GitHub basics

What you will be able to do

• Create an empty GitHub repo in the browser
• Describe HTTPS vs SSH authentication at a high level
• Push main to GitHub (optional if you have an account)

Why this matters for data work

GitHub (or GitLab/Bitbucket) hosts the remote, PRs, and CI. You do not need a paid org to practice with a private personal repo.

Concepts

• Empty repo on GitHub — no README if you already have local commits (avoids pull clash)
• HTTPS + credential helper / token
• SSH keys — alternate auth
• Visibility: private vs public

Practice on your machine

Always (no account required)

You already pushed to a bare remote in Remotes. That is enough to understand the data flow.

Optional — real GitHub

1. Create a free account at github.com if needed.
2. New repository → name dcubes-git-lab → empty (no README).
3. Copy the HTTPS URL.
4. Point origin at GitHub (replace URL):

cd ~/dcubes/git-lab/init-demo
git remote remove origin
git remote add origin https://github.com/YOURUSER/dcubes-git-lab.git
git push -u origin main

Use a personal access token when prompted for a password over HTTPS.

What you should see

• Optional: GitHub shows your files on main.
• Or: you skip optional and still understand remotes from the bare-repo lab.

Common mistakes

• Initializing README on GitHub when local history exists — first push rejected until you pull.
• Committing .env before push — check git status and .gitignore.

Next

Pull requests