):
  • Reads the version from package.json
  • Creates a Git tag (e.g., v0.1.1)
  • Pushes the tag to GitHub
  • Triggers the GitHub Actions workflow

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Method 2: Manual Git commands

Alternatively, you can create and push tags manually: 
# Create a tag matching the version
git tag v0.1.1

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Method 3: Manual workflow dispatch

You can also trigger the workflow manually from GitHub:
  1. Go to Actions tab in your repository
  2. Select Release workflow
  3. Click Run workflow
  4. Select the branch and click Run workflow
Manual dispatch is useful for re-running failed builds or testing the workflow.

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Release Workflow Details

The workflow runs on windows-latest and executes the following steps:
1

Checkout code

Clones the repository at the tagged commit:
- name: Checkout
  uses: actions/checkout@v4
2

Setup build environment

Installs pnpm 9 and Node.js 20 with dependency caching:
- name: Install pnpm
  uses: pnpm/action-setup@v4
  with:
    version: 9

- name: Install Node.js
  uses: actions/setup-node@v4
  with:
    node-version: 20
    cache: "pnpm"
    cache-dependency-path: frontend/pnpm-lock.yaml
3

Install dependencies

- name: Install dependencies
  run: |
    cd frontend
    pnpm install
4

Build and publish

Builds the application and creates the GitHub Release:
- name: Build and Publish
  run: |
    cd frontend
    pnpm run dist
  env:
    GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GH_TOKEN }}
    # ... environment variables
The electron-builder configuration (package.json:141-147) automatically publishes to GitHub:
"publish": [
  {
    "provider": "github",
    "owner": "CubeStar1",
    "repo": "ai-keyboard",
    "releaseType": "draft"
  }
]

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Release Artifacts

After the workflow completes successfully:
  1. A draft release is created at https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-REPO/releases
  2. The Windows installer (.exe) is automatically attached
  3. The release name follows the format: v${version} (e.g., v0.1.1)
Releases are created as drafts by default. You’ll need to manually publish them from the GitHub Releases page after reviewing.

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Workflow Triggers

The release workflow triggers on: 
on:
  push:
    tags:
      - "v*"
  workflow_dispatch:
  • Tag push: Any tag starting with v (e.g., v0.1.0, v1.2.3-beta)
  • Manual dispatch: Can be triggered manually from GitHub Actions UI

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Best Practices

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Versioning Strategy

Follow semantic versioning:
  • Major (v1.0.0): Breaking changes
  • Minor (v0.1.0): New features, backwards compatible
  • Patch (v0.0.1): Bug fixes

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Pre-release Tags

For beta or alpha releases: 
git tag v0.2.0-beta.1
git push origin v0.2.0-beta.1

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Testing Before Release

  1. Test the local build first: 
    cd frontend
pnpm run dist
  2. Verify the installer works on a clean Windows system
  3. Only then trigger the GitHub release
Once a release is published, avoid deleting tags or releases. If you need to fix issues, increment the version and create a new release.

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Troubleshooting

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Workflow Fails at Build Step

  • Check that all GitHub Secrets are configured correctly
  • Review the workflow logs for specific error messages
  • Ensure the version in package.json is valid

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Release Not Created

  • Verify GH_TOKEN has repo scope
  • Check that the tag format matches v* pattern
  • Ensure electron-builder publish configuration is correct

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Multiple Releases for Same Tag

If you push the same tag multiple times:
  1. Delete the existing release from GitHub
  2. Delete the tag: git tag -d v0.1.0 && git push origin :refs/tags/v0.1.0
  3. Create a new tag with incremented version

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