GitHub Beginner Guide
· 4 min read
Introduction
GitHub is a web-based platform for version control and collaboration. It allows multiple people to work on projects together, track changes, and manage code repositories using Git.
1. Setting Up Git and GitHub
1.1 Create a GitHub Account
- Go to GitHub.
- Click Sign up and fill in your details.
- Verify your email and set up your profile.
1.2 Install Git
Windows:
Download and install Git from Git for Windows.
Mac:
brew install git
Linux:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install git
1.3 Configure Git
Set up your Git username and email:
git config --global user.name "Your GitHub Username"
git config --global user.email "Your GitHub Email"
Check the configuration:
git config --list
2. Creating a Repository on GitHub
- Log in to GitHub.
- Click New repository.
- Enter a repository name, select visibility (Public or Private), and click Create repository.
3. Cloning a Repository
To copy a GitHub repository to your local machine:
git clone https://github.com/your-username/repository-name.git
Move into the directory:
cd repository-name
4. Adding and Committing Changes
4.1 Create a new file
echo "# My Project" > README.md
4.2 Add files to staging
git add README.md
4.3 Commit changes
git commit -m "Initial commit"
5. Pushing Code to GitHub
git push origin main
If your branch is different from main, use:
git push origin your-branch-name
6. Pulling Updates from GitHub
To get the latest changes from GitHub:
git pull origin main
7. Branching and Merging
7.1 Create a New Branch
git branch feature-branch
7.2 Switch to the New Branch
git checkout feature-branch
7.3 Merge a Branch
git checkout main
git merge feature-branch
7.4 Delete a Branch
git branch -d feature-branch
8. Forking a Repository and Creating Pull Requests
8.1 Fork a Repository
- Go to the repository on GitHub.
- Click Fork (top-right corner).
- Clone your forked repository:
git clone https://github.com/your-username/forked-repository.git
8.2 Make Changes and Push
git add .
git commit -m "Modified file"
git push origin your-branch
8.3 Create a Pull Request (PR)
- Go to your forked repository on GitHub.
- Click New pull request.
- Compare changes and click Create pull request.
9. Git Ignore and Undo Changes
9.1 Ignoring Files
Create a .gitignore file and add files or folders you want to ignore:
node_modules/
*.log
.env
9.2 Undo Changes
Undo uncommitted changes:
git checkout -- filename
Undo last commit (keep changes unstaged):
git reset --soft HEAD~1
Undo last commit (discard changes):
git reset --hard HEAD~1
10. Useful Git Commands Summary
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
git init | Initialize a Git repository |
git clone URL | Clone a repository |
git status | Show current changes |
git add . | Add all files to staging |
git commit -m "message" | Commit changes |
git push origin branch | Push changes to GitHub |
git pull origin branch | Pull changes from GitHub |
git branch branch-name | Create a new branch |
git checkout branch-name | Switch branches |
git merge branch-name | Merge branches |
git reset --hard HEAD~1 | Undo last commit |
git log | View commit history |
Conclusion
This guide covers the basics of Git and GitHub. As you become more familiar, you can explore advanced topics such as GitHub Actions, contributing to open-source projects, and automated deployments.