Source code management setup in Jenkins - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Source code management setup

Start Jenkins Job Configuration

↓

Select Source Code Management (SCM)

↓

Choose SCM Type (e.g., Git)

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Enter Repository URL

↓

Add Credentials if needed

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Specify Branch to Build

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Save Configuration

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Trigger Build -> Jenkins clones repo

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Build uses latest code from SCM

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End

This flow shows the step-by-step setup of source code management in Jenkins, from job configuration to using the code in a build.

Execution Sample

Jenkins

pipeline {
  agent any
  stages {
    stage('Checkout') {
      steps {
        git url: 'https://github.com/example/repo.git', branch: 'main'
      }
    }
  }
}

This Jenkins pipeline code checks out the 'main' branch from a GitHub repository.

Process Table

Step	Action	Input/Config	Result/Output
1	Start Jenkins job configuration	N/A	Job configuration page opens
2	Select Source Code Management	Git	Git SCM selected
3	Enter repository URL	https://github.com/example/repo.git	Repository URL saved
4	Add credentials	None (public repo)	No credentials needed
5	Specify branch	main	Branch set to 'main'
6	Save configuration	N/A	Configuration saved
7	Trigger build	N/A	Build starts, Jenkins clones repo
8	Checkout code	git clone https://github.com/example/repo.git -b main	Code checked out to workspace
9	Build uses latest code	N/A	Build runs with latest source code
10	End	N/A	Build completes successfully

💡 Build completes after checking out the specified branch from the repository.

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 3	After Step 5	After Step 8	Final
SCM Type	None	Git	Git	Git	Git
Repository URL	None	https://github.com/example/repo.git	https://github.com/example/repo.git	https://github.com/example/repo.git	https://github.com/example/repo.git
Branch	None	None	main	main	main
Credentials	None	None	None	None	None
Workspace Code	Empty	Empty	Empty	Code from main branch	Code from main branch

Key Moments - 3 Insights

Why do we need to specify the branch in the SCM setup?

Specifying the branch tells Jenkins which version of the code to use. As shown in execution_table step 5, setting branch to 'main' ensures Jenkins checks out the correct code version.

What happens if credentials are missing for a private repository?

Without credentials, Jenkins cannot access private repos. In the execution_table, step 4 shows no credentials needed because the repo is public. For private repos, credentials must be added to avoid checkout failure.

How does Jenkins use the SCM configuration during the build?

At build time (step 7-9), Jenkins uses the SCM info to clone the repo and checkout the specified branch into the workspace, so the build uses the latest code.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, what is the repository URL set at step 3?

A https://github.com/example/repo.git

B https://github.com/unknown/repo.git

C [e-mail]:example/repo.git

D No URL set

💡 Hint

Check the 'Input/Config' column at step 3 in the execution_table.

At which step does Jenkins actually clone the repository?

A Step 5

B Step 8

C Step 7

D Step 10

💡 Hint

Look for the step mentioning 'git clone' in the 'Result/Output' column.

If the branch was changed to 'develop' at step 5, what would change in the variable_tracker?

A SCM Type would change

B Repository URL would change

C Branch value after step 5 would be 'develop'

D Credentials would be added

💡 Hint

Check the 'Branch' row in variable_tracker after step 5.

Concept Snapshot

Jenkins Source Code Management Setup:
- Select SCM type (e.g., Git) in job config
- Enter repository URL
- Add credentials if repo is private
- Specify branch to build
- Save and trigger build
- Jenkins clones repo and checks out branch
- Build uses latest code from SCM

Full Transcript

This visual execution shows how to set up source code management in Jenkins. First, you open the job configuration and select the SCM type, such as Git. Then, you enter the repository URL and add credentials if needed. Next, specify the branch to build, like 'main'. After saving, when you trigger the build, Jenkins clones the repository and checks out the specified branch into the workspace. The build then runs using the latest source code. Variables like SCM type, repository URL, branch, and workspace code change step-by-step as shown. Key points include why specifying the branch matters, the need for credentials for private repos, and how Jenkins uses this setup during the build.