CI/CD in Node.js with Jenkins
Run Node.js CI/CD on Jenkins with an encrypted .env.vault file
Initial setup
Create a Jenkinsfile file.
Jenkins
pipeline {
agent any
stages {
stage('Build') {
steps {
sh 'npm install'
sh 'npm run build'
}
}
}
}
If you're on Windows, replace the sh command with powershell.
Create a build.js file. It's a very simple build script that outputs 'Hello World'.
build.js
// build.js
console.log(`Hello ${process.env.HELLO}`)
Create a package.json file.
package.json
{
"scripts": {
"build": "node build.js"
}
}
Push it up to Jenkins.
Install dotenv
Install dotenv.
npm install dotenv --save # Requires dotenv >= 16.1.0
Create a .env file in the root of your project.
.env
# .env
HELLO="World"
As early as possible in your application, import and configure dotenv.
build.js
// build.js
require('dotenv').config()
console.log(process.env) // remove this after you've confirmed it is working
console.log(`Hello ${process.env.HELLO}`)
Try running it locally.
node build.js
{
...
HELLO: 'World'
}
Hello World
Perfect. process.env now has the keys and values you defined in your .env file.
That covers local simulation of the CI. Let's solve for the real CI environment next.
Build .env.vault
Push your latest .env file changes and edit your CI secrets. Learn more about syncing
npx dotenv-vault@latest push
npx dotenv-vault@latest open ci
Use the UI to configure those secrets per environment.
Then build your encrypted .env.vault file.
npx dotenv-vault@latest build
Its contents should look something like this.
.env.vault
#/-------------------.env.vault---------------------/
#/ cloud-agnostic vaulting standard /
#/ [how it works](https://dotenv.org/env-vault) /
#/--------------------------------------------------/
# development
DOTENV_VAULT_DEVELOPMENT="/HqNgQWsf6Oh6XB9pI/CGkdgCe6d4/vWZHgP50RRoDTzkzPQk/xOaQs="
DOTENV_VAULT_DEVELOPMENT_VERSION=2
# ci
DOTENV_VAULT_CI="x26PuIKQ/xZ5eKrYomKngM+dO/9v1vxhwslE/zjHdg3l+H6q6PheB5GVDVIbZg=="
DOTENV_VAULT_CI_VERSION=2
Set DOTENV_KEY
Fetch your CI DOTENV_KEY.
npx dotenv-vault@latest keys ci
# outputs: dotenv://:[email protected]/vault/.env.vault?environment=ci
Set DOTENV_KEY on Jenkins.
There are multiple optional ways to do this with Jenkins - as part of a build step, as a node property, or as a global setting. Choose what works best for your situation.
Applying the decryption key to a build step will make it active only during that particular step, during node activity when set as a node property, and for every action as a global setting.
You can set it in a build step via the Blue Ocean interface, or the Jenkinsfile, in a node property via Dashboard/Manage Jenkins/Nodes/NODE_NAME, and in the global settings via Dashboard/Manage Jenkins/Configure System.
Once you’ve chosen a preferred location, put DOTENV_KEY as the key and save the decryption key you obtained earlier for the value field.
Build CI
Commit those changes safely to code and rerun the build.
That's it! On rerun, your .env.vault file will be decrypted and its CI secrets injected as environment variables – just in time.
You'll know things worked correctly when you see 'Loading env from encrypted .env.vault' in your logs. If a DOTENV_KEY is not set (for example when developing on your local machine) it will fall back to standard dotenv functionality.
You succesfully used the new .env.vault standard to encrypt and deploy your secrets. This is much safer than scattering your secrets across multiple third-party platforms and tools. Whenever you need to add or change a secret, just rebuild your .env.vault file and redeploy.