ingress-nginx-helm/docs/developer-guide/getting-started.md

# Developing for NGINX Ingress Controller

This document explains how to get started with developing for NGINX Ingress controller.

## Prerequisites

Install [Go 1.14](https://golang.org/dl/) or later.

!!! note
    The project uses [Go Modules](https://github.com/golang/go/wiki/Modules)

Install [Docker](https://docs.docker.com/engine/install/) (v19.03.0 or later with experimental feature on)

!!! important
    The majority of make tasks run as docker containers

## Quick Start


1. Fork the repository
2. Clone the repository to any location in your work station
3. Add a `GO111MODULE` environment variable with `export GO111MODULE=on`
4. Run `go mod download` to install dependencies

### Local build

Start a local Kubernetes cluster using [kind](https://kind.sigs.k8s.io/), build and deploy the ingress controller

```console
make dev-env
```
- If you are working on the v1.x.x version of this controler, and you want to create a cluster with kubernetes version 1.22, then please visit the [documentation for kind](https://kind.sigs.k8s.io/docs/user/configuration/#a-note-on-cli-parameters-and-configuration-files), and look for how to set a custom image for the kind node (image: kindest/node...), in the kind config file.

### Testing

**Run go unit tests**

```console
make test
```

**Run unit-tests for lua code**

```console
make lua-test
```

Lua tests are located in the directory `rootfs/etc/nginx/lua/test`

!!! important
    Test files must follow the naming convention `<mytest>_test.lua` or it will be ignored


**Run e2e test suite**

```console
make kind-e2e-test
```

To limit the scope of the tests to execute, we can use the environment variable `FOCUS`

```console
FOCUS="no-auth-locations" make kind-e2e-test
```

!!! note
    The variable `FOCUS` defines Ginkgo [Focused Specs](https://onsi.github.io/ginkgo/#focused-specs)

Valid values are defined in the describe definition of the e2e tests like [Default Backend](https://github.com/kubernetes/ingress-nginx/blob/main/test/e2e/defaultbackend/default_backend.go#L29)

The complete list of tests can be found [here](e2e-tests.md)

### Custom docker image

In some cases, it can be useful to build a docker image and publish such an image to a private or custom registry location.

This can be done setting two environment variables, `REGISTRY` and `TAG`

```console
export TAG="dev"
export REGISTRY="$USER"

make build image
```

and then publish such version with

```console
docker push $REGISTRY/controller:$TAG
```