### Clarification :exclamation: The CI/CD variables are [supported](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/45037) for [`rules:changes`](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/yaml/#ruleschanges) and we advice users to migrate to the new syntax because the `only` and `except` keywords are [deprecated](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/ci/yaml/#only--except). ### Summary Variable substitution does not work on CI/CD configs ### Steps to reproduce Try to make use of a variable within a `only: changes: ` block ```yaml variables: SERVICE_PATH: "services/gitlab-builder-k8s" gitlab-builder-k8s: image: $DOCKER_REGISTRY/gitlab-builder-docker:0.0.5 script: - docker build -t $DOCKER_REGISTRY/$SERVICE_NAME:$SERVICE_VERSION -t $DOCKER_REGISTRY/$SERVICE_NAME:latest -f $SERVICE_PATH/Dockerfile $SERVICE_PATH only: changes: # - services/gitlab-builder-k8s/* works - $SERVICE_PATH/* # does not work ``` ### Example Project We are on prem. ### What is the current *bug* behavior? The build does not get triggered ### What is the expected *correct* behavior? The build gets triggered ### Relevant logs and/or screenshots ### Output of checks The bug happens on on prem Gitlab with version `11.4.0-ee.0` #### Results of GitLab environment info <details> <summary>Expand for output related to GitLab environment info</summary> <pre> System information System: Proxy: no Current User: git Using RVM: no Ruby Version: 2.4.4p296 Gem Version: 2.7.6 Bundler Version:1.16.2 Rake Version: 12.3.1 Redis Version: 3.2.12 Git Version: 2.18.1 Sidekiq Version:5.2.1 Go Version: unknown GitLab information Version: 11.4.0-ee Revision: cfe266c Directory: /opt/gitlab/embedded/service/gitlab-rails DB Adapter: postgresql DB Version: 9.6.8 URL: <REMOVED> HTTP Clone URL: <REMOVED> SSH Clone URL: <REMOVED> Elasticsearch: no Geo: no Using LDAP: no Using Omniauth: yes Omniauth Providers: GitLab Shell Version: 8.3.3 Repository storage paths: - default: /var/opt/gitlab/git-data/repositories Hooks: /opt/gitlab/embedded/service/gitlab-shell/hooks Git: /opt/gitlab/embedded/bin/git </pre> </details> #### Results of GitLab application Check <details> <summary>Expand for output related to the GitLab application check</summary> <pre> Checking GitLab Shell ... GitLab Shell version >= 8.3.3 ? ... OK (8.3.3) Repo base directory exists? default... yes Repo storage directories are symlinks? default... no Repo paths owned by git:root, or git:git? default... yes Repo paths access is drwxrws---? default... yes hooks directories in repos are links: ... 5/2 ... ok 5/3 ... ok 7/4 ... ok 5/5 ... ok 6/7 ... ok 5/8 ... ok 5/9 ... ok 20/11 ... ok 5/12 ... ok 5/13 ... ok 5/14 ... ok 5/15 ... ok 6/17 ... ok 26/18 ... ok 20/19 ... repository is empty 20/24 ... ok 23/26 ... repository is empty 7/27 ... ok 6/28 ... ok 7/29 ... ok 7/30 ... ok 6/31 ... ok 7/32 ... ok 6/33 ... ok 7/34 ... repository is empty 15/36 ... ok 6/37 ... ok 6/38 ... repository is empty 5/39 ... ok 20/40 ... ok 20/41 ... repository is empty 33/42 ... ok 7/46 ... ok 26/47 ... ok 5/50 ... ok 20/54 ... ok 13/55 ... ok 26/56 ... ok 34/57 ... ok 26/58 ... ok 5/59 ... ok 26/60 ... ok 20/61 ... ok 26/62 ... ok 20/64 ... ok 20/65 ... repository is empty 12/67 ... ok 14/68 ... repository is empty 26/69 ... ok 5/70 ... ok 5/71 ... ok 46/72 ... repository is empty 46/73 ... ok 27/74 ... ok Running /opt/gitlab/embedded/service/gitlab-shell/bin/check Check GitLab API access: OK Redis available via internal API: OK Access to /var/opt/gitlab/.ssh/authorized_keys: OK gitlab-shell self-check successful Checking GitLab Shell ... Finished Checking Sidekiq ... Running? ... yes Number of Sidekiq processes ... 1 Checking Sidekiq ... Finished Reply by email is disabled in config/gitlab.yml Checking LDAP ... LDAP is disabled in config/gitlab.yml Checking LDAP ... Finished Checking GitLab ... Git configured correctly? ... yes Database config exists? ... yes All migrations up? ... yes Database contains orphaned GroupMembers? ... no GitLab config exists? ... yes GitLab config up to date? ... yes Log directory writable? ... yes Tmp directory writable? ... yes Uploads directory exists? ... yes Uploads directory has correct permissions? ... yes Uploads directory tmp has correct permissions? ... yes Init script exists? ... skipped (omnibus-gitlab has no init script) Init script up-to-date? ... skipped (omnibus-gitlab has no init script) Projects have namespace: ... 5/2 ... yes 5/3 ... yes 7/4 ... yes 5/5 ... yes 6/7 ... yes 5/8 ... yes 5/9 ... yes 20/11 ... yes 5/12 ... yes 5/13 ... yes 5/14 ... yes 5/15 ... yes 6/17 ... yes 26/18 ... yes 20/19 ... yes 20/24 ... yes 23/26 ... yes 7/27 ... yes 6/28 ... yes 7/29 ... yes 7/30 ... yes 6/31 ... yes 7/32 ... yes 6/33 ... yes 7/34 ... yes 15/36 ... yes 6/37 ... yes 6/38 ... yes 5/39 ... yes 20/40 ... yes 20/41 ... yes 33/42 ... yes 7/46 ... yes 26/47 ... yes 5/50 ... yes 20/54 ... yes 13/55 ... yes 26/56 ... yes 34/57 ... yes 26/58 ... yes 5/59 ... yes 26/60 ... yes 20/61 ... yes 26/62 ... yes 20/64 ... yes 20/65 ... yes 12/67 ... yes 14/68 ... yes 26/69 ... yes 5/70 ... yes 5/71 ... yes 46/72 ... yes 46/73 ... yes 27/74 ... yes Redis version >= 2.8.0? ... yes Ruby version >= 2.3.5 ? ... yes (2.4.4) Git version >= 2.9.5 ? ... yes (2.18.1) Git user has default SSH configuration? ... yes Active users: ... 32 Elasticsearch version 5.1 - 5.5? ... skipped (elasticsearch is disabled) Checking GitLab ... Finished </pre> </details> ### Possible fixes (If you can, link to the line of code that might be responsible for the problem)