Setting up GitHub Actions for CI/CD

--- title: Automate your builds with GitHub Actions linkTitle: Automate your builds with GitHub Actions weight: 20 keywords: ci/cd, github actions, python, flask description: Learn how to configure CI/CD using GitHub Actions for your Python application. aliases: - /language/python/configure-ci-cd/ - /guides/language/python/configure-ci-cd/ - /guides/python/configure-ci-cd/ --- ## Prerequisites Complete all the previous sections of this guide, starting with [Containerize a Python application](containerize.md). You must have a [GitHub](https://github.com/signup) account and a [Docker](https://hub.docker.com/signup) account to complete this section. If you didn't create a [GitHub repository](https://github.com/new) for your project yet, it is time to do it. After creating the repository, don't forget to [add a remote](https://docs.github.com/en/get-started/getting-started-with-git/managing-remote-repositories) and ensure you can commit and [push your code](https://docs.github.com/en/get-started/using-git/pushing-commits-to-a-remote-repository#about-git-push) to GitHub. 1. In your project's GitHub repository, open **Settings**, and go to **Secrets and variables** > **Actions**. 2. Under the **Variables** tab, create a new **Repository variable** named `DOCKER_USERNAME` and your Docker ID as a value. 3. Create a new [Personal Access Token (PAT)](/manuals/security/for-developers/access-tokens.md#create-an-access-token) for Docker Hub. You can name this token `docker-tutorial`. Make sure access permissions include Read and Write. 4. Add the PAT as a **Repository secret** in your GitHub repository, with the name `DOCKERHUB_TOKEN`. ## Overview GitHub Actions is a CI/CD (Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment) automation tool built into GitHub. It allows you to define custom workflows for building, testing, and deploying your code when specific events occur (e.g., pushing code, creating a pull request, etc.). A workflow is a YAML-based automation script that defines a sequence of steps to be executed when triggered. Workflows are stored in the `.github/workflows/` directory of a repository. In this section, you'll learn how to set up and use GitHub Actions to build your Docker image as well as push it to Docker Hub. You will complete the following steps: 1. Define the GitHub Actions workflow. 2. Run the workflow. ## 1. Define the GitHub Actions workflow You can create a GitHub Actions workflow by creating a YAML file in the `.github/workflows/` directory of your repository. To do this use your favorite text editor or the GitHub web interface. The following steps show you how to create a workflow file using the GitHub web interface. If you prefer to use the GitHub web interface, follow these steps: 1. Go to your repository on GitHub and then select the **Actions** tab. 2. Select **set up a workflow yourself**. This takes you to a page for creating a new GitHub Actions workflow file in your repository. By default, the file is created under `.github/workflows/main.yml`, let's change it name to `build.yml`.

This section guides you through automating your builds with GitHub Actions, a CI/CD tool integrated into GitHub. It covers prerequisites like having a GitHub and Docker account, setting up a GitHub repository, and creating repository secrets for Docker credentials. The process involves defining a GitHub Actions workflow to build and push Docker images to Docker Hub, starting with creating a YAML file in the `.github/workflows/` directory. It also describes how to create a new workflow file using the GitHub web interface.