Code management
Last modified on Thu 27 Apr 2023

A version control system is used for managing your source code. One of those systems is git.

When working on a project, you most likely won't work alone but with a team. In that case, you want to make the collaboration as effortless as possible. This is where a repository hosting service comes in handy.

A repository hosting service is a platform used for storing your source code which you can then share with others. Those services are usually saved somewhere in the cloud. Besides just acting as a repository, the platforms offer additional features, such as project management and bug tracking.

There are various hosting service solutions to choose from, some of which are:

Basic workflow on GitHub

How to create a new repository

The following steps will help you create an initialized GitHub repository with a README file included. By default, GitHub creates a single branch named main.

  1. Log in to GitHub

  2. Click the + button next to your profile image and select New repository

  3. Type in the repository name

  4. Choose the visibility of the repository by selecting Public or Private

    • Public repositories are visible to everyone so think twice before pushing anything to it
    • Private repositories are only accessible to you and the people you share them with

  5. In the Initialize this repository with section, select the Add a README file checkbox

    • It is a good idea to include a README file containing information about the project

  6. Click the Create Repository button

How to clone a repository

Cloning a GitHub repository creates a local copy of that remote repository. The following steps show how to clone a remote repository and create an initialized local repository on your machine.

  1. Go to GitHub and open the repository’s page

  2. Click the Code button to expand the dropdown menu

  3. Select the desired option, e.g. SSH, and copy the URL

    • NOTE: If you already have 2FA enabled and try to clone the repository using the HTTPS option, you might run into the 'Authentication failed' issue

  4. Open the terminal on your machine and position to a folder in which you want to put your new project (e.g. Documents folder)

    cd ~/Documents

  5. Clone the repository to your machine

    git clone git@github.com:username/repository.git

  6. When prompted, enter your GitHub username / password or passphrase, depending on the selected cloning option (HTTPS or SSH)

  7. Change the current working directory to the newly created directory

    cd repository