Installing and Configuring Jenkins

The following is a brief overview of how to install and configure Jenkins and how to create a project.

Installing and Accessing Jenkins

Jenkins is supported on a variety of platforms. See the Jenkins user documentation for detailed instructions on how to install and start it on the platform that you will be using.

You can access Jenkins from any machine using http://<mymachine>:8080, where <mymachine> is the name of the machine where Jenkins is installed.

Configuring Jenkins

You can specify general Jenkins options by clicking Manage Jenkins in the Home page of the Jenkins interface.

Use plugins to extend Jenkins and to enable support for tools or systems - click Manage Plugins. Use this page to check which plugins are installed and to install or update any as required. Widely-used plugins include those used for source control systems (such as Git and Subversion). Other plugins you might find useful include:

  • Conditional Buildstep
  • Copy Artifact
  • JUnit Attachments and xUnit
  • Node and Label Parameter
  • PowerShell
  • SCTMExecutor - works with Micro Focus MFUnit support and Micro Focus Silk Central
  • vSphere - if you are using agent machines that are stored in VMWare vSphere
  • Warnings Plug-in

Creating a Project

Click New Item in the Home page of Jenkins interface to create a project such as a freestyle project.

Use the project's configuration page (click Configure) to modify various aspects of what it does. Some aspects that might be appropriate for your build system are:

  • Restrict where this project can be run - specify the agents (such as remote machines) where the work should be performed.
  • Source Code Management - enter details of where your project is in source control. There are plugins available that allow Jenkins to work with most major source control systems.
  • Build Triggers - define events that automatically start the execution of the project.
  • Build - specify what the project should do such as executing Windows or UNIX commands, or Ant scripts.
  • Post-build Actions - specify the commands that the project should perform upon completion. These could be emailing reports, compiling build results, or triggering other projects based on the output of the current one.