gitlab-org / gitlab-ce-

Overview

The CI/CD (Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment) Workflow is essential for automating the software development process, allowing for consistent integration and testing of code changes. This documentation provides a detailed step-by-step guide on how to implement the CI/CD workflow with the gitlab-org/gitlab-ce project.

Checking CI/CD Setup

First, verify whether CI/CD is already configured in the project.

git ls-remote --heads https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce.git

If CI/CD has not been set up, a message indicating that there are no CI/CD configuration files in the repository will be seen.

Next Steps if CI/CD is Not Set Up

  1. Create a .gitlab-ci.yml File: This file defines the CI/CD pipelines and should be placed at the root of the repository.

  2. Define Jobs: Each job will specify the scripts that need to run during the CI/CD process.

  3. Commit the Changes: Once the .gitlab-ci.yml file is created and configured, commit the changes to initiate the CI/CD pipeline.

Configuring CI/CD

Create the .gitlab-ci.yml File

The core component of GitLab’s CI/CD is the .gitlab-ci.yml file. Below is an example of a simple configuration:

stages:
  - build
  - test
  - deploy

build_job:
  stage: build
  script:
    - echo "Building the project..."
    - # any build commands here

test_job:
  stage: test
  script:
    - echo "Running tests..."
    - # command to run tests
  dependencies:
    - build_job

deploy_job:
  stage: deploy
  script:
    - echo "Deploying application..."
    - # deployment command here

Explanation of the YAML Structure

  • stages: Defines the sequence of pipeline stages. Each job corresponds to a stage.

  • build_job: This job handles the building of the application.

  • test_job: After the build is complete, this job runs tests to ensure code quality. It specifies a dependency on the build_job.

  • deploy_job: This stage runs deployment commands after successful tests.

Running CI/CD Pipelines

After configuring the .gitlab-ci.yml file and committing it, GitLab will automatically trigger the CI/CD pipeline based on the defined structure. The pipeline can be monitored through the GitLab UI under the “CI/CD” section.

To manually trigger a pipeline, the following command can be utilized:

curl --request POST --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" "https://gitlab.com/api/v4/projects/<project_id>/trigger/pipeline"

Monitoring Pipeline Status

To check the status of pipelines, you may use the GitLab API:

curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" "https://gitlab.com/api/v4/projects/<project_id>/pipelines"

This command will return the status of all pipelines associated with the specified project.

Advanced CI/CD Concepts

Caching Dependencies

For improved build performance, caching can be implemented:

cache:
  paths:
    - dependency_folder/

Environment Variables

Sensitive data required during the CI/CD process can be set as environment variables in the GitLab UI, ensuring they are not exposed in the code:

variables:
  MY_SECRET: "secret_value"

Conclusion

The use of CI/CD pipelines with gitlab-org/gitlab-ce simplifies the development workflow, promotes code quality, and enhances deployment processes. If CI/CD is not yet set up in your project, creating a .gitlab-ci.yml file and defining jobs is a critical first step.

For further reference, consult the GitLab documentation related to CI/CD pipelines, ensuring adherence to best practices and leveraging advanced features as needed.

Source: GitLab Documentation