Setting up GitHub Desktop

GitHub Desktop is a much more user-friendly and accessible alternative to command line. You can install it on Windows, Mac or Linux.

Installation and Configuration

You need a GitHub account to get started with GitHub Desktop. Create one here if you haven’t already done so.

The installation process for GitHub Desktop is the following:

  1. Check if your operating system contains Git: type git version in the command line. If the response is similar to this, skip point 2: git version 2.44.0
  2. Install Git from the official website. Choose the installation file appropriate for your operating system.
  3. Download GitHub Desktop from the official website. Select the appropriate version for your operating system.
  4. Go to your Downloads folder and double-click the GitHub Dekstop installation file.
  5. Follow the installation prompts. Once finished, GitHub Desktop will launch automatically.

Signing in to GitHub Desktop

After installation, connect your GitHub account to the desktop app:

  1. When GitHub Desktop launches, click the appropriate Sign in option. This will open a browser window where you will be able to continue the authentication process. GitHub login screen
  2. In the browser window, enter your GitHub credentials and click Sign in. If you’ve signed in before, click Continue next to your account.
  3. Follow the prompts on screen to return to GitHub Desktop.
  4. In the Configure Git window, select Use my GitHub account name and email address. Enter your GitHub login details if they haven’t been pre-filled.
  5. Click Finish.

Now you can set up your first GitHub repository following the prompts on your screen. Learn more about creating repositories here.

Note: Your repository must be public when using a free GitHub account with GitHub Pages. Click here to learn more about repository’s visibility settings.

Cloning the Repository Using GitHub Desktop

  1. Open GitHub Desktop.
  2. Click File > Clone Repository.
  3. Select the http://GitHub.com tab.
  4. Locate and select your newly created repository (e.g., my-documentation)
  5. Choose a local path to store the project files.
  6. Click Clone.

Opening the Project in Visual Studio Code

  1. Once you cloned your repository, click Open in Visual Studio Code in GitHub Desktop. You can also open VS Code manually - go to File > Open Folder and select your cloned repository.

You should be able to see the project structure in the Explorer pane of VS Code.

Adding collaborators or reviewers

  1. Open your repository in a browser.
  2. Navigate to Settings > Collaborators > Manage Access.
  3. Click Add people and enter the GitHub usernames or email addresses of users you would like to grant access to.

Granting access to GitHub repository