DEV Community

Cover image for How to start with Git & GitHub in 2024😊
Abhay_Gautam
Abhay_Gautam

Posted on

How to start with Git & GitHub in 2024😊

#github #webdev #git #javascript

Getting started with Git and GitHub is a great way to manage code, collaborate with others, and keep track of changes. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

2.Understand the Basics

  • Git: A version control system that tracks changes to files and coordinates work on those files among multiple people.
  • GitHub: A cloud-based hosting service for Git repositories, which provides tools for collaboration, issue tracking, and project management.

2. Install Git

  • Windows: Download and install Git from git-scm.com. The installer includes Git Bash, a command-line tool to interact with Git.
  • Mac: You can install Git using Homebrew with brew install git or download it from git-scm.com.
  • Linux: Install Git using your package manager, e.g., sudo apt install git for Debian-based distributions.

3. Configure Git

Open your terminal or Git Bash and set your username and email. These will be used in your commits:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

4. Create a GitHub Account

Sign up at GitHub.com if you haven’t already.

5. Create a New Repository on GitHub

  1. Log in to GitHub.
  2. Click on the + icon in the top right corner and select New repository.
  3. Enter a repository name, description, and choose visibility (public or private).
  4. Optionally, initialize the repository with a README file.
  5. Click Create repository.

6. Clone the Repository to Your Local Machine

Get the repository URL from GitHub (it can be found on the repository page). Use Git Bash or your terminal to clone it:

git clone https://github.com/username/repository.git
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Replace username and repository with your GitHub username and repository name.

7. Work with Your Repository

  1. Navigate to your repository directory: 
   cd repository
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

  1. Make changes: Add or modify files in your repository folder.

  2. Check the status of your repository:

   git status
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode
  1. Add files to the staging area: 
   git add filename
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

To add all changed files:

   git add .
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode
  1. Commit your changes: 
   git commit -m "Your commit message"
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode
  1. Push your changes to GitHub: 
   git push origin main
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

(Replace main with master or another branch name if needed.)

8. Pull Changes from GitHub

To get the latest changes from GitHub, use:

git pull origin main
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

9. Branching and Merging

  1. Create a new branch: 
   git checkout -b branch-name
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode
  1. Switch to an existing branch: 
   git checkout branch-name
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode
  1. Merge changes from one branch into another:

Switch to the branch you want to merge into (e.g., main), then:

   git merge branch-name
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

10. Explore GitHub Features

  • Issues: Track bugs, tasks, and feature requests.
  • Pull Requests: Review and discuss code changes before merging them.
  • Actions: Automate workflows like testing and deployment.

11. Learn More

Explore the Git documentation and GitHub guides for deeper insights:

Top comments (0)

Read next

elafella profile image

A discussion platform for developers

ElaFella -

bregwin profile image

Testing Troubles with Jest & ESM and how to fix it

Bregwin Jogi -

ashwinkumar0505 profile image

Convert Image to Code : Speed Up Your UI Development with The Snap Code

Ashwin kumar -

raoamit47 profile image

Building an Angular CRUD App with a Go API

Amit Yadav -