Github Integration with Hudson CI

Question

What I have done so far:

Deployed a tomcat6.0 server to c:\www
Downloaded and deployed the Hudson.war in the c:\www\webapps folder
Installed the Github plugin
Created a private repository on Github
On the server, with hudson installed, generated ssh keys.
Environment variable %HOME% is set to c:\Documents and settings[username] (there is a .ssh directory in there with the keys)
Environment variable %HUDSON_HOME% set to c:\www\webapps\hudson
In hudson I have the following configurations:
- Github Project: https://github.com/[my organization]/[project name]
- Source Code Management: Git
- URL of Repository: git@github.com:[my organization]/[project name].git
- Branch specifier: **
- Repository Browser: (Auto)

When I run a build, and click the console output link I see this --

Started by user anonymous
Checkout:workspace / C:\www\webapps\hudson\jobs\[project name] (git)\workspace - hudson.remoting.LocalChannel@2e8f6d20
Using strategy: Default
Checkout:workspace / C:\www\webapps\hudson\jobs\[project name] (git)\workspace - hudson.remoting.LocalChannel@2e8f6d20
Fetching changes from the remote Git repository
Fetching upstream changes from git@github.com:[organization name]/[project name].git

... at which point it hangs. When I cancel the build, the following are added --

ERROR: Problem fetching from origin / origin - could be unavailable. Continuing anyway
ERROR:  (Underlying report) : Error performing command: git.exe fetch -t git@github.com:[organization name]/[project name].git +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*
null
ERROR: Could not fetch from any repository
FATAL: Could not fetch from any repository
hudson.plugins.git.GitException: Could not fetch from any repository
    at hudson.plugins.git.GitSCM$3.invoke(GitSCM.java:796)
    at hudson.plugins.git.GitSCM$3.invoke(GitSCM.java:754)
    at hudson.FilePath.act(FilePath.java:756)
    at hudson.FilePath.act(FilePath.java:738)
    at hudson.plugins.git.GitSCM.gerRevisionToBuild(GitSCM.java:754)
    at hudson.plugins.git.GitSCM.checkout(GitSCM.java:540)
    at hudson.model.AbstractProject.checkout(AbstractProject.java:1180)
    at hudson.model.AbstractBuild$AbstractRunner.checkout(AbstractBuild.java:506)
    at hudson.model.AbstractBuild$AbstractRunner.run(AbstractBuild.java:422)
    at hudson.model.Run.run(Run.java:1362)
    at hudson.model.FreeStyleBuild.run(FreeStyleBuild.java:46)
    at hudson.model.ResourceController.execute(ResourceController.java:88)
    at hudson.model.Executor.run(Executor.java:145)

The git plugin in hudson requires the `git` command be installed. Where is it installed, and is that directory in the system path? — Corey Henderson, Jul 26 '11 at 20:15
Hey Corey -- I forgot to mention, yes it is installed and in the PATH. When I am at the command prompt I am able to execute git commands from anywhere. — aj-, Jul 26 '11 at 20:25
I would first have it try to use github's https URL scheme to clone the code, to see if the checkout works. If that does, then you know it's something up with the ssh keys not being used. — Corey Henderson, Jul 26 '11 at 20:30
I'm just looking at the Github right now and I noticed that my project only has one branch "master" -- shouldn't I see one called origin? — aj-, Jul 26 '11 at 21:05

score 2 · Answer 1 · edited May 23 '17 at 10:34

First off, since you are starting off with a new CI instance, I would highly recommend that you install the Jenkins fork instead (since it is actively maintained by most of the original developers of Hudson).

Secondly, install the DumpInfo Wrapper plugin and re-run the build again. This plugin prints the system properties and environmental variables in effect during the build and allows you to verify them.

Update:

That plugin should log the system properties and environmental variables, I am surprised you do not see them. As for the passphrase, I suggest you generate a separate private key (from your existing pair) that is not passphrase-protected instead, otherwise you may need to consider the solution offered for: Why git can't remember my passphrase under Windows. I have verified that it works (when I set up my own CI on windows) but I don't feel it is worth the trouble (there are other nuances including installing and running the tomcat instance as the currently logged in user, and NOT as local service, so that pageant will work with it properly), hence I would recommend the first option.

Thanks prusswan. I've installed the DumpInfo Wrapper plugin and enabled it for my project, but I don't see anything different. I ran the command git.exe fetch -t git@github.com:[org name]/[project name].git +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/* from the command line though and what happens is I get prompted for my passphrase. My guess is that it's doing the same for hudson, and that's causing the stall. Does anyone know how to store the password so that it can be recalled from a keychain or something in place of having to re-enter it? — aj-, Jul 26 '11 at 21:38

score 0 · Answer 2 · edited May 23 '17 at 10:24

In my case it turned out to be the problem with Git client: I was using v1.6.0 which was triggering

fatal: https://github.com/dmak/jaxb-xew-plugin.git/info/refs download error - The requested URL returned error: 403

error message in Hudson. First it looked like this issue, but strace analysis of git run shown that is was Nginx WebServer (which GitHub is running on) returning 403, not the proxy.

When I've updated to v1.7.3 the problem was gone. So general advise: don't use old clients with GitHub.

P.S. I have tested the cloning both with "Branch Specifier (blank for default): origin/master" in Hudson job configuration and also with blank (default): in both cases Git was able to discover the master branch (origin/master) correctly and used it for cloning.

Github Integration with Hudson CI

2 Answers2