Semaphore Pipeline Integration with SmartUI

Semaphore is a modern CI/CD (Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery) platform designed for developers to automate the process of building, testing, and deploying software.

This guide explains how to integrate your project with the Semaphore CI/CD pipeline to trigger visual regression testing with LambdaTest SmartUI whenever changes are made to your repository.

Steps to Integrate Semaphore Pipeline with SmartUI

To integrate Semaphore Pipeline with SmartUI, follow the below steps. You can use your own project to configure and test it. For demo purposes, we are using the sample repository.

Sample repo

Download or Clone the code sample from the LambdaTest GitHub repository to run the tests on the SmartUI.

View on GitHub

Step 1: Create your Project

• Click on the Create New >> Choose Repository.
• Select your desired repository from your VCS (GitHub or Bitbucket)

Step 2: Setup your Workflow

• Select your desired build tool and edit your workflow as per your requirement. A sample workflow is given for your reference:
• Click on Run the Workflow button to trigger your tests

semaphore.yml

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View on GitHub

tip

You can also store your LT_USERNAME, LT_ACCESS_KEY and PROJECT_TOKEN as secrets in your Semaphore project repository.

Step 3: Check the output

• After triggering the workflow, check your results in the SmartUI Dashboard

Best Practices

Secret Management

Secret Management

• Never commit credentials to repository
• Use Semaphore Secrets for all sensitive data
• Rotate secrets regularly
• Use different secrets for different environments

Pipeline Optimization

Pipeline Optimization

• Use parallel blocks for faster execution
• Cache dependencies to speed up pipelines
• Only run visual tests on relevant branches
• Set up pipeline conditions to avoid unnecessary runs

Example:

auto_cancel:
  running:
    when: branch != 'main'"

Build Naming

Build Naming

• Use meaningful build names that include branch/commit info
• Include commit SHA for traceability
• Use consistent naming conventions

Example:

env_vars:
  - name: BUILD_NAME
    value: ${SEMAPHORE_GIT_BRANCH}-${SEMAPHORE_GIT_SHA}"

Error Handling

Error Handling

• Set up proper error handling in pipelines
• Use pipeline status checks
• Configure notifications for failures
• Add retry logic for flaky tests

Resource Management

Resource Management

• Limit concurrent pipeline runs
• Clean up old builds regularly
• Monitor pipeline execution time
• Optimize test execution order

Resource Management

Resource Management

• Limit concurrent pipeline runs
• Clean up old builds regularly
• Monitor pipeline execution time
• Optimize test execution order

Troubleshooting

Pipeline Fails with Secret Not Found

Issue: Pipeline Fails with "Secret Not Found"

Symptoms: Pipeline fails with error about missing secrets

Possible Causes:

• Secrets not created in Semaphore project
• Secret names don't match
• Secrets not accessible to pipeline
• Secret scope issues

Solutions:

1. Verify secrets exist in project settings:

   • Go to Project Settings → Secrets
   • Check LT_USERNAME, LT_ACCESS_KEY, and PROJECT_TOKEN exist

2. Ensure secret names match exactly (case-sensitive)

3. Check secret scope (project or organization level)

4. Verify secrets are accessible to the pipeline

PROJECT_TOKEN Not Available

Issue: PROJECT_TOKEN Not Available

Symptoms: Pipeline prompts for PROJECT_TOKEN or token not found

Possible Causes:

• PROJECT_TOKEN not set as secret
• Secret not passed to job
• Secret scope issues

Solutions:

1. Add PROJECT_TOKEN as Semaphore Secret

2. Pass secret to job:

   env_vars:
     - name: PROJECT_TOKEN
       value: ${PROJECT_TOKEN}

3. Check secret is accessible to the pipeline

4. Verify secret scope includes your project

Tests Run But No Results in Dashboard

Issue: Tests Run But No Results in Dashboard

Symptoms: Pipeline completes but screenshots don't appear in SmartUI

Possible Causes:

• Incorrect PROJECT_TOKEN
• Project name mismatch
• Network issues
• Pipeline job failure

Solutions:

1. Verify PROJECT_TOKEN is correct:

   • Check token in SmartUI Project Settings
   • Ensure token includes project ID prefix

2. Check pipeline logs for errors:

   - name: Check Logs
     commands:
       - cat /tmp/*.log || true

3. Verify network connectivity in pipeline

4. Check if SmartUI CLI step completed successfully

Pipeline Times Out

Issue: Pipeline Times Out

Symptoms: Pipeline execution exceeds time limit

Possible Causes:

• Too many tests running
• Slow test execution
• Network latency
• Resource constraints

Solutions:

1. Increase pipeline timeout in Semaphore settings

2. Run tests in parallel using parallel blocks:

   blocks:
     - name: Test Group 1
       task:
         jobs:
           - name: Run Tests
             commands:
               - npx smartui exec -- <command">
     - name: Test Group 2
       task:
         jobs:
           - name: Run Tests
             commands:
               - npx smartui exec -- <command">

3. Optimize test execution

4. Split tests across multiple pipeline blocks

Dependencies Installation Fails

Issue: Dependencies Installation Fails

Symptoms: npm install or dependency installation fails

Possible Causes:

• Network issues
• Package registry problems
• Version conflicts
• Node version mismatch

Solutions:

1. Use specific Node version:

   prologue:
     commands:
       - nvm use 18

2. Clear npm cache:

   commands:
     - npm cache clean --force
     - npm install

3. Use package-lock.json for consistent installs

4. Check for version conflicts in package.json

SmartUI CLI Not Found

Issue: SmartUI CLI Not Found

Symptoms: npx smartui command fails with command not found"

Possible Causes:

• Node.js not installed
• npm not available
• PATH issues

Solutions:

1. Ensure Node.js is available:

   prologue:
     commands:
       - nvm use 18

2. Verify npm is available:

   commands:
     - npm --version

3. Install SmartUI CLI explicitly:

   commands:
     - npm install -g @lambdatest/smartui-cli

Getting Help

If you encounter issues not covered here:

• Review Semaphore Documentation
• Check SmartUI CLI Documentation for CLI-specific issues
• Visit LambdaTest Support for additional resources
• Contact support at support@lambdatest.com or use 24/7 Chat Support

Additional Resources

• Comprehensive Troubleshooting Guide
• SmartUI CLI Documentation
• Semaphore Documentation
• Project Settings
• Running Your First Project