Connecting Git to GitHub

Once you have a local project and a GitHub repository, you need to link them together. This "handshake" allows you to share your work with the world.

1. Adding a Remote

A "remote" is a URL that tells Git where your cloud repository is located. By convention, the primary remote is named origin.

# Link your local repo to GitHub
git remote add origin https://github.com/username/repository-name.git

2. Your First Push

The push command sends your local snapshots to the cloud. The first time you push, you use the -u flag to set the "upstream" tracking.

# Push your local 'main' branch to 'origin'
git push -u origin main

3. SSH vs. HTTPS

How you authenticate with GitHub matters for security and convenience.

HTTPS (Easiest for Beginners)

• URL Format: https://github.com/user/repo.git
• Auth: Requires your GitHub username and a Personal Access Token (PAT). GitHub no longer accepts account passwords for CLI operations.

SSH (Best for Professionals)

• URL Format: git@github.com:user/repo.git
• Auth: Uses a secure "key pair" locally. No password prompt is required once set up.

The Handshake Workflow

[!IMPORTANT] Authentication Error? If you get a "Support for password authentication was removed" error, you must generate a Personal Access Token in your GitHub settings (Settings > Developer settings > Personal access tokens) and use that in place of your password.