What you should know

- [Instructor] To get the most out of this course, there are a few things you should be familiar with before starting. First and foremost, you'll need a GitHub account. You can create an account for free by going to GitHub.com/join and signing up. You'll need to be familiar with creating and using Git repositories on GitHub.com and you'll also need to know how to work with repository branches. You'll need to know how to push updated code to a repository as a command. And finally you'll need to know how to work with pull requests. Particularly how to open a pull request and then merge it into a branch. If you need a primer on working with GitHub, you can find courses here on LinkedIn Learning to get you up to speed. Docker containers are key to working with GitHub actions. If you're already familiar with Docker and using a Dockerfile to describe a container image, you'll be all set to create custom actions. If you've never worked with a Dockerfile before, don't worry, we'll go over the main key words you need to know. We'll also be scripting a bit, so it will help if you're familiar with shell scripting or scripting in a higher-level language like Python or Ruby. At the time that I'm recording this course, GitHub actions is only available through a limited public beta program. You'll need to request access by going to GitHub.com/features/actions. It may take some time to get access, but while you're standing by, you can proceed with the course and be ready to hit the ground running once your beta access is in place. Exercise files are included with the course and I encourage you to refer to them as we cover each topic. You can use the exercise files as a starting point or use them as a reference to check your own solutions. Okay, now that we have that all squared away, I think it's time for some actions.