Step-by-Step Guide to Your First Jenkins Project

Introduction

Jenkins, the stalwart of continuous integration and deployment, is here to simplify your development life! In this blog post, we'll embark on a journey to create a basic Jenkins project using a Freestyle job. Buckle up, and let's dive into the world of automation.

Get ready as we break down each section of the Freestyle project configuration to empower your Jenkins journey! 🛠️

Before we dive into the details, ensure you have Jenkins installed on your AWS Ubuntu EC2 instance. If not, check out this step-by-step Jenkins setup tutorial to get started.

Setting the Stage

General Section 🌐

In the Jenkins job configuration, start by clicking on New Item or New Job. Choose the Freestyle project and give your project a name. This is the first step in laying the foundation for your CI/CD pipeline.

Description 📝: Provide a brief description of your project, setting the stage for what it's all about.

Discard Old Builds 🗑️: Keep things tidy by automatically discarding old builds after a set number, ensuring your workspace stays clutter-free.

GitHub Project 🐙: If your code resides on GitHub, link your project to its GitHub counterpart for seamless integration.

This Project is Parameterized 🎛️: Add flexibility by enabling parameterization, allowing users to input values during the build process.

Throttle Builds ⚙️: Control the number of concurrent builds, preventing resource overload.

Execute Concurrent Builds if Necessary 🚦: Allow multiple builds of the project to run simultaneously if needed.

Source Code Management 🛠️

None 📁: If you're not using any version control system, select "None." Otherwise, choose your preferred SCM, such as Git.

Git 🔄: If you're using Git, provide the repository URL and specify the branches to build.

Build Triggers 🚀

Trigger Builds Remotely 📟: Enable remote triggering of builds for automation purposes.

Build After Other Projects Are Built 🚧: Specify projects that should trigger a build upon successful completion.

Build Periodically ⏰: Set up scheduled builds for regular, automated releases.

GitHub Hook Trigger for GITScm Polling 🎣: Integrate with GitHub to trigger builds on code changes.

Poll SCM 🔄: Periodically poll the source code repository for changes and trigger builds when necessary.

Build Environment ⚙️

Delete Workspace Before Build Starts 🧹: Ensure a clean slate by deleting the workspace before initiating a new build.

Use Secret Text(s) or File(s) 🔐: Securely pass sensitive information to the build process.

Add Timestamps to the Console Output 🕒: Keep track of when things happen by adding timestamps to the console output.

Inspect Build Log for Published Build Scans 🕵️: If using Gradle, inspect the build log for published build scans.

Terminate a Build if It's Stuck 🚨: Prevent Jenkins from hanging indefinitely if a build gets stuck.

Build Steps 💻

Execute Shell 🐚: The moment of truth! Define shell commands to be executed during the build process. For practice, try a simple mkdir command to create a directory.

Command 📜: Enter the shell commands you want Jenkins to execute, like:

mkdir my_workspace

Advanced Settings ⚙️

The Advanced section houses additional settings for customizing your build environment further. Explore these options as you become more comfortable with Jenkins.

Post-build Actions 🚀

Congratulations on reaching the finale! The Post-build Actions section is where the magic happens after the build completes:

Archive the Artifacts 🗃️: Preserve essential files after a successful build.

Publish JUnit Test Result Report 📊: Share detailed test reports.

Email Notification 📧: Keep your team in the loop by configuring email notifications.

Publish HTML Reports 🌐: Showcase HTML reports generated during the build.

Deploy to Container 🚢: If applicable, deploy your artifacts to a web container.

Trigger Parameterized Build on Other Projects 🎛️: Orchestrate a series of related builds.

Git Publisher 📤: Push changes back to the repository or update Git tags.

Join Trigger 🔄: If using the "Join" plugin, specify conditions for joining multiple builds.

Conditional Actions Based on Build Status 🎭: Execute actions based on the build result, ensuring flexibility in your CI/CD pipeline.

Conclusion

You've just taken the first steps in setting up your Jenkins project! 🎉 The road ahead holds endless possibilities for automation and streamlining your development workflow. Stay tuned for more Jenkins adventures as you explore advanced features and build robust pipelines.

Happy building! 🚀🛠️👩‍💻👨‍💻