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Create The GitHub App

Overview

Create a GitHub App for the self-hosted Code Review deployment. The app lets CloudAEye receive pull request webhooks, read repository content for indexing and review, write review output back to pull requests, and update check results.

See GitHub's Registering a GitHub App guide for reference.

Prerequisites

  • Access to create a GitHub App in the target organization or account.

Step 1: Fill In General Settings

Use values like the following:

GitHub App setting Value
GitHub App name A unique name such as cloudaeye-code-review-<company>
Description CloudAEye self-hosted code review integration

Step 2: Configure Webhooks

Keep webhooks active and set the webhook endpoint:

GitHub App setting Value
Active Enabled
Webhook secret Generate a long random secret and save it for terraform.tfvars

If the final ALB is not available yet, create the GitHub App, complete the Terraform deployment, get the final value from terraform output app_base_url, then update the GitHub App Webhook URL before testing pull request reviews.

Subscribe to these webhook events in the GitHub App:

Event GitHub event description
Check run Check run is created, requested, rerequested, or completed
Check suite Check suite is requested, rerequested, or completed
Commit comment Commit or diff commented on
Issue comment Issue comment created, edited, or deleted
Issues Issue opened, edited, deleted, closed, reopened, or assigned
Pull request Pull request opened, reopened, synchronized, or ready for review
Pull request review Pull request review submitted, edited, or dismissed
Pull request review comment Pull request diff comment created, edited, or deleted
Pull request review thread Pull request review thread resolved or unresolved

Step 3: Set Repository Permissions

Set the minimum permissions needed for Code Review:

Permission Access Why CloudAEye needs it
Checks Read and write Create or update review checks
Commit statuses Read Read commit status context
Contents Read-only Read source files for indexing and review
Issues Read and write Read and write issue-style pull request comments where GitHub uses issue APIs
Metadata Read-only Required by GitHub for GitHub Apps
Pull requests Read and write Read pull request diffs and write review output

Step 4: Choose Where The App Can Be Installed

Select Only on this account so that the app can be installed in the current account only.

Step 5: Generate App Credentials

After the app is created:

  1. On the GitHub App settings page, copy the App ID.
  2. Copy the Client ID.
  3. Generate a Client secret and copy it immediately.
  4. Under Private keys, click Generate a private key.
  5. Download the .pem private key and store it securely.

GitHub downloads the private key once; keep the PEM file secure and do not commit it to source control.

Step 6: Install The GitHub App

Install the app on the repositories CloudAEye should review:

  1. In the GitHub App settings page, click Install App.
  2. Click Install next to the organization or account.
  3. Select All repositories.
  4. Click Install.

After installation, record the installation ID. You can usually find it in the browser URL while viewing the installation, for example:

https://github.com/organizations/<org>/settings/installations/<installation-id>

Step 7: Add GitHub App Values To Terraform

Add the collected values to terraform.tfvars:

Terraform value Source
github_app_id GitHub App settings page
github_client_id GitHub App settings page
github_client_secret Generated client secret
github_installation_id GitHub App installation URL
github_private_key Downloaded PEM private key value
github_webhook_secret Webhook secret you generated
github_app_key App slug or key required by the Terraform bundle