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Adding your first app

Abstract

Adding an app to Bitrise means setting up access to your repository so that you can run builds. Our project scanner determines the platform type and generates default Workflows to build and deploy your app.

Adding an app to Bitrise means setting up access to your repository so that you can run builds. During the process, we also run our project scanner that detects the platform type of your app - for example, iOS - and generate default Workflows with all the necessary Steps to build and deploy your app.

Currently we are supporting the following platforms/frameworks out of the box:

The project scanner

Supporting a platform/framework means that our project scanner can detect the type of the app and set up a basic Bitrise configuration based on the type. You can add any other app, too, regardless of how it's built but you'll have to configure it manually.

In this guide we describe how you can add a new app to Bitrise, connect your repository to Bitrise, set up SSH keys and initial configuration, and register a webhook.

  1. Log in to Bitrise.

  2. Click the Add your first app button.

  3. Under CHOOSE ACCOUNT, select the Workspace that will own the app.

  4. Set the privacy of the app.

    Caution

    You cannot change this setting later! If you realize you've accidentally added your app as a public app even though you need it to be private, you'll have to delete the app and add it again.

    • Private apps are only accessible to you, your Workspace members and those who are invited to work on an app. They require authentication to access the repository of the app.

    • Public apps expose their bitrise.yml and their build logs to everyone. If you have a public app’s build URL, you can view its build log, to help with troubleshooting, for example. Public apps do not require authentication and they cannot have SSH keys.

  5. Select one of two options to set your repository URL:

    • With the Select remote repository option, you can select a repository from a list of repos from a connected Git provider account. If you do not have a connected Git provider account, you can still select a provider from the dropdown menu and then click Connect account.

      select-repo-open.png

    • The Enter URL manually option does not require a connected Git provider account: you can simply enter the URL and proceed to the authentication phase. We strongly recommend using an SSH URL, unless you are setting up a public app.

    Repository URL

    You will be able to change your project's repository URL later. You can also connect or disconnect your account to Git provider services at any time.

    If you signed up for Bitrise using a Git provider account, that one is already connected and you can select any of your repositories from it.

  6. Add an SSH key in the Setup repository access section. This is only relevant for private apps: public apps can't have SSH keys and they don't require authentication.

    Configure SSH keys at any time

    If you can't set up a valid, working SSH key connection at this time, don't worry: proceed with adding your app. You can set up the SSH connection afterwards.

    • We recommend the default option: click No, auto-add SSH key. Your connected source code hosting service account (for example, your GitHub account) must have admin rights to the repository. If it does, Bitrise will automatically add the SSH key.

    • If you need to use additional private repositories, or you don't have admin rights to the repository, click the I need to button. Copy the public SSH key and get it added to the repository. Once you're done, click I've added the SSH key.

    • You can also use your own SSH keys. On the right of the Setup repository access section, select ADD OWN SSH. Paste your RSA SSH private key to the field below without the passphrase. You will have to register the public key at your source code hosting service.

  7. Enter a branch of your repository, then click Next.

    Bitrise will run your first build on this branch and it will be set as your Bitrise app's default branch but you can change this setting later. This branch should contain the configuration of your project.

  8. Wait while Bitrise is attempting to automatically configure your app.

    Bitrise can detect your project type, and set up a stack and default Workflows based on that.

    Project type

    Detecting a project type serves to assist in the initial configuration of your app. But don't worry, you can change every setting, including the project type, at any time after you added the app.

  9. If Bitrise successfully detected your project type, proceed to the next Step. If Bitrise failed to detect your project type, you have two options.

    • Try to fix the issue that caused the project scanner to fail. The logs we provide might be helpful. Once you're done select Retry automatic configuration.

    • Select Skip and configure manually. You'll need to choose the project type, and set up the project configuration based on the type you chose. If you select Other/Manual, you'll just need to select a stack type.

  10. Confirm the project build configuration and click I'm ready when done.

    The exact configuration options depend on your project type. You will always have the option to select a stack and the machine types for the selected stack. If you're not sure about these options, don't worry: you can change them later.

  11. Optionally, add an app icon by uploading an image.

    You can skip this and add an icon later if you wish.

  12. Optionally, allow Bitrise to set up a webhook in your repository.

    You need a webhook to automatically trigger builds. You can set up webhooks for your apps at any time so feel free to skip it for now.

  13. Once you register a webhook (or skip it), Bitrise automatically starts your app's first build. Click I'm finished to get back to the Dashboard.

In this section:

An app on Bitrise represents a Git repository that stores source code and has been connected to Bitrise to be able to run builds on it. As such, a Bitrise app isn't necessarily an actual application: it's just the code on which you run builds with Bitrise.

project scanner

A Workflow is a collection of Steps, Environment Variables, and other configurations. When Bitrise starts a build, it runs one or more Workflows according to the configuration defined in the bitrise.yml file.

A Step is a block of script execution that encapsulates a build task on Bitrise: the code to perform that task, the inputs and parameters you can define for the task, and the outputs the task generates.

The bitrise.yml file stores your entire build configuration for an app. It specifies your stack and the build triggers, and defines the Workflows of the app. When you make changes on the graphical UI of our Workflow Editor, you actually modify the bitrise.yml file.

stack