How to use Git (Option 2): Use GitHub Desktop

This page will explain how to install and use GitHub Desktop.

GitHub Desktop is a piece of software that puts all the functionality of git in a nice graphical user interface, and does all the hard parts of typing in commands for us.

Installing GitHub Desktop

On a Windows, MacOS, or Linux computer, (Sorry but no Chromebooks) go to the official page for GitHub Desktop, and click on the big purple Download button. From there, open the installer and follow the installer's directions. Once you have it installed, log into your GitHub account.

Getting a Repository

Projects in git are managed using what are called repository, (repos for short) and repos are where all the files and changes are tracked. You can get a repo from 2 ways:

1. Cloning an existing repo

2. Making a new repo

If your team already has an existing repo for your robot code, clone a repo. Click on File -> Clone Repository, and select the repo that you want. If you don't see it, ask to be added to your team's GitHub organization.

If you are making a new repo, click on File -> New Repository and select the folder in which you want to make the repo in.

Using GitHub Desktop

The UI for GitHub Desktop looks something like this, once you clone a repository:

The user interface of GitHub Desktop.