What is CI/CD and Build System?

CI/CD stands for Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery/Deployment. It is a set of practices that automate the process of building, testing, and deploying software. A build system is a collection of tools and processes that automate the compilation, linking, and packaging of software into a deployable artifact.

Why is CI/CD and Build System important?

CI/CD and build systems are crucial for modern software development because they:

• Improve software quality: Automated testing and build processes help identify and fix bugs early in the development cycle.
• Increase development speed: By automating repetitive tasks, developers can focus on writing code and delivering value.
• Reduce deployment time and risk: CI/CD pipelines enable frequent and reliable deployments, minimizing downtime and ensuring consistent software releases.
• Enhance collaboration: CI/CD systems provide a common platform for developers to share code, test results, and deployment artifacts.

Build System

The distribution project uses Bazel as its build system. Bazel is a fast, scalable, and reliable build tool that supports a wide range of languages and platforms.

Using Bazel

Bazel provides a set of commands for building, testing, and running targets. Some common commands include:

• bazel build: Compiles and links source code to produce executables or libraries.
• bazel test: Runs unit tests for a specific target.
• bazel run: Executes a built target.

CI/CD Pipelines

The distribution project uses GitHub Actions for its CI/CD pipelines. GitHub Actions is a platform for automating workflows within the GitHub ecosystem.

GitHub Actions Workflows

GitHub Actions workflows are defined in YAML files that specify a sequence of steps to be executed. Each workflow runs in a virtual environment, which provides access to tools and dependencies required for building and testing the project.

Contributing to the Project

When contributing to the distribution project, it’s important to understand and follow the CI/CD and build system guidelines. This ensures that your code is properly tested, built, and deployed.

• Testing your code: Before submitting a pull request, ensure your code passes all unit and integration tests. You can run tests locally using bazel test.
• Building the project: After making changes, verify that the project can be built successfully. Use bazel build to ensure a clean build.
• Understanding the CI/CD pipeline: Review the existing GitHub Actions workflows to understand the steps involved in building, testing, and deploying the project.

Resources

• Bazel Documentation
• GitHub Actions Documentation

Top-Level Directory Explanations

cmd/ - This directory contains the command-line interface (CLI) for the distribution project. It includes various subdirectories and files for different commands such as digest, registry, and others.

cmd/registry/ - This subdirectory is related to the registry command, which is used to manage a GitHub Package Registry. It includes various configuration files and the main Go file for the command.

dockerfiles/ - This directory contains various Dockerfiles used for building different components of the distribution project.

project/ - This directory is related to the project-specific configuration and hooks for the distribution project.

Entrypoints and Where to Start

cmd/registry/main.go - Entry point for the registry command with the main function.