Git and GitHub Basics for Creative Technologists

Whether you build interactive installations, websites, generative visuals, or audio tools, Git lets you save your progress, undo mistakes, and collaborate without emailing zip files back and forth. GitHub gives those projects a home online, which also makes it part of your portfolio.

Git vs. GitHub

• Git is version control software that runs on your computer and tracks changes to your files over time.
• GitHub is a website that hosts Git repositories online so you can back them up, share them, and collaborate.

Install Git from git-scm.com and create a free account at github.com.

Key ideas

• Repository (repo): a project folder that Git is tracking.
• Commit: a saved snapshot of your project, with a message describing what changed.
• Staging: choosing which changes go into the next commit.
• Branch: a separate line of work where you can experiment without touching your main version.
• Remote: a copy of your repo hosted somewhere else, usually GitHub. By convention, the main one is named origin.

Set up Git once

Tell Git who you are so your commits are labeled correctly, and name your default branch main:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"
git config --global init.defaultBranch main

The core commands

These are the commands you'll use most, roughly in the order you'll need them:

# Start tracking a project (run inside your project folder)
git init

# See what has changed and what is staged
git status

# Stage one file, or stage everything with a period
git add index.html
git add .

# Save a snapshot with a clear message
git commit -m "Add particle effect to title screen"

# View your commit history (press q to exit)
git log

# Connect your local repo to an empty GitHub repo
git remote add origin https://github.com/your-username/your-repo.git

# Upload your commits and set up tracking
git push -u origin main

# Download and merge the latest changes from GitHub
git pull

# Create a new branch and switch to it
git checkout -b new-feature

Your first repo, step by step

1. Create a new repository on GitHub and leave it empty, with no README, license, or .gitignore, so your first push goes smoothly.
2. In your terminal, move into your project folder and run git init.
3. Run git add . and then git commit -m "Initial commit".
4. Copy the repo URL from GitHub and run git remote add origin followed by that URL.
5. If your branch is named master, rename it with git branch -M main.
6. Run git push -u origin main. After this first push, plain git push is enough.

Experiment on branches

When you want to try something risky, like a new shader or a big layout redesign, make a branch first with git checkout -b experiment-name. Your main version stays safe. If the experiment works, switch back with git checkout main and run git merge experiment-name. If it doesn't, switch back and carry on. Newer versions of Git also offer git switch -c as another way to create a branch.

Habits that make you look like a pro

• Commit small and often, each time you finish a meaningful step.
• Write messages that say what the commit does, like "Fix audio sync on mobile," not "stuff."
• Run git status whenever you're unsure where things stand.
• Run git pull before you start working on a shared project.
• Add a .gitignore file to keep out folders like node_modules, build exports, and .env files.
• Be careful with big video and audio files. Git isn't designed for large binary files, so keep them out of the repo or look into Git LFS.
• Write a README for every project explaining what it is and how to run it, with a screenshot or demo link.

Tip: Never commit passwords, API keys, or tokens. If one slips in, treat it as exposed and replace it right away.

Next step

Push one creative project to GitHub this week, add a README, and link it from your portfolio. Then browse internships in software and creative tech.