How to set up a new repository

This guide shows you how to set up a new repository for building custom images based on blue-build/template, which provides a minimal example configuration along with GitHub Actions to build your image and a netinstall ISO of it. Updates to BlueBuild in your repository will be handled by the Pull and Dependabot apps, which are set up in the template.

Automatic setup using the BlueBuild Workshop

The automatic setup will apply some default configuration and set up cosign for you.

The Workshop is a currently work-in-progress part of BlueBuild that allows managing custom image repositories using a web interface. Report issues in the GitHub repository: blue-build/workshop.

1. Open https://workshop.blue-build.org/.
2. Press “Log in with GitHub”.
3. Press “New custom image repository”.
4. Choose a name for your repository and press “Create repository”.
   • This name should not contain spaces, slashes, or other special non-ascii characters. Using a dash (-) for delimitating words is recommended.
5. When prompted with setting up container signing, it is recommended to do it automatically.
   • If you have security concerns, skipping is an option too. Read more about this in the wizard.
6. After that step is completed, you’re done! You can now clone your repository, open recipes/recipe.yml and start customizing! The reference section of the documentation is your friend here.

Manual setup with git and cosign

The manual setup is useful if the other methods aren’t working correctly or if you want to learn what they do. This approach requires git and either cosign or skopeo, so make sure the necessary programs are installed before proceeding.

1. Open blue-build/template.
2. Press “Use this template” and create a new repository.
3. Set up container signing, then come back to this guide.
4. Change the name: in recipes/recipe.yml and commit your changes. You can also apply some initial customizations here.
5. Open the Actions tab of your repository and make sure GitHub Actions are enabled.
6. Change all references to blue-build/template in the README.md to the details of your repository or custom image and commit your changes. You should also change the title and the short description below it so that people stumbling on your repository know what they are looking at.
7. You’re done! You can now open recipes/recipe.yml and start customizing! The reference section of the documentation is your friend here.