Deep Dive: Jenkins Basics for DevOps Engineers | CI/CD & Alternatives

Jenkins is one of the most popular open-source automation servers that powers modern DevOps practices through Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery (CI/CD). This beginner-friendly guide takes you on a deep dive into Jenkins basics—covering core concepts like jobs, pipelines, plugins, and Jenkinsfiles. You’ll also learn how to set up Jenkins, build a simple pipeline, follow best practices, and explore leading alternatives such as GitHub Actions and GitLab CI/CD. Perfect for aspiring DevOps engineers and IT professionals, this article equips you with the foundational knowledge to confidently automate software delivery.