Git for Beginners: Version Control with Git and GitHub

This repository contains the materials for the DH & RSE Summer School 2026 introductory workshop on version control. Git is a distributed version control system that keeps track of changes to your project files, which is useful for collaborating with others on all kinds of files, but particularly software code. GitHub (the website you are viewing this on) is an online platform to manage and sync git repositories. This workshop uses GitHub Desktop, an app that simplifies working with git and GitHub on your computer.

The materials in this repository have been adapted from the 2025 CDCS introductory workshop on version control by Joy Lan, which were adapted from Aislinn Keogh's 2024 version of this course.

Getting Ready

Before the course, please do the following:

1. Go to the GitHub website and sign up for an account.
2. Download and install GitHub Desktop on your computer. (Installation instructions)
   1. Direct download link for Windows 10/11
   2. Direct download link for Mac with Apple Silicon, Mac with Intel chip
   3. Not yet available for Linux
3. Authenticate: log into GitHub Desktop with your GitHub account.

Topics Covered

• What is version control?
• What is the difference between git, GitHub, and GitHub Desktop?
• Live Demos: How to create a repo, make commits, fork a repo, make a pull request, and review a pull request.
• This workshop uses the GitHub website and the GitHub Desktop app to work with git. We will not be using git on the command line, but some resources to learn this are linked below.

Agenda

Wednesday, 1 July 2026

Time	Section
09:10	Welcome & introduction
09:30	Live Demo & troubleshooting: Create your first repo & your first commit
10:00	Live Demo & troubleshooting: Create a new branch and merge it
10:30	Break
11:00	Live Demo & troubleshooting: Fork a repo & create a pull request
11:30	Live Demo & troubleshooting: Resolving a merge conflict
12:00	Generative AI and GitHub
12:10	Wrap up & additional resources
12:30	End of session / Lunch

Additional Resources

• Additional CDCS materials on version control

• Software Carpentry: Version Control with Git

• GitHub Skills courses

  • Introduction to GitHub
  • Reviewing pull requests
  • Resolving merge conflicts
  • List of all skills tutorials

• GitHub student pack (free GitHub Pro upgrade and other free software)

• Learn Git Branching

  License

  This repository has a license