Creating a GitHub Account + Repo Basics

What is GitHub?

GitHub is a cloud-based platform that allows developers to store, manage, and collaborate on code. It is one of the most widely used tools in software development today.

At its core, GitHub hosts repositories, which are spaces where you can organize your project’s files and track their changes over time. Think of a repository as a folder that not only holds code but also remembers every change made to it — like a history of your work.

GitHub uses a system called Git, which helps manage versions of your files. Git is what keeps track of what was changed, when, and by whom.

Why is GitHub Important for AI Developers?

If you are building Generative AI applications, GitHub helps you:

• Share your projects with others
• Back up your work online
• Collaborate with teammates
• Publish code for deployment (for example, with Streamlit or Vercel)

Many AI tools, libraries, and datasets are also open-source and hosted on GitHub. Learning how to use GitHub will help you follow the workflows used by real developers and research teams.

Steps to Create a GitHub Account

1. Go to https://github.com
2. Click on Sign up
3. Enter your email and choose a username and password
4. Choose free plan when prompted
5. Complete the verification and finish setup

Once your account is created, you can log in and access your personal dashboard.

Creating Your First Repository

To create a new project space (repository):

1. From your dashboard, click the green New button or Create a repository
2. Name your repository something like genai-practice
3. Add a short description (optional)
4. Choose Public (so others can view it)
5. Select Initialize this repository with a README
6. Click Create repository

You will now have a repository with a basic README file. The README is usually the first file others will see, and it explains what your project does.

Understanding Key Terms

• Commit: A saved change. Every time you make a change to your project, you can commit it with a message like “added first file.”
• Push: Sending your local commits (on your computer) to GitHub.
• Pull: Getting updates from GitHub to your local machine.
• README: A text file that describes your project. This is a great place to explain what your app does, how to use it, and how to contribute.

You do not need to memorize all these terms now. The key is to understand that GitHub helps you manage versions of your files, and it lets you share and track your code online.

Summary – Key Takeaways

• GitHub is a cloud platform used to store and manage code projects.
• A repository is like a project folder that remembers every change.
• Creating an account and repository is free and easy.
• Understanding commits, pushes, pulls, and README files will help you become a confident developer.