Master git & github

Master Git & GitHub

Version control is the backbone of every real-world codebase. This guide walks through what Git and GitHub actually are, why every team relies on them, how Git works under the hood, and gives you practical commands, diagrams and a cheat sheet you can come back to any time.

~/codenfacts

$ git init
Initialized empty Git repository

$ git add .
$ git commit -m "first commit"
[main (root-commit) a1b2c3d] first commit

What is Git?

Git is a distributed version control system. It tracks every change made to your files over time, so you can see exactly what changed, when, and by whom — and roll back to any earlier point if something breaks. "Distributed" means every developer has a full copy of the project history on their own machine, not just on a central server.

Git was created by Linus Torvalds in 2005 to manage the Linux kernel's source code, and it has since become the default version control tool across almost every software team in the world.

Tracks history

Every commit is a snapshot you can return to

Enables teamwork

Multiple people can work on the same code safely

Works offline

Full history lives on your own machine

reference

Git & GitHub cheat sheet

The commands you'll reach for most often, grouped by task.

Setup & Config

git initInitialize a new repository
git clone <url>Copy a remote repo locally
git config --global user.name "Name"Set your name
git config --global user.email "you@mail.com"Set your email

Basic Workflow

git statusShow changed / staged files
git add <file>Stage a file
git add .Stage everything
git commit -m "message"Save a snapshot
git log --onelineView commit history
git diffShow unstaged changes

Branching & Merging

git branchList branches
git checkout -b <name>Create & switch to branch
git switch <name>Switch to existing branch
git merge <branch>Merge branch into current
git branch -d <name>Delete a merged branch

Remote & Collaboration

git remote add origin <url>Link a remote repo
git push -u origin mainPush & track upstream
git pullFetch + merge from remote
git fetchDownload changes without merging

Undo & Fix Mistakes

git restore <file>Discard unstaged changes
git reset --soft HEAD~1Undo last commit, keep changes
git revert <commit>Create a new commit that undoes one
git stashTemporarily shelve changes
git stash popRe-apply stashed changes

GitHub Specific

gh repo clone <owner/repo>Clone via GitHub CLI
gh pr createOpen a pull request
gh pr mergeMerge a pull request
gh issue listList repo issues

Git vs GitHub, at a glance

Aspect	Git	GitHub
What it is	A version control tool	A cloud hosting platform for Git repos
Runs where	On your local machine	In the cloud, accessed via browser/CLI
Needs internet?	No	Yes, for hosting & collaboration features
Core unit	Commit	Repository, Pull Request, Issue
Collaboration	Manual (patches, shared servers)	Built-in: PRs, reviews, permissions
Alternatives	Mercurial, SVN	GitLab, Bitbucket

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Master Git & GitHub

What is Git?

Git & GitHub cheat sheet

Git vs GitHub, at a glance