How GitHub Works

1 Time to Read!
GitHub is a web-based platform for version control using Git. It is mostly used for computer
code. GitHub offers all of the distributed version control and source code management (SCM)
functionality of Git as well as adding its own features. It provides access control and several
collaboration features such as bug tracking, feature requests, task management, and wikis for
every project.
GitHub offers both plans for private repositories and free accounts which are commonly used
to host open-source software projects. As of January 2019, GitHub offers unlimited private
repositories to all plans, including free accounts.
As of June 2018, GitHub reports having over 28 million users and 57 million repositories
(including container images), making it the largest host of source code in the world.
The trademark mascot of GitHub is an anthropomorphized character named Octocat. It has
been featured in various locations on the site, as well as in promotional materials for GitHub.
GitHub also operates other services: a pastebin-style site called Gist that is for hosting code
snippets (GitHub proper is for hosting larger projects).
GitHub Student Developer Pack is a set of offers and benefits given by GitHub in partnership
with major technology companies and organizations. This pack is offered to students at no
charge for educational purposes only. The offers range from education, development tools,
cloud platforms, training, and more.
GitHub's Terms of Service do not require public software projects hosted on GitHub to meet
the Open Source Definition. However, those licensing terms which are compatible with the
Open Source Definition are still accepted.
Git
Git is a distributed revision control system for tracking changes in source code during
software development. It is designed for coordinating work among programmers, but it can be
used to track changes in any set of files. Its goals include speed, data integrity, and support for
distributed, non-linear workflows. Git was created by Linus Torvalds in 2005 for developing the
Linux kernel, with other kernel developers contributing to its initial development.
As with most other distributed version control systems, and unlike most client–server
systems, every Git directory on every computer is a full-fledged repository with complete
history and full version-tracking abilities, independent of network access or a central server.
Like the Linux kernel, Git is free software distributed under the terms of the GNU General
Public License version 2.
GitHub Enterprise
GitHub Enterprise is similar to GitHub's public service but is designed for use by large-scale
enterprise software development teams where the enterprise wishes to host their
repositories behind a corporate firewall. It is built on Git, a distributed source code
management system that allows multiple people to work on the same project at the same
time.
The GitHub Enterprise server appliance is managed using a web-based interface. With GitHub
Enterprise, companies can implement a private, secure cloud-based development platform.
The product can be installed on-premises or as a virtual appliance.
GitHub Enterprise includes:
- Code review
- Project management
- Continuous integration
- Team management
- Social coding
- Documentation
- Code hosting
- Issue tracking
- Graphs: pulse, contributors, commits, code frequency, punch card, network, members
- Integrations Directory
- Unified and divided views for issues and pull requests for planned work, recently completed
work, and all work in a project
- Security vulnerability alerts
- User defined deployment environments
- Webhooks
- Pages
- Wikis
- Collaborative code review
- Dependency management
- Automation
- Containers
- Single sign-on
- Compliance
- Private instances hosted on your own servers
- 99.95% uptime SLA
- 24/7 worldwide support
- Advanced auditing
- LDAP/AD integration
- Cluster administration
- Disaster recovery and failover
- High availability and active-active configurations
- Advanced security features such as SAML single sign-on
- Repository management with LDAP/AD
- Smart mirroring
- Code search
2 Pick the Right Answer!
1 What is GitHub primarily used for?
a Bug tracking
b Task management
c Version control using Git
d Hosting code snippets

2 How many users did GitHub report having as of June 2018?

a 28 million
b 57 million
c 85 million
d 100 million

3 What is the GitHub Student Developer Pack offered for?

a Commercial software development
b Educational purposes only
c Cloud platforms management
d Hosting private repositories

4 What is the main goal of Git?

a Speed and data integrity
b Compatibility with all operating systems
c Dependency management
d Support for linear workflows

5 What is the main purpose of GitHub Enterprise?

a Hosting open-source projects
b Corporate software development
c Code hosting for small teams
d Cloud-based project management
3 Can You Tell which Sentences are True and which are False?
1 GitHub is an online platform for version control utilising Git.

2 GitHub only offers free accounts for private repositories.

3 In the future, GitHub may limit the number of private repositories for free accounts.

4 In June 2018, GitHub was reported to have the most users and repositories worldwide.

5 GitHub's mascot is a robot named Octocat.

6 The GitHub Student Developer Pack provides benefits in collaboration with tech
companies.
7 GitHub's Terms of Service demand all projects to meet the Open Source Definition.

8 Git is a system for managing changes in source code during software development.

9 In the future, GitHub Enterprise may be available for individual users.

10 GitHub Enterprise only offers code hosting.

Correct Answers
2 Correct Answers:
1 c 2 a 3 b 4 a 5 b

3 Correct Answers:
1 True
2 False - Exaggerates the information provided in the text, misrepresenting the factual
data.
3 Not Given - This might be a very logical prediction but there is no information in the
text to prove this.
4 True
5 False - This statement contradicts the factual information provided in the text - the
text says the mascot is an anthropomorphized character.
6 True
7 False - Exaggerates the information provided in the text, misrepresenting the factual
data.
8 True
9 Not Given - This might be a very logical prediction but there is no information in the
text to prove this.
10 False - Exaggerates the information provided in the text, misrepresenting the factual
data.