Push event doesn't trigger workflow on push paths (github actions) - github-actions

Question

I'm currently testing Github Actions workflows on this repository.
Context
I'm trying to use this workflow (1st):
on:
workflow_dispatch:
jobs:
job:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout#v2
- run: |
date > report.txt
git config user.name github-actions
git config user.email github-actions#github.com
git add .
git commit -m "generate or update report.txt file"
git push
To trigger this workflow (2nd):
on:
push:
paths:
- '**/report.txt'
pull_request:
paths:
- '**/report.txt'
jobs:
job:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- run: echo "Report .txt file has been updated"
What I tried
I followed the Github Action Documentation to implement the 2nd workflow with a Filter Pattern.
When I update the report.txt file locally, then commit and push the code to the repository, the 2nd workflow triggers.
However, I don't understand why the 2nd workflow doesn't trigger when the 1st workflow is completed, even with the report.txt file being updated on the default branch.
EDIT: I know I could trigger the 2nd workflow using others trigger event types (examples: repository_dispatch or workflow_run). But I'm trying to do it from a git push command on another workflow.
Question
Did I miss something on the 1st workflow to make it trigger the 2nd, or should I add something on the 2nd workflow to make it being triggered by the 1st one?

Answer 1

No, you didn't miss anything in your workflows.
You just need a different token.
When you use actions/checkout, it uses the GITHUB_TOKEN for authentication, and according to the documentation it doesn't trigger a new workflow run:
When you use the repository's GITHUB_TOKEN to perform tasks on behalf
of the GitHub Actions app, events triggered by the GITHUB_TOKEN will
not create a new workflow run. This prevents you from accidentally
creating recursive workflow runs.
To make it work, you need to generate a PAT (Personal Access Token), store it in your repository secrets, and use it in your checkout step:
- uses: actions/checkout#v2
with:
token: ${{ secrets.YOUR_PAT_TOKEN }}

Answer 2

There are three ways of authentication within a GitHub action.
1. GITHUB_TOKEN
The GITHUB_TOKEN is always available and implicitly defined by GitHub.
- uses: actions/checkout#v3
with:
token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
It has limited permissions, though, as it cannot trigger new workflow runs. This is why your second workflow does not start.
2. PAT (Personal Access Token)
A personal access token can be generated in your developer settings. You can then add it as an encryped secret, e.g. PAT_TOKEN to the GitHub project and use it instead of the GITHUB_TOKEN:
- uses: actions/checkout#v3
with:
token: ${{ secrets.PAT_TOKEN }}
Subsequent push actions in the same workflow will then trigger any configured GitHub workflow as if they were pushed manually.
Be aware that the personal access token has access to all of your repositories and hence can be a potential security risk.
3. Deploy key
You can generate a dedicated SSH keypair and add it to the repository as a Deploy Key. This is an alternative to the token-based authentication and has the same effect as the personal access token, but it only provides access to a single repository. It is done as follows:
Generate an SSH keypair:
ssh-keygen -N "" -f deploy_key -C "github-actions"
Add the private key (generated file deploy_key) as an encryped secret, e.g. COMMIT_KEY to the GitHub project.
Add the public key (generated file deploy_key.pub) as a deploy key with write access to the GitHub project. Tick the Allow write access checkbox.
When checking out the source code in your workflow, add the SSH key:
- uses: actions/checkout#v3
with:
ssh-key: "${{secrets.COMMIT_KEY}}"