[Code Quality] Fix SC2155 shellcheck warnings in workflow scripts

[github-actions]

Description

Static analysis tools (shellcheck) have identified ~195 instances of SC2155 warnings across workflow shell scripts. This pattern masks command return values, causing error handling to fail silently and potentially leading to incorrect workflow behavior.

Source: Identified in Static Analysis Report - Feb 3, 2026 as the second most common recurring issue.

Problem Pattern

SC2155 occurs when combining variable declaration with command substitution:

local result=$(some_command)
# If some_command fails, $? will be 0 (from 'local'), not the command's exit code

This means that if [ $? -ne 0 ] checks will never detect command failures, causing silent errors.

Security/Reliability Impact

• Silent failures: Commands can fail without detection
• Error handling bypassed: Conditional logic based on exit codes won't work
• Incorrect values: Scripts may use undefined or incorrect values without knowing the command failed

Suggested Fix Pattern

Split declaration and assignment into separate statements:

Example

Before (Incorrect):

local output=$(gh api repos/owner/repo)
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
  echo "API call failed"  # This will NEVER execute!
fi

After (Correct):

local output
output=$(gh api repos/owner/repo)
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
  echo "API call failed"  # Now this works correctly
  exit 1
fi

Alternative with set -e:

set -e  # Exit on error
local output
output=$(gh api repos/owner/repo)  # Will exit if this fails
# Continue only if successful

Files Affected

Based on historical static analysis, this pattern appears in:

• Workflow setup scripts (.github/workflows/*.md shell steps)
• Action scripts (actions/setup/sh/*.sh)
• Helper scripts (scripts/*.sh)

Estimated: ~195 occurrences across workflow files

Success Criteria

• Identify all SC2155 warnings using shellcheck
• Fix each instance by splitting declaration and assignment
• Verify error handling works correctly after fixes
• Add tests for error paths where practical
• Run shellcheck to confirm warnings are resolved
• All workflows continue to function correctly

Priority

Medium - While this is a reliability issue affecting error handling, workflows are currently functioning. However, this could hide future failures and make debugging more difficult.

Estimated Effort

4-8 hours - Need to systematically review and fix ~195 instances across multiple workflow files. Can be done incrementally by workflow or script file.

References

• [ShellCheck SC2155 Documentation]((www.shellcheck.net/redacted)
• Static Analysis Report Feb 3

Approach

Consider tackling this in phases:

1. Phase 1: Fix critical workflows (CI, deployment, security) - ~50 instances
2. Phase 2: Fix frequently-run workflows (daily agents) - ~70 instances
3. Phase 3: Fix remaining workflows - ~75 instances

AI generated by Discussion Task Miner - Code Quality Improvement Agent

• expires on Feb 18, 2026, 1:25 PM UTC