CI: GitHub Actions still on Node.js 20 runtime (forced to Node 24 on 2026-06-02)

[openidle-dev]

The release/beta workflows emit deprecation annotations: several actions still run on the Node.js 20 runtime. GitHub forces these to Node.js 24 on 2026-06-02 and removes Node 20 from runners on 2026-09-16 (changelog).

Affected actions (already on their latest major, but the runtime is still Node 20)

Action	Files
actions/upload-artifact@v5	.github/workflows/release.yml:115, .github/workflows/beta.yml:216
actions/download-artifact@v5	.github/workflows/release.yml:137, .github/workflows/beta.yml:246
softprops/action-gh-release@v2	.github/workflows/release.yml:215, .github/workflows/beta.yml:425

Why this matters

Both the Release and Beta publish jobs depend on all three. If a forced runtime switch breaks any of them after 2026-06-02, we lose the ability to cut releases / push beta builds until fixed.

Options

1. Wait + bump — track upstream for tags that target Node 24 and bump pins when available. Lowest-risk; preferred if upstream ships in time.
2. Opt in early to validate — set FORCE_JAVASCRIPT_ACTIONS_TO_NODE24=true on a test run (or per-workflow) to confirm the publish jobs still work under Node 24 before the forced cutover.

Acceptance

• All three actions confirmed working on Node 24 (either via updated pins or the force-env validation run)
• No Node 20 deprecation annotations on a Release or Beta run
• Done before 2026-06-02

Surfaced while cutting v1.0.21.