6.2 Getting Started with GitHub

Creating a GitHub Account

1. Visit github.com.
2. Click Sign up in the top-right corner.
3. Enter your username, email, and password.
4. Verify your email address to activate your account.

Configuring Git Account Locally (First-Time Setup)

After installing git locally, set your name and email (these appear in your commits):

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

Verify your configuration:

git config --list

Creating a New Repository

1. Click the + icon → New repository.

2. Enter:

   • Repository name (e.g., my-first-repo)
   • Description (optional)
   • Choose Public or Private visibility

3. (Optional) Check “Initialize this repository with a README.”

4. Click Create repository.

Adding Files

Using GitHub Web

1. Open your repository.
2. Click Add file → Upload files.
3. Drag and drop or choose files manually.
4. Write a commit message (e.g., “Add initial files”).
5. Click Commit changes.

Using the Command Line

git clone <repo-url>
cd <repo-name>

echo "Hello GitHub" > hello.txt
git add .
git commit -m "Add hello.txt"
git push origin main