Interesting IT Concepts

1. CI/CD and Github Actions
2. How to Code on the go
3. More: Microservices, WebHooks, API Calls…

Containers

I love to use containers for SelfHosting

echo "Updating system and installing required packages..." && \
sudo apt-get update && \
sudo apt-get upgrade -y && \
echo "Downloading Docker installation script..." && \
sudo curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com -o get-docker.sh && \
sudo sh get-docker.sh && \
echo "Docker installed successfully. Checking Docker version..." && \
sudo docker version && \
echo "Testing Docker installation with 'hello-world' image..." && \
sudo docker run hello-world && \
echo "Installing Docker Compose..." && \
sudo apt install docker-compose -y && \
echo "Docker Compose installed successfully. Checking version..." && \
sudo docker-compose --version && \
echo "Checking status of Docker service..." && \
sudo systemctl status docker | grep "Active" && \
sudo docker run -d -p 8000:8000 -p 9000:9000 --name=portainer --restart=always -v /var/run/docker.sock:/var/run/docker.sock -v portainer_data:/data portainer/portainer-ce

echo "Updating system and installing required packages..." && \
sudo apt-get update && \
sudo apt-get upgrade -y && \
echo "Installing Podman..." && \
sudo apt-get -y install podman && \
echo "Podman installed successfully. Checking Podman version..." && \
podman --version && \
echo "Testing Podman installation with 'hello-world' image..." && \
sudo podman run hello-world && \
echo "Installing Podman Compose..." && \
sudo apt-get -y install podman-compose && \
echo "Podman Compose installed successfully. Checking version..." && \
podman-compose --version && \
echo "Checking status of Podman service..." && \
sudo systemctl status podman | grep "Active" && \
sudo podman run -d -p 8000:8000 -p 9000:9000 --name=portainer --restart=always -v /var/run/podman/podman.sock:/var/run/podman/podman.sock -v portainer_data:/data portainer/portainer-ce

What it is CI/CD?

How to use Github Actions CI/CD?

GitHub Actions, a CI/CD framework provided by GitHub, allows you to automate the build, test, and deployment processes for your software projects.

This is how I’ve used GH Actions in my projects:

GitHub Workflows enable automatic Docker container creation given conditions (like a new push). To start, go to your repository, click on Actions, and then New workflow.

You can select a workflow template that suits your project or follow the steps below to create your own .yml file for CI/CD.

The CI/CD workflow configuration is stored in .github/workflows/ci_cd.yml:

name: CI/CD Pipeline

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main

jobs:
  build-and-push:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
    - name: Checkout repository
      uses: actions/checkout@v2

    - name: Set up Docker Buildx
      uses: docker/setup-buildx-action@v1

This setup prepares your Docker image.

Next, you can push the image to a container registry, such as GitHub Container Registry or DockerHub.

Pushing Containers to GitHub Container Registry

To push the created container to GitHub Container Registry, add the following to your workflow:

    - name: Login to GitHub Container Registry
      uses: docker/login-action@v1
      with:
        registry: ghcr.io
        username: ${{ github.actor }}
        password: ${{ secrets.CICD_TOKEN_For_This_WF }}

    - name: Build and push Docker image
      uses: docker/build-push-action@v2
      with:
        context: .
        push: true
        tags: ghcr.io/your_github_username/your_repo_name:v1.0        

You’ll need a CICD_TOKEN_For_This_WF secret so GitHub can authenticate the action.

Obtain this token from GitHub Settings under Developer Settings -> Personal Access Tokens.

Next, add this token as a repository secret under Repo Settings -> Secrets & variables -> Actions -> New repository Secret.

To make your Docker image publicly accessible, set the package visibility to public under https://github.com/yourGHuser?tab=packages and update the Visibility of the Package.

Now, anyone can pull your Docker image using:

docker pull ghcr.io/your_github_username/your_repo_name:v1.0

Testing GH Actions Workflows locally

• https://github.com/nektos/act

Run your GitHub Actions locally 🚀

Coding on The Go

Github CodeSpaces

• https://github.com/codespaces

VSCode Through Docker

Github Authenticating

sudo apt update
sudo apt install gh #https://docs.github.com/en/get-started/getting-started-with-git/about-remote-repositories#cloning-with-https-urls
gh auth login #you can use HTTPs

• https://github.com/login/device and paste the Code the CLI will give you

Other Concepts

What are microservices?

What are Web-Hooks?

A webhook is like a doorbell. When certain events happen in one system (like a new post on a blog or a new commit in a repository), it automatically sends a notification to another system. It’s a way for apps to provide other applications with real-time information.

• How It Works: A webhook delivers data to other applications as it happens, meaning you get data immediately. You set up a webhook by providing a URL to the system you want to receive the notifications. When an event occurs, the system makes an HTTP request (usually POST) to the URL you provided.

• Use Case Example: A common use of webhooks is in Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines. For example, GitHub can use a webhook to notify a CI server like Jenkins to start a new build whenever code is pushed to a repository.

What are API calls?

An API call is like making a phone call to a specific service. You request the information or service you need, and the system responds back. It’s a way for applications to interact and request data from each other.

• How It Works: An API call is a manual process; you have to make the request to get the data. It’s like asking, “Do you have any new data?” The request is usually made via HTTP (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE), and the server processes the request and sends back a response.

• Use Case Example: If you have an application that needs to get the latest weather data, it can make an API call to a weather service. The application sends a request, and the weather service responds with the latest weather information.

WebHooks vs API Calls

• Initiation:
  • Webhook: Automatically initiated by the source system when an event occurs.
  • API Call: Manually initiated by the requesting system.
• Purpose:
  • Webhook: Used for real-time notifications.
  • API Call: Used for requesting or sending data on demand.
• Direction:
  • Webhook: One-way from the source to the receiver.
  • API Call: Two-way communication between the requester and the server.