What is the point of a “Build Server”? [closed]

Answer 1

It's about management and testing for us. With a build server we always know that we can build our main "trunk" line from version control. We can create a master install with one-click and publish it to the web. We can run all of our unit tests each time code is checked in to make sure it works. By collecting all these tasks into a single machine it makes it easier to get it right repeatedly.

Answer 2

A build server also gives you a basis for escrow, being able to capture all the parts necessary to reproduce a build in the case that others may have rights to take ownership.

Answer 3

The build server is used to build everyone's code when it is checked in. Your code may compile locally, but you most likely won't have all the change made by everyone else all the time.

Answer 4

Maybe i'm the only one...

I think everyone agrees that one should

• use a file repository
• do builds from the repository (and in a clean environment)
• use a continous testing server (e.g. cruise control) to see if anything is broken after your "fixes"

But no one cares about automatically built versions. When something was broken in an automatic build, but it's not anymore - who cares? It's a work in progress. Someone fixed it.

When you want to do a release version, you run a build from the repository. And i'm pretty sure you want to tag the version in the repository at that time and not every six hours when the server does it's work.

So, maybe a "build server" is just a misnomer and it's actually a "continous test server". Otherwise it sounds pretty much useless.

Answer 5

A build server is used to schedule compile tasks (e.g. nightly builds) of usually large projects located in a repository that can sometimes take more than a couple of hours.

Answer 6

For consistent quality and to get the build 'off your machine' to spot environment errors and so that any files you forget to check in to source control also show up as build errors.

I also use it to create installers as these take a lot of time to do on the desktop with code signing etc.