CI/CD Basics

CI/CD Basics

A pipeline automates what would otherwise be manual and error-prone: lint → test → build. For firmware that often means compiling on a runner and running host tests; flashing every commit to hardware is optional and must be designed. This subject is a first working workflow file you can read when it goes red.

Starting Points

• GitLab Docs. Get started with GitLab CI/CD.
• GitHub Docs. Workflows.
• CI/CD & version-control fundamentals

Key Points

• You set up a pipeline with stages in a sensible order: lint and/or format → test → build.
• You configure the pipeline using one CI/CD tool with correct syntax for your repo.
• You explain what each stage does and why flashing hardware may be a later, separate job.
• You read pipeline output to identify which stage failed and why.
• You fix a broken pipeline step and get the pipeline passing again.