Replace Travis CI With GitHub Actions

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Introduction

In the world of software development, Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines play a crucial role in ensuring the smooth delivery of high-quality software products. Travis CI has been a popular choice for CI/CD pipelines, but with the rise of GitHub Actions, many developers are now considering a switch. In this article, we will explore the process of replacing Travis CI with GitHub Actions, including the setup of a CI/CD pipeline that meets specific requirements.

Why Replace Travis CI with GitHub Actions?

GitHub Actions is a powerful tool that allows developers to automate their build, test, and deployment workflows directly within the GitHub platform. With GitHub Actions, developers can create custom workflows that are triggered by specific events, such as push events, pull requests, or schedule-based triggers. Here are some reasons why you might want to replace Travis CI with GitHub Actions:

  • Native Integration with GitHub: GitHub Actions is tightly integrated with the GitHub platform, making it easier to manage and monitor your CI/CD pipelines.
  • Customizable Workflows: GitHub Actions allows you to create custom workflows that are tailored to your specific needs.
  • Improved Security: GitHub Actions provides improved security features, such as secret storage and access control.
  • Cost-Effective: GitHub Actions is free for public repositories, making it a cost-effective alternative to Travis CI.

Setting Up GitHub Actions

To set up GitHub Actions, you will need to create a new workflow file in your repository. This file will contain the configuration for your CI/CD pipeline. Here are the steps to follow:

  1. Create a new file: Create a new file in your repository's .github/workflows directory. This file will contain the configuration for your CI/CD pipeline.
  2. Choose a trigger: Choose a trigger for your workflow, such as a push event or a pull request event.
  3. Define the workflow: Define the workflow by specifying the steps that should be executed when the trigger is triggered.
  4. Save the file: Save the file and commit it to your repository.

Example Workflow File

Here is an example workflow file that meets the specific requirements outlined in the introduction:

name: CI/CD Pipeline

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - develop
      - staging
      - main

jobs:
  build-and-deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Checkout code
        uses: actions/checkout@v2

      - name: Run linters
        run: |
          npm run lint

      - name: Run build
        run: |
          npm run build

      - name: Deploy to DEV environments (develop branch)
        uses: appleboy/ssh-action@v0
        with:
          host: ${{ secrets.DEV_HOST }}
          username: ${{ secrets.DEV_USERNAME }}
          password: ${{ secrets.DEV_PASSWORD }}
          script: |
            cd /path/to/app
            npm run deploy:dev

      - name: Deploy to STG environments (staging branch)
        uses: appleboy/ssh-action@v0
        with:
          host: ${{ secrets.STG_HOST }}
          username: ${{ secrets.STG_USERNAME }}
          password: ${{ secrets.STG_PASSWORD }}
          script: |
            cd /path/to/app
            npm run deploy:stg

      - name: Deploy to PRD environments (new tags)
        uses: appleboy/ssh-action@v0
        with:
          host: ${{ secrets.PRD_HOST }}
          username: ${{ secrets.PRD_USERNAME }}
          password: ${{ secrets.PRD_PASSWORD }}
          script: |
            cd /path/to/app
            npm run deploy:prd

      - name: Run Ghost Inspector (main branch)
        uses: ghostinspector/ghostinspector-action@v1
        with:
          api-key: ${{ secrets.GHOST_INSPECTOR_API_KEY }}

      - name: Package zip (main branch)
        run: |
          npm run package:zip

      - name: Upload zip to draft GitHub release (main branch)
        uses: actions/upload-artifact@v2
        with:
          name: zip
          path: /path/to/zip

Configuring the Workflow

To configure the workflow, you will need to specify the following:

  • Trigger: Choose a trigger for your workflow, such as a push event or a pull request event.
  • Branches: Specify the branches that should trigger the workflow.
  • Steps: Define the steps that should be executed when the trigger is triggered.
  • Secrets: Store sensitive information, such as API keys and passwords, as secrets.

Deploying to DEV, STG, and PRD Environments

To deploy to DEV, STG, and PRD environments, you will need to specify the following:

  • Host: Specify the host for each environment.
  • Username: Specify the username for each environment.
  • Password: Specify the password for each environment.
  • Script: Specify the script that should be executed for each environment.

Running Ghost Inspector

To run Ghost Inspector, you will need to specify the following:

  • API Key: Store the API key as a secret.
  • Script: Specify the script that should be executed.

Packaging Zip

To package a zip file, you will need to specify the following:

  • Script: Specify the script that should be executed.

Uploading Zip to Draft GitHub Release

To upload a zip file to a draft GitHub release, you will need to specify the following:

  • Artifact: Specify the artifact that should be uploaded.
  • Path: Specify the path to the artifact.

Conclusion

Introduction

GitHub Actions is a powerful tool that allows developers to automate their build, test, and deployment workflows directly within the GitHub platform. In this article, we will answer some of the most frequently asked questions about GitHub Actions.

Q: What is GitHub Actions?

A: GitHub Actions is a cloud-based continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) platform that allows developers to automate their build, test, and deployment workflows directly within the GitHub platform.

Q: What are the benefits of using GitHub Actions?

A: The benefits of using GitHub Actions include:

  • Native Integration with GitHub: GitHub Actions is tightly integrated with the GitHub platform, making it easier to manage and monitor your CI/CD pipelines.
  • Customizable Workflows: GitHub Actions allows you to create custom workflows that are tailored to your specific needs.
  • Improved Security: GitHub Actions provides improved security features, such as secret storage and access control.
  • Cost-Effective: GitHub Actions is free for public repositories, making it a cost-effective alternative to other CI/CD platforms.

Q: How do I get started with GitHub Actions?

A: To get started with GitHub Actions, you will need to:

  1. Create a new file: Create a new file in your repository's .github/workflows directory.
  2. Choose a trigger: Choose a trigger for your workflow, such as a push event or a pull request event.
  3. Define the workflow: Define the workflow by specifying the steps that should be executed when the trigger is triggered.
  4. Save the file: Save the file and commit it to your repository.

Q: What are the different types of triggers in GitHub Actions?

A: The different types of triggers in GitHub Actions include:

  • Push events: Triggered when a push event occurs on a repository.
  • Pull request events: Triggered when a pull request event occurs on a repository.
  • Schedule-based triggers: Triggered at a specified schedule, such as daily or weekly.
  • Manual triggers: Triggered manually by a user.

Q: How do I store sensitive information in GitHub Actions?

A: To store sensitive information in GitHub Actions, you will need to:

  1. Create a secret: Create a secret in your repository's settings.
  2. Store the secret: Store the secret in a secure location, such as an environment variable.
  3. Use the secret: Use the secret in your workflow file.

Q: What are the different types of jobs in GitHub Actions?

A: The different types of jobs in GitHub Actions include:

  • Single job: A single job that runs a series of steps.
  • Multi-job: Multiple jobs that run in parallel.
  • Matrix job: A job that runs multiple instances with different configurations.

Q: How do I run a job in parallel with other jobs?

A: To run a job in parallel with other jobs, you will need to:

  1. Create a multi-job: Create a multi-job that runs multiple instances of the same job.
  2. Use the runs-on keyword: Use the runs-on keyword to specify the machine that the job should run on.
  3. Use the parallel keyword: Use the parallel keyword to specify that the job should run in parallel.

Q: How do I run a job on a specific machine?

A: To run a job on a specific machine, you will need to:

  1. Use the runs-on keyword: Use the runs-on keyword to specify the machine that the job should run on.
  2. Specify the machine: Specify the machine that the job should run on, such as ubuntu-latest or windows-latest.

Q: How do I run a job with a specific environment?

A: To run a job with a specific environment, you will need to:

  1. Use the env keyword: Use the env keyword to specify the environment that the job should run in.
  2. Specify the environment: Specify the environment that the job should run in, such as dev or prod.

Conclusion

In this article, we have answered some of the most frequently asked questions about GitHub Actions. We have covered topics such as the benefits of using GitHub Actions, getting started with GitHub Actions, and running jobs in parallel with other jobs. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can create a custom CI/CD pipeline that meets your specific needs.