Your First Jenkins Job

Create a Freestyle Job

A freestyle job is a simple, task-oriented build. It is great for learning because almost everything is click-and-configure.

Hello World

New Item (Freestyle project) - name it hello-world, then add a build step:

• Execute shell (Linux) or Execute Windows batch command (Windows) with: echo Hello from Jenkins

Save and click Build Now. The build appears in Build History; open the build and inspect the Console Output.

Build Steps Covered by Freestyle

• Execute shell / batch command
• Invoke top-level Maven targets
• Build a Gradle project
• Copy artifacts, archive artifacts, publish reports

Understanding the Console Log

Started by user admin
[workspace] sh -xe /tmp/shell.sh
+ echo Hello from Jenkins
Hello from Jenkins
Finished: SUCCESS

The + lines show each command Jenkins executed. A build ends with SUCCESS, FAILURE or UNSTABLE (tests failed).

Key Points

• Freestyle jobs are the fastest way to automate a repeatable task.
• Every job has a workspace directory and a console log.
• Use Build Now to test, then automate later with triggers.