How to exclude git branch from building in Jenkins

Question

Here is my current Jenkins setup for a project:

• one job runs all development branches
• one job runs all pull requests
• one job runs only the master branch
• one job makes the automated release only when master passes

This setup allows me to have continuous automated delivery as well as constant feedback during development. The first 3 jobs also run all tests and coverage reports.

The problem is that I could not find a way to exclude the master branch from the "all development branches" job. It unnecessarily builds master twice every time I merge a pull-request.

Does anybody know how to exclude one branch from the job in Jenkins ?

ps: I am using the Git and the Github plugins. My project is stored on Github.

Answer 1

You can use Repository, filter by name(wildcard). Here just provide :^(?!.master).$.

or you can use filter branch using wildcard and exclude master there: as it successfully scans but later removes from organisation folder scan in case you are using github or bitbucket team project.

Answer 2

@Mike's answer would work for most, but note that :^(?!.*master).*$ would match anything that doesn't contain master, i.e. a branch called feature/add-remaster-functionality won't be built as well. A better way would be :^(?!.*^master$).*$ which matches only master, or even :^(?!.*^(master|origin/master)$).*$ which would match master or origin/master.

Answer 3

You can choose "Inverse" strategy for targeting branches to build.

Check out Jenkins job configuration,

• "Source Code Management" section (choose "Git")
• Additional Behaviours
• click "Add" button
• choose "Strategy for choosing what to build"
• select "Inverse" strategy in combo box.

(Don't forget to fill in "Branches to build" text field by "master")

See also attachment screenshot image:

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Answer 4

You can use :^(?!.*master).*$ as the branch specifier in Jenkins and all branches except master will be built. See answer: https://stackoverflow.com/a/18709097/444639