GitLab CI
ExplainedTool
Also known as: GitLab CI/CD
The CI/CD system built into GitLab, configured through a .gitlab-ci.yml file.
GitLab CI, explained
Written by EduVerseWhat it is
GitLab CI/CD is the pipeline system built into GitLab. You put a file called .gitlab-ci.yml in the root of your repository, describing jobs (such as build, test and deploy) and the stages they belong to. On every push, GitLab hands those jobs to machines called runners, which run them and report back.
Why teams use it
Because the pipeline lives in the same tool as the code and the merge requests, you see right away whether a change builds and passes its tests, without a separate CI server to look after. It works much like GitHub Actions; teams simply use the CI that comes with the platform their code is on.
An example from work
Your merge request shows a pipeline with three stages: build, test and deploy. The first two are green, but the deploy job shows a play button instead of running. In .gitlab-ci.yml it’s marked when: manual, so someone has to click it on purpose before anything goes to production.
Our own explanation, not a quote from the book.
Where it fits
Automated building, testing and deploying inside GitLab
Coverage in the book
Explained and compared with alternatives, so you know where and why it’s used.
