Git, GitHub, & GitHub Pages

2025 Research Data Camp




Mohal Khandelwal & Matthew Murray

Earth, Environment & Geospatial Librarian

cu-boulder-crdds.github.io/Research-Data-Foundations-Camp-2025/

What you'll find here:


  • Git Overview/Review
    • Git basic concepts
    • GitHub

  • GitHub Pages
    • A bit of Markdown
    • Why use this?
    • Example: Phil's site

Git & GitHub

What is "Git"?

  • Git = version control software
  • Free and open source
  • Git is for your computer—you run it locally
  • Project-specific repositories hold past versions of files
  • Mostly a command-line tool
  • Very useful for project managment

What is GitHub?

  • GitHub is a code sharing website
  • Create an account!
  • Very popular with people interested in computer programming
  • Super for collaboration
  • Free, and pretty easy (with learning curve)

What is GitHub?

  • Primary purpose is back up & version control
  • Code for a project lives in a "repository"

When not to use GitHub

  • When you are looking for long-term preservation
  • There’s no guarantee Microsoft will keep GitHub around forever
  • Thousands of URLs for projects in Git Hosting Platforms in articles no longer work

Ways to interact with GitHub

  • Using Git and the command line
  • The website
  • GitHub Desktop

Git Commands

  • git clone: This is one method of creating a connection between a local and remote repository.
  • git init: Use init to initiate a new repository within a directory (folder) on your computer.
  • git add: Add is the first step in adding a new file or a modified file into a Git repository.
  • git commit: Commit is the second step in adding a new/modified file to the Git repository.

Git Commands

  • git pull: Use this to pull updates from the remote repository down to your local copy.
  • git push: Use this to push updates made to your local repository to the remote repository.
  • git status: Check if you have any un-added/committed changes to your local repository.

GitHub Demonstration

Intimidating?


I get it.


Here's a glossary.

GitHub Pages

What is GitHub Pages?

  • GitHub Pages: static webpages hosted on GitHub.
  • Free! Easy configuration!
  • Add webpages and associated content to a repo...
  • ...click a couple of buttons...
  • ...and BAM! you have a website.

Don't want to deal with HTML/CSS/JS?


No problem!


Enter JEKYLL

Jekyll

  • Static site generator
  • Lots of templates (aka themes)
  • Transforms Markdown docs to sites
  • GitHub Pages are powered by Jekyll
  • Once deployed, create new pages using Markdown
### Example 1 ``` # H1 ## H2 ### H3 ``` # H1 ## H2 ### H3
### Example 2 ``` - bullet 1 - bullet 2 - bullet 3 ``` - bullet 1 - bullet 2 - bullet 3
### Example 3 ``` ### About Hi, my name is Phil. But my friends call me Chainsaw. 1. Pizza is my favorite food. 2. I like to drink cold ones. ``` ### About Hi, my name is Phil. But my friends call me Chainsaw. 1. Pizza is my favorite food. 2. I like to drink cold ones.

How do I use GitHub Pages?

Examples:

Why should I use this?

  • It's Cool!
  • It's Free!
  • It's open!
  • It's highly customizable.
  • It's easy!

Let's check it out!