Git & GitHub Workshop

Intro

This repository is part of the Git & GitHub Workshop conducted under ACM Amrita Summer of Code (ASoC) on 2nd July 2025.

The workshop is designed to introduce students to version control using Git and collaborative development with GitHub. Whether you're working on personal projects or contributing to open-source, version control is an essential skill for every developer.

In this repo, you'll find:

• Step-by-step instructions for installing and configuring Git
• Essential Git commands and workflows
• Guidelines for creating branches and managing changes
• Best practices for commit messages and pull requests
• Instructions to contribute effectively to GitHub repositories

This serves as a hands-on reference guide both during and after the workshop.

Installing Git & GitHub CLI

To install Git based on your OS:

• Windows: https://git-scm.com/downloads/win

• Ubuntu:

  sudo apt-get install git

• Fedora: For Fedora 21 and below:

  sudo yum install git

• For Fedora 22 and above:

  sudo dnf install git

• macOS:

  brew install git

To install GitHub CLI (gh): https://github.com/cli/cli#installation

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Setting up Git & GitHub CLI

After installing Git, configure your user information and default branch:

# Check Git version
git --version

# Set your Git username
git config --global user.name "Your Name"

# Set your Git email
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"

# Set 'main' as the default branch for new repos
git config --global init.defaultBranch main

# Authenticate GitHub CLI
gh auth login

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Git Commands

# Initializing a repository
git init

# Checking the current state of the repo
git status

# Adding a single file to the staging area
git add file-name

# Adding all files to the staging area
git add .

# Committing staged changes with a message
git commit -m "your commit message"

# Viewing commit history
git log

# Viewing commit history in short form
git log --oneline

# Checking the differences between working directory and last commit
git diff

# Restoring a modified file to the last committed version
git restore file-name

# Removing a file from the staging area (unstage)
git restore --staged file-name

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GitHub Integration

# Connecting local repo to GitHub
git remote add origin https://github.com/your-username/your-repo.git

# Renaming the default branch to main (if needed)
git branch -M main

# Pushing commits to GitHub
git push origin main

# Cloning a repository from GitHub
git clone https://github.com/some-user/some-repo.git

# Pulling latest changes from the main branch
git pull origin main

# Fetching changes from the remote without merging them into your current branch
git fetch

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Branching

# List all branches
git branch

# Create a new branch
git branch new-branch

# List all branches (local + remote)
git branch -a

# Switch to a branch (existing)
git switch branch-name

# Create and switch to a new branch (shortcut)
git switch -c new-branch

# OR using older syntax
git checkout -b new-branch

# Rename a branch (while on it)
git branch -m new-name

# Delete a local branch (only if merged)
git branch -d branch-name

Combining Branches

# Merging another branch into your current branch
git merge branch-name

# Rebase your current branch on top of another branch
git rebase branch-name

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Undoing Commits and Fixing Mistakes

# Edit last commit message
git commit --amend

# Undo last commit, keep changes staged
git reset --soft HEAD~1

# Undo last commit, unstage changes
git reset --mixed HEAD~1

# Undo last commit and discard changes (careful!)
git reset --hard HEAD~1

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Working with Stash

# Save your uncommitted changes temporarily
git stash

# List all stashed entries
git stash list

# Re-apply the most recent stash and remove it
git stash pop

# Apply without removing from stash list
git stash apply

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Best Practices for Commit Messages

Prefix	Purpose
fix:	Bug fixes or small corrections in code
feat:	New features or enhancements
ref:	Code refactoring (changing structure without changing behavior)
chore:	Maintenance tasks, code cleanup, or setup improvements
add:	Adding new technologies, libraries, or configurations
break:	Breaking changes, usually in global config or API
doc:	Documentation updates

Examples:

git commit -m "fix: fixed a piece of code crashing on load"
git commit -m "feat: added user profile feature"
git commit -m "ref: simplified logic in signup controller"
git commit -m "chore: cleaned up unused imports"
git commit -m "add: introduced ESLint and Prettier configs"
git commit -m "break: updated global config to new API structure"
git commit -m "doc: added setup instructions to README"

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How to Make a Pull Request (PR)

Follow these steps to contribute to a project by making a Pull Request:

1. Fork the repository on GitHub
   Go to the original repository and click the "Fork" button at the top-right corner.
   This creates a copy of the repository under your GitHub account.

2. Clone your fork to your local machine

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

3. Create a new branch for your changes

   git checkout -b your-feature-branch

4. Make your changes and commit them

   git add .
   git commit -m "feat: meaningful commit message"

5. Push your branch to your fork on GitHub

   git push origin your-feature-branch

6. Open a Pull Request on GitHub

   • Go to your forked repository on GitHub.
   • Click the "Compare & pull request" button.
   • Add a clear title and description explaining what your PR does. (Refer to Good Things to Mention in a Pull Request (PR))
   • Click "Create pull request".

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Good Things to Mention in a Pull Request (PR)

When opening a Pull Request on GitHub, it’s important to clearly explain what your code does. This helps maintainers review your work faster and improves your chances of getting it merged.

Include the Following in Your PR:

1. Description
   Briefly describe what changes you made and why.
2. Screenshot (if applicable)
   Include before/after screenshots or a small GIF if your change affects the UI.
3. Issue it Resolves
   Link the issue your PR fixes (if any). Use the format:

Fixes #12 (#12 means issue number 12)
Closes #5
Resolves #8

4. Features to Add (Optional)
   If your PR lays the groundwork for upcoming features, mention them here.

5. Tag Maintainers (Optional)
   If you want feedback or a quicker review, you can politely tag the project maintainers using @username.

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Bonus Tips:

• Be polite and clear in your PR description.
• Use bullet points or markdown formatting for readability.
• If your PR is still a work in progress, add [WIP] to the title or use GitHub’s draft PR feature.

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Additional Resources

Here are some helpful resources to explore Git and GitHub further:

• Katie's Oh-Shit-Git! – Fun and practical Git commands for when things go wrong
• Learn Git Branching – Interactive visual Git tutorials
• Visualizing Git – A simple tool to visualize how Git works under the hood
• Git SCM – Official Git documentation and downloads
• GitHub Flavored Markdown – Guide to writing and formatting Markdown on GitHub
• Oh My Git! – An open-source game that teaches Git through visualization and gameplay (suggested by @JestiferHarold)

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Workshop Conducted By

• Vijay S B
• Nandgopal R Nair
• Adithya R Menon
• Kiran Rajeev

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