docker buildx build failed because of "no such file or directory" error

[neilime]

Contributing guidelines

• I've read the contributing guidelines and wholeheartedly agree

I've found a bug, and:

• The documentation does not mention anything about my problem
• There are no open or closed issues that are related to my problem

Description

I'm having a issue using the action, it looks like the action does not checking out the code.

1. Creating a new repository
2. Adding dockerfile in a dedicated tests folder
3. Creating CI workflow (Based on https://docs.docker.com/build/ci/github-actions/multi-platform/#distribute-build-across-multiple-runners)
4. Commit and push
5. Get the following error: Error: buildx failed with: ERROR: failed to build: resolve : lstat tests: no such file or directory

https://github.com/hoverkraft-tech/test-docker-build-images/actions/runs/18471224671/job/52625652306

Expected behaviour

The workflow should not fail

Actual behaviour

Got the error: Error: buildx failed with: ERROR: failed to build: resolve : lstat tests: no such file or directory

Repository URL

https://github.com/hoverkraft-tech/test-docker-build-images

Workflow run URL

https://github.com/hoverkraft-tech/test-docker-build-images/actions/runs/18471224671/job/52625652306

YAML workflow

name: ci

on:
  push:

  workflow_dispatch:

env:
  REGISTRY_IMAGE: ghcr.io/hoverkraft-tech/test-docker-build-images/docker-docs-test

permissions:
  contents: read
  packages: write

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    strategy:
      fail-fast: false
      matrix:
        platform:
          - linux/amd64
          - linux/arm64
    steps:
      - name: Prepare
        run: |
          platform=${{ matrix.platform }}
          echo "PLATFORM_PAIR=${platform//\//-}" >> $GITHUB_ENV

      - name: Docker meta
        id: meta
        uses: docker/metadata-action@v5
        with:
          images: ${{ env.REGISTRY_IMAGE }}

      - name: Login to registry
        uses: docker/login-action@v3
        with:
          username: ${{ github.repository_owner }}
          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
          registry: ghcr.io

      - name: Set up QEMU
        uses: docker/setup-qemu-action@v3

      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3

      #   - uses: actions/checkout@v5 # FIXME: needed?

      - name: Build and push by digest
        id: build
        uses: docker/build-push-action@v6
        with:
          platforms: ${{ matrix.platform }}
          labels: ${{ steps.meta.outputs.labels }}
          tags: ${{ env.REGISTRY_IMAGE }}
          outputs: type=image,push-by-digest=true,name-canonical=true,push=true
          file: ./tests/application/Dockerfile
          context: .
          build-args: |
            BUILD_RUN_ID=${{ github.run_id }}

      - name: Export digest
        run: |
          mkdir -p ${{ runner.temp }}/digests
          digest="${{ steps.build.outputs.digest }}"
          touch "${{ runner.temp }}/digests/${digest#sha256:}"

      - name: Upload digest
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: digests-${{ env.PLATFORM_PAIR }}
          path: ${{ runner.temp }}/digests/*
          if-no-files-found: error
          retention-days: 1

  merge:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    needs:
      - build
    steps:
      - name: Download digests
        uses: actions/download-artifact@v4
        with:
          path: ${{ runner.temp }}/digests
          pattern: digests-*
          merge-multiple: true

      - name: Login to registry
        uses: docker/login-action@v3
        with:
          username: ${{ github.repository_owner }}
          password: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
          registry: ghcr.io

      - name: Set up Docker Buildx
        uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v3

      - name: Docker meta
        id: meta
        uses: docker/metadata-action@v5
        with:
          images: ${{ env.REGISTRY_IMAGE }}
          tags: |
            type=ref,event=branch
            type=ref,event=pr
            type=semver,pattern={{version}}
            type=semver,pattern={{major}}.{{minor}}

      - name: Create manifest list and push
        working-directory: ${{ runner.temp }}/digests
        run: |
          docker buildx imagetools create $(jq -cr '.tags | map("-t " + .) | join(" ")' <<< "$DOCKER_METADATA_OUTPUT_JSON") \
            $(printf '${{ env.REGISTRY_IMAGE }}@sha256:%s ' *)

      - name: Inspect image
        run: |
          docker buildx imagetools inspect ${{ env.REGISTRY_IMAGE }}:${{ steps.meta.outputs.version }}

Workflow logs

logs_47513302738.zip

BuildKit logs

Additional info

Maybe the issue is because, it is the first commit in the repo

[crazy-max]

context: .

It's expected if you set a local context, then yes you need to checkout first. Our example in https://docs.docker.com/build/ci/github-actions/multi-platform/#distribute-build-across-multiple-runners doesn't set the context so it uses Git context by default.