TestBuild Jenkins Build

The jenkins job TestBuild builds the branch testbuild in the top EPICS git repository and deploys it to a TestBuild directory in kits$\EPICS. The job is not run automatically on commit - you need to trigger it with Build With Parameters in Jenkins GUI at which point you could change e.g. the EPICS_HOST_ARCH from windows-x64 (default) to windows-x64-debug if you wished.

To specify your build do the following:

  • create and push branches in each submodule where you want to test changes. You do not need to create pull requests, and can call the branches any name you wish.

  • in your EPICS top level, if you already have a testbuild branch delete this with git branch -d testbuild

  • check if a testbuild branch exists on GitHub https://github.com/ISISComputingGroup/EPICS/branches - if it does, check the other developer has finished and then delete this GitHub remote branch. If they are still using it, then it is probably based on a quite recent commit and you may be able to add your changes to this branch and both use the same jenkins build.

  • If you deleted the remote branch, create a local testbuild branch with git checkout -b testbuild in your top level EPICS. If you are sharing testbuild with another developer, use git checkout testbuild which will get the current GitHub testbuild

  • now edit .gitmodules and for each of the submodules you created a separate my_branch_name branch in add a corresponding branch = my_branch_name line to the relevant section of the file

  • not commit your .gitmodule changes and push to testbuild on GitHub

  • now start the jenkins build from the GUI

The jenkins job builds “tip of branch” i.e. it will use latest master of all submodules and also latest commits to any branch = lines you added. So you do not need to “git add” any submodule directories, and if you push new changes to any branch you can just start a new jenkins build and they will be picked.