GitHub is one of the most popular platforms for hosting and sharing code. Whether you’re working alone or collaborating with a team, GitHub helps you manage your code, track changes, and contribute to open-source projects easily. In this beginner-friendly guide, we will walk through the basic steps to get started with GitHub. Don’t worry if you’re new—by the end, you’ll be confident in using GitHub!
1. Sign Up for a GitHub Account
To begin using GitHub, the first step is to create a free account.
- Visit GitHub.
- Click Sign Up at the top right corner.
- Enter your email, choose a password, and select a username.
- Complete the setup and verify your email if needed.
2. Install Git on Your Computer
GitHub relies on a tool called Git. Git is the version control system that tracks changes to your code. You’ll need to install Git on your computer to use GitHub.
- Visit the official Git Downloads page.
- Download the version suitable for your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux).
- Follow the installation instructions provided.
Once installed, Git allows you to interact with GitHub from your local computer.
3. Set Up Git
After installing Git, it’s time to set up your name and email, which Git uses to track who makes changes.
- Open Terminal (on macOS/Linux) or Command Prompt (on Windows).
- Type the following commands to set up your name and email:
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"
4. Create a New Repository on GitHub
A repository (or “repo”) is where your project files are stored on GitHub.
- Log in to your GitHub account.
- Click the + icon in the top-right corner and select New repository.
- Give your repository a name (e.g., “my-first-project”).
- Choose whether the repository should be public or private.
- Optionally, you can add a README file, which describes your project.
- Click Create repository.
5. Create a Local Project Folder
You’ll need to create a folder on your computer where your project files will live.
- Create a folder on your computer. You can name it anything, like “my-first-project”.
- Open the terminal or command prompt and navigate to your folder using the
cdcommand.
cd path/to/your/folder
6. Initialize Git in Your Local Folder
To link your local project folder with Git, initialize a Git repository.
- In the terminal, type the following command.
git init
7. Connect Your Project to GitHub
You’ll connect your local folder with the GitHub repository.
- In your GitHub repository, you’ll see a URL. Copy the HTTPS link (it should look something like https://github.com/username/my-first-project.git).
- In the terminal, run the following command to add this remote link.
git remote add origin https://github.com/username/my-first-project.git
8. Add and Commit Your Files
To send your files to GitHub, you need to “add” and “commit” them using Git.
- First, create a new file in your project folder (e.g., an
index.htmlfile). - To add this file to the Git tracking system, use:
git add .
- Next, commit your changes with a message that describes what you did:
git commit -m "Initial commit"
9. Push Your Code to GitHub
Pushing your code uploads your local changes to the GitHub repository.
- In the terminal, type the following command to push your files:
git push -u origin master
10. Collaborate on GitHub
One of the best things about GitHub is how easy it makes collaboration. Here’s how you can collaborate on a project:
- Forking : Forking is making a copy of someone else’s repository to work on. You can make changes and then suggest they include your changes.
- Pull Requests : Once you’ve made changes to a project, you can open a pull request. This is a request for the original project owner to review and merge your changes.
11. Pull Changes from GitHub
If you’re working with a team, you might need to pull changes from the GitHub repository to keep your local project up-to-date.
- This fetches and applies changes from the GitHub repository to your local project.
- Run the following command to pull the latest changes.
git pull origin master
