Beginner's Guide to GitHub

Jump into version control with GitHub so your team can collaborate smoothly during the hackathon. This guide covers the essentials: installation, setup, common workflows, and tips for staying in sync.

🛠 Prerequisites

  • A GitHub account: sign up at github.com/join
  • Git installed locally:
    • Windows: install Git for Windows and select "Git from the command line and also from 3rd-party software" during setup
    • macOS: run xcode-select --install or install via Homebrew with brew install git
    • Linux: install via your package manager, e.g. sudo apt install git or sudo dnf install git

⚙️ Configure Git

Set your identity so commits are attributed correctly:

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

Check your settings anytime with git config --list.

📂 Creating or Cloning a Repository

Create a New Repo on GitHub

  1. Click the + icon (top-right) → New repository
  2. Name the repo (e.g., awesome-hackathon-project)
  3. Choose Public or Private
  4. Optionally add a README and license
  5. Click Create repository

Clone to Your Machine

git clone https://github.com/username/awesome-hackathon-project.git
cd awesome-hackathon-project

Use gh repo clone owner/repo if you have the GitHub CLI installed.

🚀 Daily Workflow

  1. Pull latest changes 
    git pull origin main
  2. Create a branch for your work 
    git checkout -b feature/login-form
  3. Make changes in your editor
  4. Stage files 
    git add src/Login.tsx package.json
  5. Commit with a clear message 
    git commit -m "Add login form UI"
  6. Push your branch 
    git push -u origin feature/login-form
  7. Open a Pull Request on GitHub to merge into main

🔄 Handling Pull Requests

  • Review code inline, leave comments, and request changes if needed
  • Use Draft PRs for early feedback
  • Require at least one teammate review before merging
  • Merge via Squash to keep history tidy, or Rebase if you prefer linear commits

🤝 Resolving Merge Conflicts

  1. Pull the latest main
  2. Checkout your feature branch and rebase or merge main
  3. Git will mark conflicting files—open them and choose which changes to keep
  4. After fixing, run: 
    git add <file>
git rebase --continue   # or git commit if you merged
git push --force-with-lease
  5. Update your PR

🧪 Helpful Commands & Tips

  • git status — snapshot of staged/unstaged files
  • git log --oneline --graph --decorate --all — visual history
  • git stash / git stash pop — temporarily save work before pulling
  • .gitignore — exclude files such as .env, node_modules, or build artifacts
  • Enable branch protection on main to prevent direct pushes
  • Use Issues and Projects on GitHub to track tasks

🆘 Getting Help

Happy collaborating! 🤝