Master Git and GitHub: Essential Setup Guide for Beginners

21CTO Introduction: Although GitHub now belongs to Microsoft, learning Git and GitHub remains essential for developers.

This article provides tips for becoming a Git/GitHub power user and introduces useful terminal (Shell) commands, useful for both beginners and experienced developers.

Background

Git and GitHub are crucial tools for software developers. Learning to use them effectively helps manage code across many projects and languages such as JavaScript, Python, Node.js, PHP, and HTML/CSS.

Development Environment Preparation

Before coding, set up a Git environment on your local machine.

Steps to follow:

Install Git locally.

Create a GitHub account.

Create a workspace on your machine.

If already set up, proceed to GitHub workflow and terminal sections.

Install Git on your operating system by following the instructions on the official Git website.

Creating a GitHub Account

Visit GitHub.com and fill out the registration form (see image).

Use a real name or a professional username for your resume and LinkedIn profile.

Select a plan; the free option allows public repositories, while paid plans enable private repositories.

After account setup, configure your GitHub email and username locally.

Configuring GitHub Credentials

Open a terminal (on Windows, run cmd from the Start menu) or use a better shell like cmder.

Run the following commands:

git config --global user.name "your_GitHub_username"
git config --global user.email "your_GitHub_email"

To avoid repeatedly entering credentials, set up SSH keys as described in the GitHub documentation.

After configuring SSH access, you can start the GitHub workflow from the terminal.

Author: 海边的卡夫卡