Whether you’re a developer, student, or open-source enthusiast, GitHub is the go-to platform for hosting and sharing code. But how exactly do you “Git” from GitHub?
In this post, we’ll break down how to get (or “git”) code from GitHub using Git — including cloning repositories, making changes, and syncing updates — all from the command line.
🔍 What Does “Git from GitHub” Mean?
In simple terms, “Git from GitHub” means using Git to:
- Download (clone) a repository from GitHub
- Work with the code locally
- Pull the latest changes from the online repository
Let’s walk through each of these steps.
✅ Step 1: Install Git
Before you begin, make sure Git is installed on your system.
➤ Install Git:
- Windows: https://git-scm.com/download/win
- macOS:
brew install git(if Homebrew is installed) - Linux:
sudo apt install git(Debian/Ubuntu)
To verify:
git --version
✅ Step 2: Clone a Repository from GitHub
Cloning is the process of downloading a GitHub repository to your local machine.
➤ Steps:
- Go to the GitHub repository page you want to clone.
- Click the green “Code” button.
- Copy the URL (HTTPS or SSH).
- Open your terminal and run:
git clone https://github.com/username/repository.git
This creates a folder with all the project files and its Git history.
✅ Step 3: Navigate and Work in the Repository
Once cloned:
cd repository
You can now edit files, run code, or use Git commands like:
git status
git add .
git commit -m "Your message"
✅ Step 4: Pull Updates from GitHub
If the original repository is updated, you can pull those changes:
git pull origin main
Replace main with master or the correct branch name if needed.
✅ Bonus: Push Your Own Changes
If it’s your repository or a fork you control, you can push your changes:
git add .
git commit -m "Update description"
git push origin main
You’ll need to be authenticated via HTTPS (username/password or token) or SSH.
🧠 Quick GitHub → Git Cheatsheet
| Task | Git Command |
|---|---|
| Clone a repo | git clone <URL> |
| Check repo status | git status |
| Add changes | git add . |
| Commit changes | git commit -m "Message" |
| Push to GitHub | git push origin <branch> |
| Pull from GitHub | git pull origin <branch> |
✅ Final Thoughts
Learning how to “Git from GitHub” is your first step toward becoming a confident developer or open-source contributor. Cloning projects, pulling updates, and syncing changes are daily tasks in modern software development — and Git makes it efficient.
If you’re new to Git or GitHub, don’t worry — the more you practice, the more intuitive it becomes.