Tutorial: Use full clone with a CodeCommit pipeline source

You can choose the full clone option for your CodeCommit source action in CodePipeline. Use this option to allow CodeBuild to access Git metadata in your pipeline build action.

In this tutorial, you create a pipeline that accesses your CodeCommit repository, uses the full clone option for source data, and runs a CodeBuild build that clones your repository and performs Git commands for the repository.

Note

CodeBuild actions are the only downstream actions support use of Git metadata available with the Git clone option. Also, while your pipeline can contain cross-account actions, the CodeCommit action and the CodeBuild action must be in the same account for the full clone option to succeed.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, you must create a CodeCommit repository in the same AWS account and Region as your pipeline.

Step 1: Create a README file

Use these steps to add a README file to your source repository. The README file provides an example source file for the CodeBuild downstream action to read.

To add a README file

1. Log in to your repository and choose your repository.

2. To create a new file, choose Add file > Create file. Name the file README.md. file and add the following text.

   This is a CodeCommit repository!

3. Choose Commit changes.

   Make sure the README.md file is at the root level of your repository.

Step 2: Create your pipeline and build project

In this section, you create a pipeline with the following actions:

• A source stage with a CodeCommit source action.

• A build stage with an AWS CodeBuild build action.

To create a pipeline with the wizard

1. Sign in to the CodePipeline console at https://console.aws.amazon.com/codepipeline/.

2. On the Welcome page, Getting started page, or Pipelines page, choose Create pipeline.

3. In Step 1: Choose pipeline settings, in Pipeline name, enter MyCodeCommitPipeline.

4. In Pipeline type, choose V1 for the purposes of this tutorial. You can also choose V2; however, note that pipeline types differ in characteristics and price. For more information, see Pipeline types.

5. In Service role, do one of the following:

   • Choose Existing service role.

   • Choose your existing CodePipeline service role. This role must have the codecommit:GetRepository IAM permission to your service role policy. See Add permissions to the the CodePipeline service role.

6. Under Advanced settings, leave the defaults. Choose Next.

7. On the Step 2: Add source stage page, do the following:

   1. In Source provider, choose CodeCommit.

   2. In Repository name, choose the name of your repository.

   3. In Branch name, choose your branch name.

   4. Make sure the Start the pipeline on source code change option is selected.

   5. Under Output artifact format, choose Full clone to enable the Git clone option for the source repository. Only actions provided by CodeBuild can use the Git clone option.

   Choose Next.

8. In Add build stage, do the following:

   1. In Build provider, choose AWS CodeBuild. Allow Region to default to the pipeline Region.

   2. Choose Create project.

   3. In Project name, enter a name for this build project.

   4. In Environment image, choose Managed image. For Operating system, choose Ubuntu.

   5. For Runtime, choose Standard. For Image, choose aws/codebuild/standard:5.0.

   6. For Service role, choose New service role.

      Note

      Note the name of your CodeBuild service role. You will need the role name for the final step in this tutorial.

   7. Under Buildspec, for Build specifications, choose Insert build commands. Choose Switch to editor, and then under Build commands paste the following code.

      version: 0.2
      
      env:
        git-credential-helper: yes
      phases:
        install:
          #If you use the Ubuntu standard image 2.0 or later, you must specify runtime-versions.
          #If you specify runtime-versions and use an image other than Ubuntu standard image 2.0, the build fails.
          runtime-versions:
            nodejs: 12
            # name: version
          #commands:
            # - command
            # - command
        pre_build:
          commands:
            - ls -lt
            - cat README.md
        build:
          commands:
            - git log | head -100
            - git status
            - ls
            - git describe --all
        #post_build:
          #commands:
            # - command
            # - command
      #artifacts:
        #files:
          # - location
        #name: $(date +%Y-%m-%d)
        #discard-paths: yes
        #base-directory: location
      #cache:
        #paths:
          # - paths

   8. Choose Continue to CodePipeline. This returns you to the CodePipeline console and creates a CodeBuild project that uses your build commands for configuration. The build project uses a service role to manage AWS service permissions. This step might take a couple of minutes.

   9. Choose Next.

9. On the Step 4: Add deploy stage page, choose Skip deploy stage, and then accept the warning message by choosing Skip again. Choose Next.

10. On Step 5: Review, choose Create pipeline.

Step 3: Update the CodeBuild service role policy to clone the repository

The initial pipeline run will fail because you need to update the CodeBuild service role with permissions to pull from your repository.

Add the codecommit:GitPull IAM permission to your service role policy. For instructions to update the policy in the IAM console, see Add CodeBuild GitClone permissions for CodeCommit source actions.

Step 4: View repository commands in build output

To view the build output

1. When your service role is successfully updated, choose Retry on the failed CodeBuild stage.

2. After the pipeline runs successfully, on your successful build stage, choose View details.

   On the details page, choose the Logs tab. View the CodeBuild build output. The commands output the value of the entered variable.

   The commands output the README.md file contents, list the files in the directory, clone the repository, view the log, and run git describe --all.