A Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up CI/CD Pipeline with GitLab

Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) are fundamental practices in modern software development, enabling teams to increase efficiency, reduce errors, and deliver value to users more quickly. GitLab, a web-based DevOps lifecycle tool, offers robust CI/CD features that are built-in and easy to use. This guide will walk you through setting up a CI/CD pipeline in GitLab, from initial setup to your first pipeline run.

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Before we dive into the specifics of setting up a pipeline, let’s clarify what CI/CD entails.

  • Continuous Integration (CI) is the practice of automating the integration of code changes from multiple contributors into a single software project. 
  • Continuous Deployment (CD) extends this by automatically deploying all code changes to a testing or production environment after the build stage.

Together, they ensure that software development is faster, less prone to errors, and aligned with the end-users’ needs.

Why GitLab for CI/CD?

GitLab’s unified approach to the DevOps lifecycle, encompassing seamless CI/CD integration and a comprehensive suite of DevOps tools, has solidified its position as the premier choice for IT professionals seeking to optimize software development processes. Let us now look at the exact steps for creating a CI/CD pipeline.

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Step 1: Setting Up Your GitLab Account and Project

  • Create a GitLab account if you don’t have one. Visit GitLab’s website and sign up.
  • Create a new project in GitLab. Click on “New project”, fill in the details, and select “Create project”.

Step 2: Understanding the .gitlab-ci.yml File

  • The .gitlab-ci.yml file is where you define your CI/CD pipeline configuration. This file is placed in the root of your repository and instructs GitLab on what to do upon code commits.

Step 3: Creating Your First Pipeline

  • Define the stages of your pipeline. Common stages include build, test, and deploy.
  • Write your pipeline configuration. Open or create the .gitlab-ci.yml file in your repository and define the pipeline stages and jobs. Here’s a simple example:

yaml

Copy code

stages:

  build

  test

  deploy

 

build_job:

 stage: build

 script:

  echo “Building the project…”

 

test_job:

 stage: test

 script:

  echo “Running tests…”

 

deploy_job:

 stage: deploy

 script:

  echo “Deploying to production…”

 

Save to grepper

As you can see, the pipeline effectively does nothing. It changes depending on your project. For example, if you had a javascript based application, you would first build the app using “npm run build”, build and publish docker to registry, test the application and then deploy it. 

Step 4: Running and Monitoring Your Pipeline

  • Commit and push your .gitlab-ci.yml file to trigger the pipeline.
  • Monitor the pipeline’s progress. Navigate to your project in GitLab, click on “CI/CD” > “Pipelines” to see the status and logs of your pipeline runs.

Step 5: Advanced Configuration

As you become more familiar with GitLab CI/CD, you can explore advanced features such as:

  • Pipeline triggers to run pipelines based on specific conditions.
  • Environment and deployment management to control where your application gets deployed.
  • Using Docker containers to ensure consistency across different environments.

Conclusion

Setting up a CI/CD pipeline in GitLab can significantly streamline your development process. By following this guide, you’ve taken a crucial step towards more efficient, reliable, and consistent software deployments. Experiment with GitLab’s extensive CI/CD capabilities to find what works best for your projects.

Picture of Pavol Krajkovic

Pavol Krajkovic

DevOps Specialist and Consultant

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