Jenkins is a Java-based open-source automation server renowned for its vast plugin ecosystem, enabling continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD). It simplifies and accelerates various processes in software development, including building, testing, and deploying applications. Jenkins is integral to DevOps, offering powerful ways to automate all sorts of development and deployment tasks.
While Jenkins specialises in the automation of CI/CD processes, GitHub is a web-based platform focused on version control and collaboration among developers. Jenkins orchestrates and automates the workflows related to building, testing, and deploying software, whereas GitHub serves as the central repository for storing and managing code, tracking changes, and facilitating collaborative features like pull requests and code reviews. In practice, these two tools often work in tandem; Jenkins can integrate with GitHub to trigger automated workflows in response to code commits or pull requests, creating a seamless CI/CD pipeline.
For more in-depth information, tutorials, and a comprehensive list of plugins, visit Jenkins.io.