GitHub Enterprise Server 3.0 hits release candidate stage
GitHub has made Enterprise Server 3.0 available as a release candidate, following the announcement at GitHub Universe. The update is positioned as the largest change to the on-premises platform to date, centering on three major additions: GitHub Actions, GitHub Packages, and beta support for GitHub's mobile apps.
For organizations using GitHub Advanced Security, the release candidate also introduces code scanning and secret scanning in beta. The platform itself has been re-architected around a fully containerized system, which GitHub says will support more flexible administration and better scalability going forward.
Release candidates are intended for early testing in non-production environments so GitHub can gather feedback before the final release. The download is available from the Enterprise releases page, and documentation on the new release process is hosted alongside the standard GitHub docs.
Actions and Packages arrive in full
GitHub Actions brings developer-first workflow automation and CI/CD to Enterprise Server, with all the features available on GitHub.com. Workflow triggers include events like issue creation, new releases, and pull requests. Through GitHub Connect, administrators can tap into more than 6,700 actions from the GitHub Marketplace, written by partners and the community.
Enterprise Server 2.22 ran a limited beta of Actions and Packages, which GitHub says was its largest beta ever for the platform. Version 3.0 incorporates top feature requests from that testing period.
Enterprise-focused governance features for Actions include runner management, access control through groups, security policies for Marketplace actions, and custom workflow templates. Support for running Actions on forks has also been improved.
GitHub Packages, the package hosting service, is included alongside Actions to support end-to-end DevOps workflows that unify code, CI, and deployment.
Code security automation
GitHub Advanced Security on Enterprise Server 3.0 is designed to surface vulnerabilities during development rather than after the fact.
Code scanning is generally available in this release. It uses the CodeQL analysis engine to check every pull request for known vulnerabilities, integrating security checks into the existing developer workflow.
Secret scanning arrives in beta. The feature detects credentials pushed to repositories using patterns from more than 30 partners, and notifies repository admins immediately when a secret is committed. GitHub reports that Advanced Security users have enabled secret scanning on over 50,000 private repositories, with more than 2 million scans performed on private git pushes weekly.
Mobile apps for Enterprise Server
GitHub's native Android and iOS apps now support Enterprise Server 3.0 in beta. Version 1.4.0 of the Android app and iOS beta app, plus the upcoming iOS 1.4.2 release, include the new capability.
Users sign in with a GitHub.com account first, then add their Enterprise account through profile settings. Both accounts remain active, and switching between them is done by long-pressing the Profile tab. The mobile apps support triaging notifications, organizing issues, and reviewing and merging pull requests.
Containerized platform foundation
Enterprise Server 3.0 is built on a fully containerized architecture. GitHub says this modernization provides a foundation for faster feature delivery and more flexible administration at any scale.
Testing the release candidate
The release candidate is available for download now. GitHub recommends testing it on non-production environments first. The full release notes for version 3.0.0-rc are available. Organizations not yet on Enterprise Server can start a free trial. GitHub Support is available for issues encountered during testing.
