GitHub Setup Guide for Beginners

Complete step-by-step guide to install Git, GitHub CLI, and learn basic commands

Welcome to GitHub!

This guide will help you set up Git and GitHub from scratch, even if you've never used them before. By the end, you'll be able to clone projects, make changes, and push your code to GitHub.

What is Git and GitHub?

Git is a tool that helps you track changes in your code. Think of it like a "save game" feature for your projects.

GitHub is a website where you can store your Git projects online and share them with others.

GitHub CLI is a command-line tool that makes it super easy to work with GitHub directly from your terminal.

Step 1: Create a GitHub Account

If you don't have a GitHub account yet:

Go to github.com
Click Sign up
Choose to sign up with an OAuth provider for ease, or fill in your email, password, username, and country
Verify your email address
Complete the setup

GitHub Signup Page

Done! You now have a GitHub account.

Step 2: Install Git on Your Computer

For Windows Users

Download Git for Windows

Download Git
- Go to git-scm.com/download/win
- Click the link shown in the above image
Install Git
- Run the downloaded .exe file and follow the installation wizard
- You can keep all default settings (recommended for beginners)
Verify Installation
- Open Command Prompt or PowerShell
- Type this command and press Enter:
```
git --version
```
- You should see something like: git version 2.43.0
- If you see this, Git is installed successfully! ✅

For Mac Users

Open Terminal
- Press Cmd + Space and type "Terminal"
- Press Enter

Install Git using Homebrew (recommended)

First, install Homebrew if you don't have it:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Then install Git:

brew install git

Alternative: Install Xcode Command Line Tools
```
xcode-select --install
```
Verify Installation
```
git --version
```
- You should see something like: git version 2.43.0

For Linux Users (Ubuntu/Debian)

Open Terminal
Update package list
```
sudo apt update
```
Install Git
```
sudo apt install git
```
Verify Installation
```
git --version
```

Step 3: Install GitHub CLI

GitHub CLI (gh) makes working with GitHub much easier! It handles authentication automatically and simplifies many tasks.

For Windows Users

Using winget (Windows 11 or Windows 10 with App Installer):

winget install --id GitHub.cli

Manual Installation:

Go to cli.github.com
Download the Windows installer
Run the .msi file and follow the installation wizard

For Mac Users

Using Homebrew (recommended):

brew install gh

For Linux Users (Ubuntu/Debian)

sudo apt install gh

For other Linux distributions, check the official installation guide.

Verify GitHub CLI Installation

Open your terminal and run:

gh --version

You should see something like: gh version 2.40.0

GitHub CLI Version Check

Step 4: Configure Git with Your Information

Now that Git is installed, you need to tell it who you are. This information will be attached to your commits.

Open your terminal (Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Terminal)

Set your name (replace with your actual name):

git config --global user.name "Your Name"

Example:

git config --global user.name "John Doe"

Set your email (use the same email as your GitHub account):

git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"

Example:

git config --global user.email "john.doe@gmail.com"

Verify your configuration:
```
git config --list
```
You should see your name and email in the output.

Step 5: Authenticate with GitHub using GitHub CLI

This is the easiest way to connect to GitHub! GitHub CLI will handle all the authentication for you.

Run the authentication command:
```
gh auth login
```
Follow the interactive prompts:
- What account do you want to log into?
  - Select GitHub.com (use arrow keys and press Enter)
- What is your preferred protocol for Git operations?
  - Select HTTPS (recommended for beginners)
- Authenticate Git with your GitHub credentials?
  - Select Yes
- How would you like to authenticate GitHub CLI?
  - Select Login with a web browser (easiest option)
Complete the browser authentication:
- A code will appear in your terminal (e.g., ABCD-1234)
- Press Enter to open your browser
- If it doesn't open automatically, go to github.com/login/device
- Enter the code shown in your terminal
- Click Authorize GitHub CLI
- You'll see a success message!
Verify you're logged in:
```
gh auth status
```
You should see: ✓ Logged in as your-username

That's it! You're now authenticated and ready to use Git and GitHub. No need to remember passwords or create tokens!

gh repo clone username/repository-name

Example:

gh repo clone github-repository-link

Using Git (Traditional Method)

Find the repository on GitHub
Click the green "Code" button
Copy the HTTPS URL
In your terminal, navigate to where you want the project:
```
cd Desktop
```

Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/username/repository-name.git

Example:

git clone https://github.com/username/repository-name.git

Navigate into the project:
```
cd repository-name
```
Example:
```
cd GDG_RBU_Website
```

Check Status (See What Changed)

See which files you've modified:

git status

This shows:

Files that are ready to commit (green)
Files that are modified but not staged (red)
New files that aren't tracked yet

Add Files (Stage Changes)

Before you can save (commit) your changes, you need to stage them.

Add a specific file:

git add filename.txt

Add all changed files:

git add .

Example:

git add index.html

Or add everything:

git add .

Commit Changes (Save Your Work)

A commit is like saving a checkpoint in your project.

git commit -m "Your message describing what you changed"

Example:

git commit -m "Added navigation bar to homepage"

Tips for good commit messages:

Be clear and specific
Use present tense ("Add feature" not "Added feature")
Keep it short (under 50 characters if possible)

Push Changes (Upload to GitHub)

Pushing sends your commits from your computer to GitHub.

git push

Or if it's your first push on a new branch:

git push -u origin main

Note: The default branch might be called main or master depending on the repository.

Pull Changes (Download Updates)

If someone else made changes to the project on GitHub, you can download them:

git pull

This updates your local copy with the latest changes from GitHub.

Step 7: Complete Workflow Example

Here's a typical workflow when working on a project:

Starting a New Project

Clone the repository:

gh repo clone username/my-project
cd my-project

Make your changes (edit files, add new files, etc.)
Check what changed:
```
git status
```
Stage your changes:
```
git add .
```
Commit your changes:
```
git commit -m "Describe what you did"
```
Push to GitHub:
```
git push
```

Daily Workflow

# 1. Get the latest changes from GitHub
git pull

# 2. Make your changes to files

# 3. Check what you changed
git status

# 4. Stage all changes
git add .

# 5. Commit with a message
git commit -m "Fixed bug in login form"

# 6. Push to GitHub
git push

Bonus: Useful GitHub CLI Commands

GitHub CLI makes many tasks easier! Here are some helpful commands:

View Repository Information

gh repo view

Create a New Repository (interactive mode)

gh repo create

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Starting Fresh with a New Repository

Create a new repository using GitHub CLI:

# Create a new repository on GitHub
gh repo create my-project --public --clone

# This creates the repo AND clones it to your computer!
cd my-project

# Add your files
git add .

# Make your first commit
git commit -m "Initial commit"

# Push to GitHub
git push

Scenario 2: You Made a Mistake in Your Commit Message

If you just committed and want to change the message:

git commit --amend -m "New commit message"

Scenario 3: You Want to Undo Changes

Undo changes to a file (before staging):

git checkout -- filename.txt

Unstage a file (after git add):

git reset filename.txt

Undo the last commit (keep changes):

git reset --soft HEAD~1

Troubleshooting

Problem: "gh: command not found"

Solution: GitHub CLI isn't installed or not in your PATH.

Reinstall GitHub CLI following Step 3
Close and reopen your terminal
On Windows, restart your computer if needed

Problem: "Authentication failed"

Solution: You need to login again.

gh auth login

Problem: "fatal: not a git repository"

Solution: You're not in a Git project folder.

Make sure you're in the correct directory
Or initialize Git with: git init

Problem: "Your branch is behind 'origin/main'"

Solution: Someone else pushed changes. Pull them first:

git pull

Problem: Merge Conflicts

Solution: When two people edit the same file:

Git will mark the conflicts in your files
Open the file and look for <<<<<<<, =======, >>>>>>>
Edit the file to keep what you want
Remove the conflict markers

Stage and commit:

git add .
git commit -m "Resolved merge conflict"
git push

Quick Reference Cheat Sheet

Essential Git Commands

Command	What it does
`git clone <url>`	Download a repository from GitHub
`git status`	See what files have changed
`git add .`	Stage all changes
`git add <file>`	Stage a specific file
`git commit -m "message"`	Save your changes with a message
`git push`	Upload commits to GitHub
`git pull`	Download updates from GitHub
`git log`	See commit history

Essential GitHub CLI Commands

Command	What it does
`gh auth login`	Login to GitHub
`gh auth status`	Check login status
`gh repo clone <repo>`	Clone a repository
`gh repo create <name>`	Create a new repository
`gh repo view`	View repository info
`gh pr create`	Create a pull request
`gh pr list`	List pull requests
`gh issue list`	List issues