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Guide

Git & GitHub Basics

A step-by-step path to set up Git, publish your first repo, and claim GitHub Education for free Copilot AI Premium and student benefits.

Open GitHubDownload GitGitHub Desktop (optional)
Process 01Understand GitHub
  • What: GitHub hosts Git repos for backups, collaboration, issues, pull requests, and simple CI/CD.
  • Why: Keeps history, enables teamwork, and is the default place recruiters check.
Process 02Create Your Account
  • Sign up: Go to github.com and create an account with your personal email (you will use GitHub beyond university); enable 2FA immediately.
  • Install Git: Install Git locally. Configure identity: git config --global user.name "Your Name" and git config --global user.email "personal@example.com".
Open GitHub →
Process 03GitHub Education & Copilot
  • Apply: Request the Student Developer Pack and add your Stellenbosch email to verify student status.
  • Benefits: Free Copilot AI Premium, domain offers, and other student tools.
  • Copilot: An AI pair programmer that suggests code; review outputs before committing.
Apply for the Pack →
Process 04Create Your First Repo
  • New repo: Click New Repository, add a README, choose a license (MIT for personal), and pick a matching .gitignore (Node/Python/etc.).
  • Clone: Copy the URL; git clone <url> in terminal or use GitHub Desktop. cd into the folder before editing.
Process 05Commit & Push Flow
  • Edit: Make changes, then git status to review.
  • Stage & commit: git add . then git commit -m "Describe change". Keep commits small and clear.
  • Push: git push to sync. Pull regularly to avoid conflicts.
Process 06Branching & PRs
  • Branch: git checkout -b feature/thing; work there.
  • PR: Push the branch and open a Pull Request. Use PRs even solo to practice review habits.
  • Protect: Enable branch protection on main for important repos.
Process 07Deploy from GitHub
  • Static hosting: Use GitHub Pages or connect to Cloudflare Pages/Vercel/Netlify for free static sites.
  • Build command: Keep build scripts in package.json; document how to run locally.
Process 08Safety
  • .gitignore: Ignore secrets (.env), build artifacts, and OS files.
  • Tokens: Rotate tokens if leaked; never commit credentials.
  • Backups: Push often so code is safe if your laptop fails.
Keep Shipping
  • • Practice: push a small change daily; review your own diffs.
  • • Use Issues for tasks and link PRs to them.
  • • Add CI later (tests/lint) to keep repos healthy.