GitHub Actions
GitHub Actions is GitHub’s workflow automation platform for defining and running jobs in response to repository events, schedules, and other triggers.
Road to Kubernetes
GitHub Actions is a GitHub automation platform for defining and running workflows in response to repository events or on specified schedules.
- How it is used
- Automates deployment and environment configuration when repository workflows run.
- How deep it goes
- Works from a first YAML workflow through secrets and remote installation, then reuses workflows for Ansible and containers.
- Examples
- Uses a Hello World job, an SSH-based NGINX installation, and Python and Node.js deployment workflows.
- What you can do after
- Build it from scratch: create a repository workflow, add secrets, and automate commands on a remote server.
.NET MAUI in Action
GitHub Actions is a GitHub service for automating software development workflows such as building, testing, and deploying repository code.
- How it is used
- Automates repeatable building, signing, and store deployment for production .NET MAUI apps.
- How deep it goes
- Explains workflow files, triggers, jobs, steps, runners, secrets, artifacts, signing, and store-upload actions through a complete pipeline.
- Examples
- Uses a Build and Deploy MauiStockTake workflow that builds signed Android and iOS artifacts and deploys them to stores.
- What you can do after
- Apply it via GitHub Actions to configure triggered builds, protect credentials, publish signed artifacts, and deploy mobile apps.
GitHub Actions in Action: Continuous integration and delivery for DevOps
GitHub Actions is GitHub's platform for automating software development workflows in response to repository events or other triggers.
- How it is used
- Automates CI/CD and repository tasks such as issue triage through event-triggered workflows.
- How deep it goes
- Defines workflow YAML, triggers, jobs, steps, runners, environments, and reusable action implementations; defers runner security details.
- Examples
- Demonstrates issue-body label triage, explicit repository checkout, and a multiline script that lists repository files.
- What you can do after
- Apply it via GitHub workflows to trigger jobs, reuse Marketplace actions, run scripts, and select hosted or self-hosted runners.
Bootstrapping Microservices, Second Edition: With Docker, Kubernetes, GitHub Actions, and Terraform
GitHub Actions is a workflow automation platform for building, testing, and deploying software from repositories hosted on GitHub.
- How it is used
- Automates repository-triggered testing and microservice deployment, replacing repeated manual release steps.
- How deep it goes
- Builds from a minimal push-triggered script to CI and Kubernetes CD, with locally testable scripts and deployment configuration.
- Examples
- Uses a push-triggered “hello world” workflow and a production microservice pipeline that builds, publishes, and deploys to Kubernetes.
- What you can do after
- Build it from scratch: trigger tests and microservice deployment from GitHub pushes using YAML workflows and shell scripts.
Learn Docker in a Month of Lunches, Second Edition
GitHub Actions is a workflow automation service integrated with GitHub repositories for building, testing, and deploying software.
- How it is used
- Runs repository-triggered CI/CD builds while Docker and scripts carry the build logic.
- How deep it goes
- Walks through runner execution and a working YAML job, but leaves private-package authentication configuration unspecified.
- Examples
- Uses a PowerShell build workflow, a deliberately failing unit test, and a manifest-list publishing lab.
- What you can do after
- Operate/configure it: run a scripted build in GitHub Actions and check its failure and recovery after pushes.
Read how Learn Docker in a Month of Lunches, Second Edition explains GitHub Actions →
Automating API Delivery
GitHub Actions is a GitHub service for automating software development workflows, including continuous integration and continuous delivery.
- How it is used
- Automates pull-request build checks and minimum API design review criteria within an API delivery pipeline.
- How deep it goes
- Defines triggers, runners, jobs, and steps, then implements a PR-title check; the other proposed review checks are not implemented here.
- Examples
- Uses a Java PR-build YAML workflow and a shell-script ticket-reference check tested with failing and passing pull-request titles.
- What you can do after
- Operate/configure it to run a pull-request title gate alongside an existing compile-and-test job.
AI-Powered Developer: Build software with ChatGPT and Copilot
GitHub Actions is a GitHub automation service for executing workflows, including continuous integration and deployment pipelines, in response to repository events.
- How it is used
- Automates continuous integration and deployment inside GitHub repositories to shorten release cycles and reduce deployment risk.
- How deep it goes
- Introduces workflow structure and a representative pipeline, but stops short of a comprehensive GitHub Actions guide.
- Examples
- Uses a YAML workflow triggered on main, Ubuntu jobs, Docker image publishing to ECR, AWS secrets, and deployment to EKS.
- What you can do after
- Operate/configure a repository workflow that builds an application, publishes its image, and deploys it to EKS after reviewing generated YAML.
Read how AI-Powered Developer: Build software with ChatGPT and Copilot explains GitHub Actions →
Azure Security
GitHub Actions is GitHub's automation platform for implementing software development workflows, including continuous integration and deployment.
- How it is used
- Automates Azure deployment and security configuration while integrating code and infrastructure scanning into GitHub workflows.
- How deep it goes
- Walks through service-principal creation, secret storage, workflow creation, scanning, and log review without detailing GitHub Actions internals.
- Examples
- Uses service-principal commands, repository secrets, Defender CSPM workflows, SARIF uploads, and execution logs.
- What you can do after
- Operate GitHub Actions to deploy Azure changes, enable Defender plans, and surface code or IaC findings for remediation.
Shipping Go: Develop, deliver, discuss, design, and go again
A GitHub platform for automating software development workflows through event-triggered jobs and reusable actions.
- How it is used
- Automates repository code through repeatable integration, build, quality, and delivery stages.
- How deep it goes
- Explains YAML workflows, jobs, steps, dependencies, commands, reusable actions, and an initial artifact pipeline.
- Examples
- Uses a Go binary pipeline triggered on main, including checkout, setup, build, file copying, and artifact upload.
- What you can do after
- Build it from scratch by defining a YAML workflow that builds Go code and uploads a repository artifact.
Read how Shipping Go: Develop, deliver, discuss, design, and go again explains GitHub Actions →
gRPC Microservices in Go
GitHub Actions is a GitHub automation platform for running workflows in response to repository and software-development events.
- How it is used
- Automates generated Go gRPC code and release tagging within a microservice CI/CD workflow.
- How deep it goes
- Shows a tag-triggered workflow, service matrix, and generation script; does not demonstrate a full deployment pipeline.
- Examples
- Uses order, payment, and shipping services to demonstrate a matrix job that generates Go code from `.proto` files.
- What you can do after
- Operate/configure it to trigger per-service Go source generation and tagging when release tags are pushed.
Related concepts
- workflow managerkind of · A workflow manager is software that schedules, coordinates, and monitors tasks or jobs according to defined sequences, dependencies, schedules, or triggering conditions.
- deployment pipelineuses · A sequence of automated or manual stages that builds, tests or validates, packages, and delivers software or models toward deployment.
- CI/CD serverkind of · A CI/CD server is a computer or service that automates software integration, building, testing, packaging, validation, and delivery or deployment tasks.
- workflow definitionuses · A workflow definition is a declarative specification of an automated process’s tasks, their order or dependencies, and the conditions governing execution.
- automationuses · Automation is the execution of tasks or processes by machines or software with reduced direct human intervention.
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