Guide: Git Crash Course

How to git work done without learning it

essential steps to contributing work to a github project, using common language (with git language next to it in parenthesis). Words in parenthesis are either the buttons to click and/or actions you need to do in git language. This guide follows similar steps to this post, which has pictures if you're having trouble.

Disclaimer and purpose: to give you the LEAST you need to know in order to get to work on a project that a git nerd has already started. Some things are over-simplified to accomplish this. This guide is for you if you've got better things to do than worry about what.

0. nerd asks you to git

someone, probably a nerd, has asked you to work on a project (repository, repo) hosted on github.

1. make a copy

fork
make a copy (fork) of the project

2. start a task

branch
give a name to the task you're starting.

3. edit something

pick the file you need to work on and find the edit button. go to town.

4.save it

commit

save what you did. git will require you to describe (comment) what you did. put something short, sweet, and clear as you can, but don't sweat it.

5.repeat

repeat steps 3 and 4 until you think you're done. *if you want some next level skills, the idea is that you should do super specific step 3's and 4's often with good descriptions. but don't let a nerd tell you how to work. but do own it if you end up getting lost and can't find your way home.

6.send it back

pull request
this will also ask you to give an overall description of the work you did.