Continuous Integration on Linux

Continuous Integration (CI) is a software development practice where developers integrate code into a shared repository several times a day. Each integration is verified by an automated build and testing process to detect errors quickly.

This lesson will guide you through the process of implementing CI on Linux systems, focusing on tools, techniques, and best practices.

• Version Control: A system to manage changes to source code over time (e.g., Git).
• Build Automation: Automatically building code, running tests, and deploying applications.
• Testing: Running automated tests to ensure code quality.
• Deployment: Automating the deployment process to production environments.

To set up Continuous Integration on a Linux system, follow these steps:

1. Install Git on your Linux system:

sudo apt-get install git

2. Choose a CI server (e.g., Jenkins, GitLab CI, Travis CI) and install it.
3. Configure the CI server to monitor your repository for changes.
4. Create a build script (e.g., a shell script) that defines the build process. Example:

#!/bin/bash
                # Build script example
                echo "Building the project..."
                make build

5. Set up automated testing in your CI configuration.
6. Deploy to your staging or production server automatically.

Here are some best practices for CI on Linux:

• Ensure your CI server has the latest dependencies installed.
• Keep your build scripts simple and well-documented.
• Run tests on every commit to the main branch.
• Use containers (e.g., Docker) to ensure consistent environments.
• Monitor CI build status to catch failures quickly.