TL;DR.

Setting up Git and GitHub on a Debian-based Linux system involves several steps: updating my system, installing Git, installing and updating the GitHub CLI tool, configuring my identity, generating SSH keys, and pushing my local repositories to GitHub. This guide helps streamline my setup process so I can quickly manage, and secure, my code and projects.

Attributions:

https://docs.github.com/en/get-started/using-git/about-git ↗.

An Introduction.

In today's fast-paced development environment, efficient version control and collaboration are crucial for success. Git and GitHub, leading tools for creating, hosting, and managing code repositories, offers powerful processes that streamline version control. These tools are perfect for all developers. Setting up Git and GitHub on Debian-based Linux systems (like Ubuntu) will significantly enhance my workflow. This walk through follows the essential steps, from installing Git and GitHub CLI tool, to configuring my identity, and securing my projects with SSH keys. This is how I setup my Git and GitHub environments so they can immediately support the development of my various projects.

The purpose of this post is to cover the installation of Git and GitHub.

The Big Picture.

Version control is a system that records changes to a file, or set of files, over time so that I can recall specific versions, if required. It also allows multiple people to collaborate on a project, track changes, and revert to previous states, if necessary. This is particularly useful in software development, where version control helps manage source code changes, resolve conflicts, and maintain a history of modifications. Popular version control systems include Git, Subversion (SVN), and Mercurial.

Prerequisites.

A Debian-based Linux distro (I use Ubuntu).

Updating my Base System.

From the (base) terminal, I update my (base) system:

sudo apt clean && \
sudo apt update && \
sudo apt dist-upgrade -y && \
sudo apt --fix-broken install && \
sudo apt autoclean && \
sudo apt autoremove -y

NOTE: The Ollama LLM manager is already installed on my (base) system.

What is Git?

Git is a version control manager created by Linus Torvalds in 2005 and, since then, this project has been maintained by Junio Hamano. This utility helps me track the changes I make to my code. Git is used by development team members, who collaborate on software projects, to merge their individual changes to a local, or remote, repository (repo) at the end of each day.

https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Getting-Started-What-is-Git?↗.

What is GitHub?

GitHub hosts a collection of remote repos where local changes to a project can be saved to this off-site location. These remote repos can either be public or private. Alternatives to GitHub include GitLab and Bitbucket.

https://docs.github.com/en/get-started/using-git/about-git↗.

Installing the Git Utility.

From the terminal, I install Git:

sudo apt install -y git-all

I check the installation:

git -v

Installing the GitHub CLI Tool.

From the terminal, I run the following command:

(type -p wget >/dev/null || (sudo apt update && sudo apt-get install wget -y)) \
&& sudo mkdir -p -m 755 /etc/apt/keyrings \
&& wget -qO- https://cli.github.com/packages/githubcli-archive-keyring.gpg | sudo tee /etc/apt/keyrings/githubcli-archive-keyring.gpg > /dev/null \
&& sudo chmod go+r /etc/apt/keyrings/githubcli-archive-keyring.gpg \
&& echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/etc/apt/keyrings/githubcli-archive-keyring.gpg] https://cli.github.com/packages stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/github-cli.list > /dev/null \
&& sudo apt update \
&& sudo apt install -y gh

Updating the GitHub CLI Tool.

I update my system:

sudo apt update

I update the GitHub CLI tool:

sudo apt install -y gh

Adding an Identity.

From the terminal, I add an email address to Git:

git config --global user.email "me@example.com"

I add my name:

git config --global user.name "My Name"

Creating a New, Local Repo.

NOTE: Repo is the common, short name for "Repository".

From the terminal, I navigate to where I want to create a new project directory.
I create a new project directory:

md project

I navigate into the project directory:

cd project

I initialise the directory as a local Git repo:

git init

I create a README.md file:

echo "# Project Name" >> README.md

Staging Changes for the Local Repo.

From the terminal, I stage the README.md file for committing to the local repo:

git add README.md

I can also stage ALL the files that have changed since the last commit:

git add -A

Committing Changes to the Local Repo.

From the terminal, I navigate to the project folder.
I commit any changes to the local repo, along with a message:

git commit -m "First commit"

Naming the Local Repo.

From the terminal, I navigate to the project folder.
I name the "main" branch of the repo:

git branch -M main

NOTE: Some “old school” engineers still call it the master branch.

Generating SSH Keys.

From the terminal, I navigate to the project directory.
I generate an SSH key pair and save them to /home/$USER/.ssh/projectname:

ssh-keygen -b 4096

After generating the SSH keys, I start the ssh-agent:

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

Once the ssh-agent is running, I add my SSH private key to the ssh-agent:

ssh-add ~/.ssh/projectname

Adding the SSH Public Key to GitHub

In a text editor, I open the SSH public key file "~/.ssh/projectname.pub".
I copy the contents of the SSH public key to the clipboard.
I login to my GitHub.com account.
In the top-right corner of the GitHub website, I click my icon and choose "Settings" from the drop-down menu.
In the left menu, I choose "SSH and GPG keys".
I click the green "New SSH key" button.
In the "Title" field, I add a descriptive label for the new key.
I paste the key into the "Key" field.
I click the green "Add SSH key" button.
If prompted, I confirm my GitHub password.
I return to the GitHub home page.
I create a remote repo that uses the project name.

Pushing the Local Repo to GitHub.

From the terminal, I navigate to the project directory.
I set a new origin for GitHub:

git remote add origin git@github.com:accountname/projectname.git

I push the local repo to GitHub:

git push -u origin main

Cloning an Existing Repo.

I visit an existing project on the GitHub repo to confirm the account name and the project name.
From the terminal, I run the following Git command:

git clone https://github.com/accountname/projectname.git

Alternatively, I can run the GitHub CLI command instead of the Git command:

gh repo clone accountname/projectname

NOTE: This command will download the project from GitHub to the location where the terminal ran the command.

The Results.

Setting up GitHub on a local, Debian-based Linux system (such as Ubuntu) involves several key steps. From installing and updating the GitHub CLI tool to configuring your identity and generating SSH keys, each step ensures a smooth workflow for managing your code repositories. By following this guide, I can efficiently create, commit, and push my local repositories to GitHub, as well as clone existing ones. This setup not only enhances collaboration but also secures my projects with SSH keys.

In Conclusion.

I secure my development workflow with Git and GitHub.

Setting up Git and GitHub on a Debian-based Linux system (like Ubuntu) can seem daunting, but it is easier than people think!

By following the steps in this post, I can efficiently manage my code repositories, enhance collaboration, and secure my projects with SSH keys.

Have you set up Git and GitHub on your Linux system yet? What challenges did you face? Let's discuss!

Until next time: Be safe, be kind, be awesome.

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Setting Up Git & GitHub on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.

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