GitHub setup

In this lesson you'll create a free GitHub account, lock it down, and make your first empty repository online.

What is a GitHub account?

Think of it as a locker at school. Your account is the locker, and each repository is a box inside it. You choose which boxes other people can open.

• One account holds many repositories
• Your username appears in every repo link, like github.com/your-name/my-app
• The free plan is enough for this whole course

Create your account

1. Go to github.com
2. Click Sign up
3. Enter your email. Use the same email you gave Git with git config
4. Create a strong password and pick a username
5. Solve the quick puzzle and confirm the code sent to your email
6. Choose the Free plan. It has everything you need for this course

Turn on two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) means you need two things to log in: your password and a code from your phone. It's like a door with two locks. Even if someone steals your password, they still can't get in.

1. Click your profile picture (top right), then Settings
2. Open Password and authentication
3. Click Enable two-factor authentication
4. Scan the QR code with an authenticator app on your phone, or use a passkey
5. Download your recovery codes and store them somewhere safe

GitHub may ask you to set this up anyway. Do it now, so it does not surprise you later. Menu names can change a little, so look for "security" or "authentication" in Settings if you can't find it.

Create a repository

A repository on GitHub is an empty box waiting for your project. You'll fill it from your computer in the next lesson.

1. Click the + button (top right), then New repository
2. Repository name: my-first-repo (short, lowercase, dashes instead of spaces)
3. Description: one line, like "Practice repo for learning Git"
4. Choose Public or Private (see below)
5. Leave "Add a README" unchecked, because your local project already has one
6. Click Create repository

GitHub now shows a page with setup commands and a link ending in .git. Keep this page open. You'll need that link in the next lesson.

Public vs private

A public repo is like a shop window. Anyone can look in. A private repo is like a locked storeroom. Only you and people you invite can see it.

For practice projects, either is fine. For anything with business ideas or personal data, choose private.

Common mistakes

• Wrong: skipping 2FA because it feels like extra work. Right: turn it on and save the recovery codes.
• Wrong: checking "Add a README" when your project already has one. Right: leave the new repo empty, so your first push is smooth.
• Wrong: repo names like My App FINAL v2. Right: habit-tracker.

What's next?

You have an empty repository waiting online. Next, in Push your project, you'll upload your local commits to it.