Setting Up GitHub Actions

Prerequisites

Before getting started with GitHub Actions, ensure you have:

Requirement	Description	Resource
GitHub Account	Free account to create repositories	Sign up
Git Knowledge	Basic Git commands and workflow	Git Basics
Code Project	Existing project or new repository	GitHub Repos
Git Installation	(Optional) Local testing	Download Git

Step 1: Create New Repository

Follow these steps to create a new GitHub repository for your project:

• Sign in to your GitHub account
• Create a new repository:
  • Click the "+" icon in the top-right corner
  • Select "New repository"
  • Name your repository (e.g. "github-actions-demo")
  • Choose public or private visibility
  • Check "Add a README file"
  • Click "Create repository"

Understanding the Repository Structure

Your repository should have at least these files:

repository-name/
├── .github/
│   └── workflows/     # GitHub Actions workflow files should be created in this folder 
├── README.md         # Project documentation
└── your source code files

Step 2: Enable and verify GitHub Actions

GitHub Actions is enabled by default for all repositories. To verify:

• Navigate to your repository on GitHub
• Click on the Actions tab
• If prompted, click Set up a workflow yourself or Configure to get started

Note: If you don't see the Actions tab, check your repository settings to ensure Actions are enabled.

Step 3: Create Your First Workflow File

i. In your repository, create a new directory called .github/workflows

mkdir -p .github/workflows

ii. Create a new file named main.yml in the .github/workflows directory and paste the following content:

name: CI

on:
  push:
    branches: [ main ]
  pull_request:
    branches: [ main ]

jobs:
  build:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
    - name: Run a one-line script
      run: echo "Hi my name is AbdulSalaam, I am a Technical Writer"

iii. Commit and push these changes to your repository

Step 4: Verify Your Setup

• Go to the "Actions" tab in your GitHub repository
• You should see your workflow running (it may take a minute to appear)
• Click on the workflow run to see the details and logs

Understanding the Workflow File

Let's break down the components of the workflow file:

• name: The name of your workflow
• on: The events that trigger the workflow
  • push: Triggers when code is pushed to the specified branch
  • pull_request: Triggers when a pull request is opened or updated
• jobs: A workflow can contain multiple jobs
  • build: The job ID
    • runs-on: The type of machine to run the job on
    • steps: A sequence of tasks to execute
      • uses: Uses a pre-built action like checking out code
      • run: Executes a command in the runner's shell

In the next section, we will expand this basic workflow into a more comprehensive CI/CD pipeline.