Step 1: Install Git and Create a GitHub Account
 

• Download and install Git on your local machine:
  

  # Windows: download installer from https://git-scm.com/download/win
  # macOS: install via Homebrew
  brew install git
  # Linux (Debian/Ubuntu):
  sudo apt-get update
  sudo apt-get install git

• Create a free account on GitHub at https://github.com.
• Verify your Git installation:

git --version

 
Step 2: Configure Your Git Identity
 

• Set your username:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"

• Set your email address (must match your GitHub email):

git config --global user.email "[email protected]"

• Confirm configuration:

git config --list

 
Step 3: Create or Clone a Local Repository
 

• To start from scratch, navigate to your project folder and initialize Git:

cd path/to/your/project
git init

• To work on an existing GitHub repo, clone it locally:

git clone https://github.com/username/repo-name.git
cd repo-name

 
Step 4: Make Changes and Stage Your Files
 

• Create or modify files in your project directory using your editor or IDE.
• Check the status of your changes:

git status

• Stage specific files or all changed files:

# Stage a single file
git add filename.ext

Stage all changes
git add .

 
Step 5: Commit Your Changes
 

• Write a descriptive commit message that explains the changes:

git commit -m "Add feature X and fix bug Y"

• Verify your commit history:

git log --oneline

 
Step 6: Create a Remote Repository on GitHub
 

• Log in to GitHub and click the New repository button (the “+” icon in the top right).
• Enter a repository name, add an optional description, choose public or private, then click Create repository.
• Copy the URL provided under “…or push an existing repository from the command line.”

 
Step 7: Link Your Local Repo to GitHub
 

• Add the GitHub repository as a remote called origin:

git remote add origin https://github.com/username/repo-name.git

• Verify the remote URL:

git remote -v

 
Step 8: Push Your Local Commits to GitHub
 

• Push your main (or master) branch and set it to track origin/main:

git push -u origin main

• For subsequent pushes, simply run:

git push

• If you create a new branch locally, push it with:

git push -u origin your-branch-name

 
Step 9: Confirm Changes on GitHub
 

• Go back to your GitHub repository page.
• Refresh to view your latest commits, branches, and files.
• Use the GitHub UI to open pull requests, review code, or manage issues.

 
Step 10: Keep Working and Collaborating
 

• When others contribute, pull their changes before you start:

git pull origin main

• Resolve any merge conflicts in your editor, stage, commit, and push again.
• Create feature branches, use pull requests for code review, and merge changes back into main.