# When GitHub Actions Sync with OpenShift Pipelines: CI/CD
> *“Automation is not a luxury — it’s the lifeline of modern DevOps.”*
Modern software delivery thrives on automation — not just for speed, but for **consistency, scalability, and confidence**.
From **GitHub Actions** (for code testing and validation) to **OpenShift Pipelines** (for containerized deployment), this post takes you through a full CI/CD journey — **from commit to cluster**.
---
## 🧩 Part 1 — Continuous Integration with GitHub Actions
Before deploying code, we must ensure it’s **clean, tested, and reliable**.
GitHub Actions provides an elegant way to automate these checks with minimal setup.
[Actual Github Repository](https://github.com/barbaria888/ci-cd-final-project): [https://github.com/barbaria888/ci-cd-final-project](https://github.com/barbaria888/ci-cd-final-project)
---
### ⚙️ Step 1: Set Up Your Workflow
Create a file at `.github/workflows/workflow.yml` and define your CI pipeline:
```yaml
name: CI workflow
on:
push:
branches: [ "main" ]
pull_request:
branches: [ "main" ]
jobs:
build:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
container: python:3.9-slim
steps:
- name: Checkout
uses: actions/checkout@v3
```
✅ This ensures the latest version of your repository is fetched on every commit or pull request.
---
### ⚙️ Step 2: Install Dependencies
Install your Python dependencies to prepare for linting and testing:
```yaml
- name: Install dependencies
run: |
python -m pip install --upgrade pip
pip install -r requirements.txt
```
> 💡 Use `pip3` if you encounter permission issues.
---
### ⚙️ Step 3: Lint the Code with Flake8
Catch style violations, undefined variables, and syntax issues:
```yaml
- name: Lint with flake8
run: |
flake8 service --count --select=E9,F63,F7,F82 --show-source --statistics
flake8 service --count --max-complexity=10 --max-line-length=127 --statistics
```
Clean, consistent code saves hours during review and debugging.
---
### ⚙️ Step 4: Test Code Coverage with Nose
Run automated unit tests to ensure nothing breaks:
```yaml
- name: Run unit tests with nose
run: nosetests -v --with-spec --spec-color --with-coverage --cover-package=app
```
If tests pass — your CI pipeline gives the green light for deployment.
---
### ⚙️ Step 5: Commit and Push
```bash
git add .
git commit -m "Added CI workflow"
git push origin main
```
![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1761993633475/d7f99262-2d5b-47b7-a8ee-ad8097d4de85.png align="center")
---
### 🧠 Why GitHub Actions Matters
This is your **Continuous Integration (CI)** foundation — ensuring that every code change is validated, linted, and tested before reaching production.
Now, let’s extend this into **Continuous Deployment (CD)** using OpenShift Pipelines.
---
## 🌍 Part 2 — Continuous Deployment with OpenShift Pipelines (Tekton)
Once your code passes all CI checks, it’s time to **build**, **containerize**, and **deploy** automatically.
That’s where **OpenShift Pipelines**, powered by **Tekton**, comes in.
---
## 🧩 Prerequisites
Ensure **Tekton tasks** installed and access to an OpenShift cluster.
Create a `tasks.yaml` file for defining your reusable tasks.
---
### 🧹 Task 1: Cleanup Task
```yaml
apiVersion: tekton.dev/v1beta1
kind: Task
metadata:
name: cleanup
spec:
description: Cleans up workspace before a new run.
workspaces:
- name: source
steps:
- name: remove
image: alpine:3
script: |
#!/usr/bin/env sh
set -eu
echo "Cleaning workspace..."
rm -rf $(workspaces.source.path)/*
```
---
### 🧪 Task 2: Nose Unit Test Task
```yaml
apiVersion: tekton.dev/v1beta1
kind: Task
metadata:
name: nose
spec:
workspaces:
- name: source
params:
- name: args
default: "-v"
steps:
- name: nosetests
image: python:3.9-slim
workingDir: $(workspaces.source.path)
script: |
#!/bin/bash
set -e
python -m pip install --upgrade pip wheel
pip install -r requirements.txt
nosetests $(params.args)
```
Apply the tasks:
```bash
kubectl apply -f tasks.yaml
```
---
## 🗄 Step 1: Create a Persistent Volume Claim (PVC)
Create a PVC in OpenShift → **Storage → PersistentVolumeClaims**
Use:
* Name: `oc-lab-pvc`
* Size: `1Gi`
![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1761993167979/de5f3cd5-3043-446d-8bee-12b5b64db1b1.png align="center")
This workspace will persist data between Tekton tasks.
---
## 🔧 Step 2: Build Your Pipeline
In **Adminstrator Perspective → Pipelines → Create Pipeline**
Name it `ci-cd-pipeline`, add a workspace called `output`, and use the **Pipeline Builder**.
---
## 🧱 Step 3: Add Tasks Sequentially
1. **Cleanup** — wipes the workspace.
2. **git-clone** — fetches source code.
3. **flake8** — lints your application.
4. **nose** — runs Python unit tests.
5. **buildah** — builds your container image.
6. **openshift-client** — deploys the app.
---
Install the task from Tekton Hub if missing:
```bash
tkn hub install task git-clone
```
---
## 🧹 Add Linting with Flake8
If Flake8 isn’t installed:
```bash
tkn hub install task flake8
```
Then attach it to the pipeline after git-clone.
---
## 🧪 Add Nose Unit Tests
Link the `nose` task created earlier, using the same workspace `output`.
---
## 🏗 Build with Buildah
After testing, add the **buildah** task:
This builds and pushes your container image to the registry.
---
## 🚀 Deploy with OpenShift Client
Add the final task using the **openshift-client**:
![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1761993257371/594b05b4-6858-42e1-9c97-407771d84219.png align="center")
Finally the tasks should look like the image above
---
## ✅ Validate the Deployment
Open **Topology** → Click your Pods→ **Logs** tab.
You should see:
![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1761993295426/ad6b1832-3cc4-4416-af24-6f2699f3916d.png align="center")
Your CI/CD flow is now live — end-to-end automation achieved.
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## 🎯 Final Thoughts
You just built a **complete CI/CD system** combining:
| Stage | Tool | Purpose |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **CI** | GitHub Actions | Code checkout, linting, and testing |
| **CD** | OpenShift Pipelines (Tekton) | Build, push, and deploy containers |
This architecture powers everything from **startups to global enterprises**, providing speed, safety, and scalability across hybrid clouds.
> ⚙️ *GitHub Actions validates your ideas. OpenShift Pipelines turns them into reality.*
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