ci: Modifying and cleaning workflow rules to enforce pipelines for merge requests

.gitlab-ci.yml

-# Define global rules for when pipelines run
+# global rules for when pipelines run
 workflow:
   rules:
-    # Skip pipeline when commit message starts with "wip"
-    - if: '$CI_COMMIT_MESSAGE =~ /^wip/'
-      when: never
-    # Skip pipeline for branches that start with "docs"
-    - if: '$CI_COMMIT_REF_NAME =~ /^docs/'
-      when: never
-    - when: always
+    # run pipeline for manual tag events
+    - if: $CI_COMMIT_TAG
+    # run pipeline on merge request events
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "merge_request_event"
+    # run pipeline on commits to default branch
+    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH
 
 # include templates
 include:
@@ -84,11 +83,6 @@ clean install:
   stage: smoke tests
   extends:
     - .k3d
-  rules:
-    # Skip on merge requests (it is ran as part of the non MR pipeline)
-    - if: '$CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "merge_request_event"'
-      when: never
-    - when: always
   variables:
     CLUSTER_NAME: "clean-${CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA}"
   script:
@@ -108,7 +102,9 @@ upgrade:
   extends:
     - .k3d
   rules:
-    - if: '$CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "merge_request_event" && $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE !~ /^Breaking Change/'
+    # skip job when MR title starts with 'Breaking Change'
+    - if: $CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TITLE =~ /^Breaking Change/'
+      when: never
   variables:
     CLUSTER_NAME: "clean-${CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA}"
   script:
@@ -126,9 +122,6 @@ upgrade:
 package:
   stage: package
   image: registry.dsop.io/platform-one/big-bang/umbrella/synker:0.0.1
-  rules:
-    - if: '$CI_COMMIT_TAG'
-    - when: never
   dependencies:
     - clean install
   before_script:
@@ -165,8 +158,11 @@ release:
   stage: release
   image: registry.gitlab.com/gitlab-org/release-cli:latest
   rules:
-    - if: '$CI_COMMIT_TAG'
-    - when: never
+    # skip job for manual tag events
+    - if: $CI_COMMIT_TAG
+      when: never
+    # run job on commits to default branch
+    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH == $CI_DEFAULT_BRANCH
   variables:
     RELEASE_ENDPOINT: https://${RELEASE_BUCKET}.s3-${AWS_DEFAULT_REGION}.amazonaws.com/umbrella/${CI_COMMIT_TAG}
   script:
@@ -187,10 +183,10 @@ release:
 .infra fork:
   stage: network up
   rules:
-    # Skip when branch name starts with "hotfix" or "patch"
+    # skip job when branch name starts with "hotfix" or "patch"
     - if: '$CI_MERGE_REQUEST_SOURCE_BRANCH_NAME =~ /^(hotfix|patch)/'
       when: never
-    # Only run on merge requests when manually activated
+    # run job on merge requests when manually activated
     - if: '$CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "merge_request_event"'
       when: manual
       allow_failure: false
@@ -198,22 +194,21 @@ release:
 # Abstract for jobs responsible for creating infrastructure
 .infra create:
   rules:
-    # Skip when branch name starts with "hotfix" or "patch"
+    # skip job when branch name starts with "hotfix" or "patch"
     - if: '$CI_MERGE_REQUEST_SOURCE_BRANCH_NAME =~ /^(hotfix|patch)/'
       when: never
-    # Only run on merge requests
-    - if: '$CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "merge_request_event"'
 
 # Abstract for jobs responsible for cleaning up infrastructure
 .infra cleanup:
   rules:
-    # Skip when branch name starts with "hotfix" or "patch"
+    # skip job when branch name starts with "hotfix" or "patch"
     - if: '$CI_MERGE_REQUEST_SOURCE_BRANCH_NAME =~ /^(hotfix|patch)/'
       when: never
-    # Always run on merge requests
+    # run job on merge requests regardless of failure
     - if: '$CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE == "merge_request_event"'
       allow_failure: true
       when: always
+
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -236,6 +231,7 @@ aws/network down:
   environment:
     name: review/aws-${CI_COMMIT_REF_SLUG}-${CI_COMMIT_SHORT_SHA}
     action: stop
+
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -314,4 +310,5 @@ aws/rke2/cluster down:
     - .rke2 down
   needs:
     - job: aws/rke2/bigbang down
+
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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