diff --git a/.github/workflows/main.yml b/.github/workflows/main.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..2f58c820c32
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/main.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+name: CMake/C++ CI
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - master
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - master
+
+jobs:
+#  install-dependencies:
+#    runs-on: [self-hosted, linux]
+#    steps:
+#        - name: install dependencies
+#          run: |
+#            sudo apt-get -y update
+#            sudo apt install -y build-essential ninja-build clang
+#            sudo apt install -y cmake ccache
+#            sudo apt install -y qt5-default
+#            sudo apt install -y libboost-atomic-dev libboost-all-dev
+#            sudo apt install -y python2.7-dev python-numpy python-scipy
+#            sudo apt install -y libpng-dev libjpeg-dev libtiff-dev zlib1g-dev libglew-dev
+  build:
+#    needs: [install-dependencies]
+    # ideally I'd like this to run in custom docker image instead of running directly in the self-hosted vm:
+    runs-on: [self-hosted, linux] # [self-hosted docker://bmarques68/sofa-ubuntu:18.04]
+    steps:
+      # Chechout the project's repo:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v1
+      
+      # when running on a self-hosted vm with preinstalled deps this dependency step is not necessary of course...:
+      - name: configure SOFA
+        run: |
+          mkdir -p ../build
+          cd ../build
+          cmake ../sofa -G Ninja -DCMAKE_CXX_COMPILER="/usr/bin/clang++" -DSOFA_BUILD_METIS=ON -DPLUGIN_SOFASPARSESOLVER=ON -DPLUGIN_SOFAPYTHON=ON -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="~/SOFA"
+          
+      - name: build SOFA
+        run: |
+          cd ../build
+          ninja
+          ninja install
+          
+  run-tests:
+    needs: [build]
+    runs-on: [self-hosted, linux]
+    steps:
+      - name: run-tests
+        run: |
+          cd ../build/bin
+          for f in *_test
+          do
+            ./$f
+          done
diff --git a/.github/workflows/tests.yml b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..581d3945272
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/tests.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+name: test-workflow
+
+on:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - master
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - master
+
+jobs:
+  plop:
+    runs-on: [self-hosted, linux]
+    needs: [build]
+    steps:
+      - name: plop
+        run: echo "pouet pouet"