Jenkins Version Control Integration: Git and SVN

Jenkins version control tutorial

In software development, version control systems are crucial for managing code changes and ensuring efficient collaboration. Jenkins, an open-source automation server, integrates with Git and SVN to enhance this collaboration. In this article, we will explore how Jenkins facilitates version control integration with both Git and SVN, offering developers a powerful platform for continuous integration and delivery.

Table of contents

• What is version control?
• Purpose of Version Control Integration with Jenkins
  • Automated build and deployment
  • Continuous integration
  • Parallel development
  • Traceability and auditing
• Version control tools supported by Jenkins
  • Git
  • SVN
  • Mercurial
  • Bitbucket
  • Perforce
  • Microsoft Team Foundation Version Control
• Setting up Jenkins for version control
  • Installing Jenkins
  • Configuring Jenkins on the server
• Integrating Git with Jenkins
• Integrating SVN with Jenkins
• Conclusion

What is version control?

Version control, alternatively known as revision control, is a systematic approach to overseeing and documenting changes to files and directories over time. Though widely employed in software development, its utility spans various projects where change monitoring and collaborative efforts are crucial.

This chronological record of modifications ensures accountability and is a valuable resource for understanding project evolution. Developers frequently turn to tools like Git or Subversion, leveraging their capabilities to implement and uphold effective version control practices, fostering a seamless and organized development process. Embracing version control is fundamental to maintaining transparency and reliability across diverse project types.

Purpose of version control integration with Jenkins

Version control integration with Jenkins is fundamental in modern software development workflows. It aims to enhance collaboration, streamline processes, and ensure software reliability by automating critical aspects of the development lifecycle.

The primary goals include:

Automated build and deployment

One of the core purposes of version control integration is to automate the build and deployment process. Jenkins monitors version control repositories for changes and triggers automated actions, such as code compilation, testing, and deployment. This automation reduces the manual effort required for these tasks, minimizes errors, and accelerates the overall development cycle.

Continuous integration (CI)

Version control integration enables continuous integration, a software development practice where code changes are continuously integrated and tested. Jenkins, in conjunction with version control tools like Git and SVN, ensures that developers’ changes are regularly merged and verified, leading to early detection of integration issues and increased software stability.

Parallel development

Developing teams can pursue parallel development strategies by integrating version control systems with Jenkins. Different branches or repositories can be built and tested concurrently, facilitating faster feature development and bug fixes. This parallelism is essential for large projects with multiple contributors working on diverse aspects of the codebase.

Traceability and auditing

Version control integration in Jenkins provides detailed logs and reports, offering traceability and auditing capabilities. This is crucial for tracking changes, understanding the evolution of builds, and identifying the root cause of any issues that may arise during development. The ability to trace changes back to specific commits ensures accountability and transparency in the development pipeline.

Version control tools supported by Jenkins

Jenkins is renowned for its versatility and extensive plugin ecosystem, providing compatibility with various version control tools. Here are five prominent version control tools supported by Jenkins:

Git

Git, a distributed version control system, is a cornerstone of modern software development. Jenkins seamlessly integrates with Git through the Git plugin. This integration includes robust support for features such as branch indexing, tag builds, and pull request triggering, making it an indispensable tool for Git-based projects.

SVN (Subversion)

Subversion (SVN), a centralized version control system, remains popular for many development teams. Jenkins supports SVN integration through the Subversion plugin, allowing developers to automate builds and tests triggered by SVN repository changes. This ensures that teams using SVN can benefit from Jenkins’ continuous integration and delivery capabilities.

Mercurial

Mercurial, known for its simplicity, is a distributed version control system. Jenkins supports Mercurial integration, enabling developers to automate build and deployment processes seamlessly. The Mercurial plugin allows Jenkins to monitor Mercurial repositories, triggering actions based on changes and facilitating an efficient development workflow.

Bitbucket

Bitbucket, a web-based platform for Git and Mercurial, is widely used for source code management. Jenkins integrates seamlessly with Bitbucket, providing features like webhook support for automatic builds on code changes. This integration fosters a smooth CI/CD pipeline for teams leveraging Bitbucket as their version control platform.

Perforce (Helix Core)

Perforce (a.k.a. Helix Core) is a version control system for scalability and high-performance collaboration. Jenkins supports Perforce integration through plugins, enabling developers to automate builds, tests, and deployments in projects utilizing Perforce for version control. This ensures a cohesive integration of Perforce into the CI/CD pipeline.

Microsoft Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC)

For teams using Microsoft’s Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC), Jenkins provides integration through dedicated plugins. This allows developers using TFVC to leverage Jenkins’ automation capabilities for continuous integration, ensuring that code changes are systematically built and tested throughout development.

Setting up Jenkins for version control

A meticulous setup process is essential to ensure seamless integration of Jenkins with version control systems. Here’s an in-depth guide on configuring Jenkins for optimal version control integration:

Installing Jenkins

Download and install

Please refer to our Jenkins installation guide to complete your Jenkins installation if you haven’t installed it yet.

Initiate Jenkins

Once the installation is complete, start the Jenkins service. Access the Jenkins dashboard through a web browser by navigating to the specified URL (usually http://localhost:8080). During this initial access, you will be prompted to enter the administrator password provided during installation.

Configuring Jenkins on the server

Jenkins configuration

Access the Jenkins dashboard and proceed to Manage Jenkins to configure system-wide settings.

Then, click the System to adjust settings such as Jenkins URL, system message, and the number of executors based on your server and project requirements.

User authentication

Click the Security button to set up security parameters and enable all mandatory security options to enforce authentication and authorization. This will enhance the security posture of your Jenkins instance by implementing user authentication.

Integrating Git with Jenkins

Integrating Git with Jenkins is pivotal in establishing a streamlined and automated CI/CD pipeline. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to seamlessly connect Git repositories with Jenkins:

Install Git plugin in Jenkins

In the Jenkins dashboard, navigate to the Manage Jenkins tab and select Plugins.

Inside the Plugin page, access the Installed tab and search for the Git Plugin. 

If it’s not pre-installed, go to the Available tab and install this plugin to enable Jenkins to interact with Git repositories.

Configure global Git settings

Navigate to Manage Jenkins and select System under the System Configuration dashboard. 

Locate the Git plugin section and configure global settings such as the name and email that Jenkins should use when interacting with Git repositories. Look for the following fields to configure the global Git settings:

Global Config user.name Value

This field represents the name that Jenkins will use when performing Git operations. It’s essentially the username associated with the Git commits made by Jenkins. Enter a meaningful name, such as Jenkins CI or any other identifier that helps identify Jenkins as the source of the commits.

<em>Jenkins CI</em>Code language: HTML, XML (xml)

Global Config user.email Value

This field represents the email address associated with the user specified in the user.name field. It is used in Git commit information to identify the user’s email address making the commit. While Jenkins itself doesn’t have an actual email address, you can use a placeholder email or a dedicated email address for Jenkins.

jenkins@example.comCode language: CSS (css)

Additional settings

There are some additional checkboxes in the Git plugin section that we also have to consider.

Here’s how you can configure them:

Add git tag action to jobs: Check this box if you want Jenkins to automatically add a Git tag action to jobs when interacting with Git repositories.

Preserve second fetch during checkout: Check this box to preserve the second fetch during the checkout process. This can be useful in specific scenarios where multiple fetches are required.

Disable performance enhancements: Check this box if you want to disable any performance enhancements provided by the Git plugin. This might be necessary in rare cases where specific performance optimizations cause issues.

Hide credential usage in job output: Check this box if you want to hide the usage of credentials in the job output. This can be useful for security and privacy reasons.

Create new accounts based on author/committer’s email: Check this box if you want Jenkins to create new user accounts based on the email addresses of authors or committers in Git commits.

Use existing account with the same email if found: Check this box if you want Jenkins to use an existing user account with the same email address if found. This helps in linking Git commit information to existing Jenkins user accounts.

After making the necessary changes, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the Save button to apply the changes.

Create and configure a Jenkins job

In the Jenkins dashboard, select New Item to create a new job or choose an existing one you want to configure for Git integration.

Configure the job by providing a name, selecting the appropriate job type (freestyle or multi-configuration), and clicking the OK button.

Find the Source Code Management section within the job configuration and select Git as the version control system.

Enter the URL of the Git repository you want Jenkins to monitor.

If the Git repository requires authentication, configure credentials by clicking the Add button next to the Credentials dropdown. Enter the username and password or use SSH keys, depending on the authentication method your Git repository uses.

If you require multiple repositories, click on the Add Repository button.

Then, specify the branches that Jenkins should build. You can build all branches or specify particular branches based on your project requirements.

Configure build triggers to specify when Jenkins should initiate a build. Common options include polling for changes, triggering builds manually, or using webhooks for automatic triggering upon code commits.

Then, configure additional build steps based on your project requirements. This may include executing shell commands, running tests, or deploying the application.

Note
Our previous article covered an in-depth guide about Build Triggers and Build Steps in Jenkins Jobs.

Save and run

Save the Jenkins job configuration and initiate a build to test the Git integration.

Integrating SVN with Jenkins

Integrating SVN (Subversion) with Jenkins ensures a seamless and automated CI/CD pipeline. Here’s a detailed guide on how to integrate SVN repositories with Jenkins:

Install SVN plugin in Jenkins

Navigate to the Jenkins dashboard, access Manage Jenkins, and choose Plugins.

Inside the Plugin page, access the Installed tab and search for the Subversion Plugin.

If it’s not pre-installed, navigate to the Available tab, search for the Subversion Plugin, and install it. This plugin is crucial for enabling Jenkins to interact with SVN repositories.

Configure global SVN settings

Go to Manage Jenkins > System in the Jenkins dashboard.

Locate the Subversion section and configure global settings. This includes selecting the appropriate Workspace Version and defining the Exclusion revprop name.

Subversion Workspace Version

This setting lets you specify the Subversion working copy format for the Jenkins workspace. Subversion evolves, and different SVN clients may use different versions of the Subversion working copy format. This option lets you choose the functional copy format that Jenkins should use when checking out or updating code from Subversion.

The options typically include version numbers from 1.4 to 1.8, representing different Subversion working copy formats. The choice may depend on the version of Subversion used by your repositories and any specific compatibility requirements.

Exclusion revprop name

Revision properties (revprops) in Subversion are key-value pairs associated with a specific revision. The Exclusion revprop name setting allows you to specify a revision property name that, if present, will exclude the revision from the checkout/update.

For example, you might use this option to exclude certain revisions with a specific property set. This can be useful for scenarios where you want to filter out particular changesets based on custom properties set in your Subversion repository.

Note
Same as Git, after making the necessary changes, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the Save button to apply the changes.

Create and configure Jenkins job

Create a new job or select an existing one you want to configure for SVN integration. Specify a name, select the job type (freestyle or multi-configuration), and click the OK button.

Within the job configuration, find the Source Code Management section. And choose Subversion as the version control system.

Enter the URL of the SVN repository you want Jenkins to monitor.

If your SVN repository requires authentication, configure credentials within the job configuration by clicking the Add button next to the Credentials dropdown.

Set up build triggers and additional build steps based on your preferred approach. Lastly, save the Jenkins job configuration and initiate a build to test the SVN integration.

Note
Our previous article covered an in-depth guide about Build Triggers and Build Steps in Jenkins Jobs.

Final thoughts on version control integration in Jenkins

Integrating Git and SVN into Jenkins is crucial for a streamlined CI/CD pipeline. Multi-branch setups, code review integration, and parameterized builds enhance efficiency and collaboration. Efficient organization, secure credential management, and Jenkinsfile adoption contribute to a well-structured pipeline. Regular updates, shared libraries, proactive monitoring, and continuous improvement efforts ensure stability and high performance. By implementing these best practices, development teams can navigate the complexities of modern software delivery, fostering success in an ever-evolving landscape.

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• What is Git?

Jenkins version control example