Adding artifacts for the check_image

.gitlab-ci.yml

 stages:       
    # List of stages for jobs, and their order of execution
-  - check_image
+  - check_image # Check whether the image is already existing or not
   - initial_build # builds if the image does not exist
   - build_main  # builds when the merge request is made into main
   - build_tag  # builds when the tag is pushed
@@ -15,14 +15,11 @@ check_image:
     entrypoint: [""]
   script:
     - crane auth login -u $CI_REGISTRY_USER -p $CI_REGISTRY_PASSWORD $CI_REGISTRY
-    - if crane manifest $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH; then echo DOCKER_LATEST_IMAGE_EXISTS=true; else echo DOCKER_LATEST_IMAGE_EXISTS=false; fi
-  rules:
-    - if: $CI_COMMIT_BRANCH
-      changes:
-        - "**/*"
-    - if: '$CI_MERGE_REQUEST_TARGET_BRANCH_NAME == "main"'
-      when: never
-
+    - if crane manifest $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH; then echo "DOCKER_LATEST_IMAGE_EXISTS=true" > docker_latest_image.txt; else echo "DOCKER_LATEST_IMAGE_EXISTS=false" > docker_latest_image.txt; fi
+  artifacts:
+    paths:
+      - docker_latest_image.txt
+      
 initial_build:
   stage: initial_build
   image: 
@@ -31,6 +28,8 @@ initial_build:
   script:
     # specify auths for kaniko executor
     - echo "{\"auths\":{\"$CI_REGISTRY\":{\"username\":\"$CI_REGISTRY_USER\",\"password\":\"$CI_REGISTRY_PASSWORD\"}}}" > /kaniko/.docker/config.json
+    # Read the value of DOCKER_LATEST_IMAGE_EXISTS from the artifact
+    - DOCKER_LATEST_IMAGE_EXISTS=$(cat docker_latest_image.txt)
     # if the image does not exist, build it
     - if $DOCKER_LATEST_IMAGE_EXISTS=false; then /kaniko/executor --context $CI_PROJECT_DIR --dockerfile $CI_PROJECT_DIR/Dockerfile --destination $CI_REGISTRY_IMAGE:$CI_COMMIT_BRANCH; else echo "Docker image already exists"; fi
   rules: # if the image is pushed into main branch, the build_main job will run