fix: preserve ExitError in error chain in run_workflow_validation.go

[Copilot]

The ExitError branch in checkWorkflowExistsInRepo used %s to format stderr, silently dropping the original error from the chain — making errors.As(err, &exec.ExitError{}) always return false for callers on the path that matters most.

Change

• pkg/cli/run_workflow_validation.go: switch ExitError branch from %s to %s: %w, preserving both the stderr diagnostic content and the wrapped original error.

// Before
return fmt.Errorf("failed to list workflows in repository '%s': %s",
    repoOverride, string(exitError.Stderr))  // ❌ breaks error chain

// After
return fmt.Errorf("failed to list workflows in repository '%s': %s: %w",
    repoOverride, string(exitError.Stderr), err)  // ✅ stderr + wrapped error

Now consistent with the sibling branch directly below it, which already used %w.

Warning

Firewall rules blocked me from connecting to one or more addresses (expand for details)

I tried to connect to the following addresses, but was blocked by firewall rules:

• https://api.github.com/repos/owner/repo/actions/workflows
  • Triggering command: /usr/bin/gh gh workflow list --repo owner/repo --json name,path,state 0/x64/bin/git (http block)

If you need me to access, download, or install something from one of these locations, you can either:

• Configure Actions setup steps to set up my environment, which run before the firewall is enabled
• Add the appropriate URLs or hosts to the custom allowlist in this repository's Copilot coding agent settings (admins only)

Original prompt

---

This section details on the original issue you should resolve

<issue_title>[plan] Fix broken error chain in run_workflow_validation.go ExitError branch</issue_title>
<issue_description>## Objective

Fix an inconsistent error wrapping in run_workflow_validation.go where the ExitError branch discards the original error, breaking errors.Is/errors.As chain inspection for callers.

Context

From Sergo analysis run §22372431560 (discussion #18227).

In pkg/cli/run_workflow_validation.go around line 286–290, the ExitError branch uses %s with only the stderr bytes, silently dropping the original error from the chain. The sibling branch immediately below correctly uses %w. This inconsistency means callers cannot use errors.As(err, &exec.ExitError{}) on the returned error for the case that matters most.

Current Code

// pkg/cli/run_workflow_validation.go:286-290
var exitError *exec.ExitError
if errors.As(err, &exitError) {
    return fmt.Errorf("failed to list workflows in repository '%s': %s",
        repoOverride, string(exitError.Stderr))  // ❌ %s drops original error
}
return fmt.Errorf("failed to list workflows in repository '%s': %w", repoOverride, err) // ✅ correct

Approach

Wrap the original err in the ExitError branch while still including the stderr output for diagnostics:

var exitError *exec.ExitError
if errors.As(err, &exitError) {
    return fmt.Errorf("failed to list workflows in repository '%s': %s: %w",
        repoOverride, string(exitError.Stderr), err)  // ✅ includes stderr AND wraps err
}
return fmt.Errorf("failed to list workflows in repository '%s': %w", repoOverride, err)

This preserves the original error chain so callers can still use errors.As(err, &exec.ExitError{}) on the returned error.

Files to Modify

• pkg/cli/run_workflow_validation.go (~line 286–290)

Acceptance Criteria

• The ExitError branch uses %w to wrap the original error
• Stderr content is still included in the error message for diagnostics
• errors.As(returnedErr, &exec.ExitError{}) returns true for the ExitError case
• Existing tests pass

Generated by Plan Command for issue #discussion #18227

• expires on Feb 27, 2026, 6:22 AM UTC

Comments on the Issue (you are @copilot in this section)

• Fixes [plan] Fix broken error chain in run_workflow_validation.go ExitError branch #18279

---

🔒 GitHub Advanced Security automatically protects Copilot coding agent pull requests. You can protect all pull requests by enabling Advanced Security for your repositories. Learn more about Advanced Security.

[Copilot]

Pull request overview

This PR fixes a broken error chain in the validateRemoteWorkflow function where the ExitError branch was using %s format specifier instead of %w, preventing callers from using errors.As() to inspect the underlying error type.

Changes:

• Updated error formatting in the ExitError branch to wrap the original error while preserving stderr diagnostic output

---

💡 Add Copilot custom instructions for smarter, more guided reviews. Learn how to get started.