6. Git and GitHub — the basics

Publishing a website means putting files online. The standard way - and the one all these tools use - is GitHub. It requires basic understanding of Git.

What is Git?

Git is a version control system: software that tracks file changes over time. Each meaningful save creates a commit: a snapshot of your project. You can see a full history, revert to any earlier state, and collaborate without overwriting each other's work.

Git was designed for code, but works for any text files, including Markdown websites.

Git vs GitHub

Git is the tool; GitHub is a website that hosts Git repositories in the cloud and adds collaboration. Push your website files to GitHub, and GitHub Pages serves them publicly for free.

Do I need to learn Git properly?

For the hands-on session: no, the tutorial works entirely through the GitHub web interface. Click, type, commit, with no terminal needed.

That said, Git is the most transferable technical skill in this workshop. A few hours learning the basics pays off quickly if you use these tools regularly. Start with GitHub's own introduction, or try GitHub Desktop if you prefer to point-and-click.

This is the most technical part of the workshop

Git has a steeper learning curve than Markdown or mkdocs serve. If you get stuck during the hands-on session, ask: this is where we expect people to need help.