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Prerequisites and Requirements

Before installing Pipelines as Code, ensure your environment meets the following requirements.

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Cluster Requirements

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Kubernetes

For standard Kubernetes clusters:
  • Kubernetes version: 1.27 or higher (recommended: latest stable)
  • Cluster access: Admin permissions to install CRDs and cluster roles
  • Resources: Minimum cluster resources:
    • 2 CPU cores available
    • 4 GB RAM available
    • Persistent storage (optional, for workspace caching)
Pipelines as Code has been tested on various Kubernetes distributions including:
  • Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE)
  • Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS)
  • Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS)
  • Minikube
  • Kind (Kubernetes in Docker)
  • K3s

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OpenShift

For OpenShift clusters:
  • OpenShift version: 4.10 or higher
  • OpenShift Pipelines: Version 1.7.x or higher (includes Tekton Pipelines)
  • Cluster access: Admin permissions for operator installation or manual installation

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Tekton Pipelines

Pipelines as Code requires Tekton Pipelines to be installed on your cluster.

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Version Requirements

  • Minimum version: Tekton Pipelines v0.50.0
  • Recommended: Latest stable release
kubectl get deployment tekton-pipelines-controller -n tekton-pipelines -o jsonpath='{.metadata.labels.app\.kubernetes\.io/version}'
On OpenShift with the OpenShift Pipelines Operator installed, Tekton Pipelines is automatically included.

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Command-Line Tools

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Required Tools

1

kubectl

The Kubernetes command-line tool for cluster access.Installation: kubectl installation guideVerify:
kubectl version --client
2

oc (OpenShift only)

The OpenShift command-line tool.Installation: OpenShift CLI toolsVerify:
oc version

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Optional Tools

These tools enhance the Pipelines as Code experience:
1

tkn

The Tekton CLI for managing Tekton resources.Installation: Tekton CLI installationInstall via Homebrew:
brew install tektoncd-cli
Verify:
tkn version
2

tkn-pac

The Pipelines as Code CLI plugin for tkn.Install via Homebrew:
brew install openshift-pipelines/pipelines-as-code/tkn-pac
Install via Direct Download (Linux):
curl -L https://github.com/openshift-pipelines/pipelines-as-code/releases/latest/download/tkn-pac-linux-amd64 -o tkn-pac
chmod +x tkn-pac
sudo mv tkn-pac /usr/local/bin/
Install via Direct Download (macOS):
curl -L https://github.com/openshift-pipelines/pipelines-as-code/releases/latest/download/tkn-pac-darwin-amd64 -o tkn-pac
chmod +x tkn-pac
sudo mv tkn-pac /usr/local/bin/
Verify:
tkn pac version

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Git Provider

Pipelines as Code integrates with Git providers to trigger pipelines based on repository events.

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Supported Git Providers

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GitHub

  • GitHub.com: Public GitHub (fully supported)
  • GitHub Enterprise: Self-hosted GitHub (fully supported)
  • Integration methods:
    • GitHub App (recommended)
    • Webhook
Requirements:
  • Repository admin access for webhook configuration
  • GitHub App creation permissions (for GitHub App method)
  • Ability to create Personal Access Tokens or GitHub App credentials

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GitLab

  • GitLab.com: Public GitLab (fully supported)
  • GitLab Self-Managed: Self-hosted GitLab (fully supported)
  • Integration method: Webhook
Requirements:
  • Repository maintainer access
  • Ability to create Project Access Tokens or Personal Access Tokens

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Bitbucket

  • Bitbucket Cloud: (fully supported)
  • Bitbucket Data Center: Self-hosted Bitbucket (fully supported)
  • Integration method: Webhook
Requirements:
  • Repository admin access
  • Ability to create App Passwords (Bitbucket Cloud) or Personal Access Tokens (Bitbucket Data Center)

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Forgejo

  • Status: Tech Preview
  • Integration method: Webhook
Requirements:
  • Repository admin access
  • Ability to create Access Tokens
Forgejo support is in Tech Preview and may have limitations or bugs. Not recommended for production use.

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Network Requirements

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Ingress/Route

Pipelines as Code requires an externally accessible URL to receive webhooks from Git providers.

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Kubernetes

One of the following is required:
  • Ingress Controller: Nginx, Traefik, GKE Ingress, etc.
  • Load Balancer: Cloud provider load balancer service
  • Webhook Forwarder: For development/testing (e.g., gosmee, ngrok, smee.io)

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OpenShift

  • Route: Automatically created during installation
  • No additional configuration required

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Firewall Rules

Ensure the following network connectivity:
  • Inbound: Git provider webhooks must reach the Pipelines as Code controller
    • Port: 443 (HTTPS) or 80 (HTTP)
    • Source: Git provider IP ranges
  • Outbound: Controller must reach:
    • Git provider API endpoints (for status updates)
    • Artifact Hub or Tekton Hub (for remote task resolution)
    • Container registries (if using remote tasks)

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Git Provider IP Ranges

For firewall configuration, refer to your Git provider’s documentation:
For Bitbucket Cloud, you can enable IP source verification in the Pipelines as Code configuration to ensure webhooks come from Bitbucket’s IP ranges.

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Storage Requirements

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For Pipelines as Code Components

The Pipelines as Code components have minimal storage requirements:
  • ConfigMaps: < 1 MB
  • Secrets: < 1 MB
  • Container images: ~500 MB total for all three components

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For Pipeline Workspaces

Pipeline workspaces may require persistent storage:
  • EmptyDir: No persistent storage required (ephemeral)
  • PersistentVolumeClaim: Requires a StorageClass with dynamic provisioning
  • Recommended: 5-10 GB per concurrent pipeline for caching dependencies

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Permissions

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Cluster Permissions

Installing Pipelines as Code requires:
  • Kubernetes: cluster-admin role or equivalent
  • OpenShift: cluster-admin role or equivalent
Permissions needed:
  • Create and manage CRDs
  • Create ClusterRoles and ClusterRoleBindings
  • Create namespaces
  • Deploy controllers with elevated permissions

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User Permissions

For users creating Repository CRs:
  • Minimum: Role binding to openshift-pipeline-as-code-clusterrole in target namespace
  • Ability to create Secrets in the namespace
  • Ability to read and list PipelineRuns

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Optional Dependencies

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Tekton Dashboard

For enhanced log viewing and PipelineRun visualization: 
kubectl apply -f https://storage.googleapis.com/tekton-releases/dashboard/latest/release.yaml

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Container Registry

For building and storing container images in pipelines:
  • Docker Hub: Public or private repositories
  • Quay.io: Red Hat’s container registry
  • GCR, ECR, ACR: Cloud provider registries
  • Harbor: Self-hosted registry
Authentication credentials should be stored as Kubernetes Secrets.

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Version Compatibility Matrix

Pipelines as CodeTekton PipelinesKubernetesOpenShiftGo Version
v0.30.x+v0.50.0+1.27+4.10+1.25+
v0.25.x - v0.29.xv0.44.0+1.23+4.10+1.22+
Based on go.mod, Pipelines as Code is currently built with Go 1.25.0 and requires Tekton Pipelines v1.7.0.

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Development Requirements

For development or contributing to Pipelines as Code:
  • Go: Version 1.25.0 or higher
  • ko: For building container images
  • make: For running build tasks
  • git: Version control

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Browser Compatibility

For using the Pipelines as Code GitHub App creation flow:
  • Modern browsers with JavaScript enabled
  • Support for OAuth redirect flows

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Summary Checklist

Before proceeding with installation:
  • Kubernetes 1.27+ or OpenShift 4.10+ cluster
  • Tekton Pipelines v0.50.0+ installed
  • kubectl (and oc for OpenShift) CLI installed
  • Cluster admin access
  • Git provider account with repository access
  • Ingress controller or Route capability (or webhook forwarder for testing)
  • Network connectivity for webhooks
  • Optional: tkn and tkn-pac CLI tools

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Next Steps

Once you’ve verified all prerequisites:
  1. Choose your installation method:
  2. Review the Installation Overview
  3. Prepare your Git provider credentials

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