Possible fit for a small cache-regression check in the test workflow

[eivindsjursen-lab]

Hi — your test workflow already combines environment-level setup with a separate cached opt-bin layer, which looks like a strong fit for catching cache regressions earlier in PRs.

I tried a fork-side dry run of that workflow shape with a small warn-only cache check. In a controlled bad-case, the opt-bin lane showed the kind of silent reuse/restore degradation that is easy to miss while the overall job still stays green.

If useful, I can paste the minimal warn-only snippet I used for that cache layer. No backend, easy rollback.

[DanielYang59]

not sure @eivindsjursen-lab are you openclaw (https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/187791)?

In any case I guess if ever needed we could just add a check after cache restore step instead of having a completely separate workflow for that check?

[eivindsjursen-lab]

Good call — and no, I’m not openclaw.

You’re absolutely right: this should run in the same test workflow, right after the cache restore step (not as a completely separate workflow).

I used a separate workflow on my side only to validate the cache lane in isolation first.
If useful, here is the minimal shape mapped to your current test.yml (id: optbin-cache):

# top-level permissions
permissions:
  contents: read
  actions: read
  pull-requests: write # optional; only needed if PR comments are desired
yaml

# existing restore step (rename title to include marker)
- name: "[cache-step] group=opt-bin"
  if: matrix.config.os == 'ubuntu-latest' || matrix.config.os == 'macos-latest'
  id: optbin-cache
  uses: actions/cache@v5
  with:
    path: ${{ env.OPT_BIN_DIR }}
    key: opt-bin-${{ runner.os }}-${{ hashFiles('.github/workflows/_install_opt_unit_deps.sh') }}
yaml

# add immediately after restore step
- name: "[cache] group=opt-bin hit=${{ steps.optbin-cache.outputs.cache-hit || 'false' }} key_fp=${{ hashFiles('.github/workflows/_install_opt_unit_deps.sh') }} key_hint=opt-bin-script"
  if: matrix.config.os == 'ubuntu-latest' || matrix.config.os == 'macos-latest'
  run: echo "opt-bin cache marker emitted"
yaml

# add near the end of the same job
- name: Cache Health Gate
  if: ${{ always() }}
  uses: eivindsjursen-lab/gates-suite-public-beta/packages/cache-health-gate@cache-health-gate/v1.0.0
  with:
    mode: warn
    no_baseline_behavior: warn
    baseline_event_filter: push

Fork-side validation on my workflow-copy (not your repo runs):
healthy run: PASS_ALL_CLEAR
https://github.com/eivindsjursen-lab/pymatgen-cache-alpha/actions/runs/23061374013
regression-signaling run: WARN_HIT_RATE_DROP + WARN_RESTORE_REGRESSION
https://github.com/eivindsjursen-lab/pymatgen-cache-alpha/actions/runs/23061472465
Rollback is just removing these added steps.