Complete GitHub Commands Guide - Beginner to Advanced Table of Contents 1, Setup & Configuration 2. Basic Repository Operations 3. Working with Files 4, Branching & Merging 5, Remote Repository Operations 6. Viewing History & Information 7. Undoing Changes 8. Stashing 9. Tagging rations 10. Advanced Oy specific Commands Setup & Configuration Initial Setup (One-time only)bash # Set your name and enail globally git config --global user.nane "Your Name" git config --global user.enail "your.enailgexample,con" # Set default branch name to 'main' git config --global init.defaultBranch main # Set default editor (optional) git config --global core.editor "code --wait" # For VS Code git config --global core.editor "nano" # For nano # View all configurations git config --list # View specific configuration git config user.name git config user.email Basic Repository Operations Creating & Initializing Repositories bash # Initialize a new Git repository in current directory git init # Initialize with specific branch name git init --i branch=nain # Clone an existing repository git clone https: //github, con/username/repository-name, git # Clone to a specific directory git clone https: //github.com/username/repository-nane.git my-project # Clone only the Latest conmit (shallow clone) git clone --depth 1 https: //github.con/username/repository-nane. git Basic Status & Informationbash # Check repository status git status # Short status format git status -s # Check which files are tracked/untracked git 1 Working with Files Adding Files to Staging Area bash # Add a specific file git add filename.tx # Add multiple specific files git add file1. tf # Add all files in current directory git add . # Add all files in repository git add -A # Add all modified files (not new files) git add -v # Add files interactively git add -i # Add specific parts of a file git add -p filenamebash # Commit with message git commit -m "Your commit message here" # Commit with detailed message git commit -m "Short description" -m "Longer description with more details’ # Add and conmit in one command git commit -am "Add and commit message" # Commit with editor for Long message git commit # Amend the Last conmit (change message or add files) git commit --amend -m "New commit message” # Commit without hooks git commit --no-verify -m "Commit message" Removing Files bash # Remove file from working directory and staging area git rm filename, txt # Remove file only from staging area (keep in working directory) git rm --cached filename. txt # Remove directory git rm =r directory-name/ # Force remove (if file has changes) git rm -f filename.txt Branching & Merging Branch Operationsbash # List all local branches git branch # List all branches (Local and remote) git branch -a # List remote branches only git branch =r # Create a new branch git branch new-branch-name # Create and switch to new branch git checkout -b new-branch-name # Modern way to create and switch git switch -c new-branch-nane # Switch to existing branch git checkout branch-nane git switch branch-name # Switch to previous branch git checkout - git switch - # Rename current branch git branch -m new-branch-name # Rename any branch git branch -m old-name new-nane # Delete a branch (safe - prevents deletion if unmerged) git branch -d branch-name # Force delete a branch git branch = branch-nane # Delete remote branch git push origin --delete branch-naneMerging bash # Merge a branch into current branch git merge branch-name # Merge with no fast-forward (creates merge conmit) git merge --no-f¥ branch-name # Merge with custom commit message git merge branch-name -m "Merge message" # Abort a merge in progress git merge --abort # Continue merge after resolving conflicts git merge --continue Remote Repository Operations Working with Remotes bash # Add @ remote repository git remote add origin https: //github. com/usi rname/repository-name, git # List all remotes git remote -v # Show detailed info about a renote git remote show origin # Rename a remote git remote rename origin upstream # Remove a remote git remote remove origin # Change remote URL git remote set-url origin https://github. com/username/new-repository.gitFetching & Pulling bash # Fetch changes from remote (doesn't merge) git fetch # Fetch from specific renote git fetch origin # Fetch specific branch git fetch origin branch-nane # PuLl changes (fetch + merge) git pull i# Pull from specific remote and branch git pull origin main # Pull with rebase instead of merge git pull --rebase # Pull and automatically stash/unstash Local changes git pull --autostash Pushingbash # Push to remote repository git # Push to specific remote and branch git # Push and set upstream branch git # Push all. branches git # Push tags git # Force push (dangerous - use carefully) git # Safer force push git # Push specific tag git Viewing History & Informat Commit Historybash it View commit history git log # Compact one-Line format git log --oneline # Show Last n conmits git log -n 5 # Show commits with file changes Bit log --stat # Show commits with actual changes git log -p # Show conmits in graph format git log --graph --oneline --al1 # Show commits by author git log --author="author Name" # Show conmits since specific date git log --since="2024-@1-01" # Show conmits for specific file git log filename. txt # Show conmits with specific message Bit log --grep="bug fix" Viewing Changesbash # See unstaged changes git diff # See staged changes git diff --staged git diff --cached # Compare two branches git diff branch1. .branch2 # Compare specific conmits git diff commiti conmit2 # See changes in specific file git diff filename.txt # Show changes with word-Level highlighting git diff --nord-diff Blame & Show bash # See who changed each Line in a file git blame filename.txt ‘# Show details of specific commit git show comnit-hash # Show files changed in conmit git show --name-only connit-hash # Show specific file at specific commit Bit show connit-hash: filename, txt Undoing Changes Unstaging Changesbash # Unstage a file git reset filename. txt # Unstage all files git reset # Reset to specific commit (keep changes in working directory) git reset commit-hash # Reset and discard all changes (dangerous) git reset --hard commit-hash Reverting Changes bash # Revert unstaged changes in file git checkout -- filename.txt # Revert all unstaged changes git checkout ==. # Modern way to restore file git restore filename.txt # Restore all files git restore . # Restore staged file to unstaged git restore --staged filename. txt # Create new commit that undoes a previous commit git revert commit-hash # Revert without creating conmit git revert --no-commit conmit-hash Stashing Basic Stashingbash # Stash current changes git stash # Stash with message git stash push -m "Work in progress on feature X" # List all stashes git stash list # Apply most recent stash git stash apply # Apply specific stash git stash apply stash@{2} # Apply stash and remove from stash List git stash pop # Drop specific stash git stash drop stash@(2} # Clear all stashes git stash clear # Show stash contents git stash show -p stash@{e} Advanced Stashingbash # Stash only staged changes git stash push --staged # Stash including untracked files git stash push -v # Stash everything including ignored files git stash push -a # Stash specific files git stash push -m "message" -- filename. txt # Create branch from stash git stash branch new-branch-name stash@{@} Tagging Creating Tags bash # Create Lightweight tag git tag v1.0.0 # Create annotated tag with message git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Version 1.2.8 release" # Tag specific conmit git tag -a v1.0.0 commit-hash -m "Version 1.8.0’ # List all tags git tag # List tags matching pattern git tag -1 "vi." # Show tag information git show v1.0.0 Managing Tagsbash # Delete local tag git tag -d v1.0.0 # Delete remote tag git push origin --delete tag v1.2.8 # Push specific tag git push origin v1.0.0 # Push all tags git push --tags Advanced Operations Rebasing bash # Rebase current branch onto another branch git rebase main # Interactive rebase (Last 3 commits) git rebase -i HEAD~3 # Interactive rebase from specific commit git rebase -i conmit-hash # Continue rebase after resolving conflicts git rebase --continue # Skip current commit during rebase git rebase --skip # Abort rebase git rebase --abort # Rebase and automatically resolve conflicts using theirs/ours git rebase -x theirs branch-name git rebase -X ours branch-name Cherry-pickingbash # Apply specific commit to current branch git cherry-pick conmit-hash # Cherry-pick multiple commits git cherry-pick commit connit2 conmit3 # Cherry-pick range of conmits git cherry-pick conmita’..conmit2 # Cherry-pick without creating conmit git cherry-pick --no-conmit conmit-hash # Continue cherry-pick after resolving conflicts git cherry-pick --continue # Abort cherry-pick git cherry-pick --abort Advanced Reset & Cleanbash # Reset to specific commit, keep changes staged git reset --soft conmit-hash # Reset to specific commit, unstage changes git reset --nixed connit-hash # Reset to specific commit, discard all changes git reset --hard conmit-hash # Clean untracked files (dry run) git clean -n # Clean untracked files git clean -f # Clean untracked files and directories git clean -fd # Clean including ignored files git clean -fx Bisect (Finding Bugs) bash ‘# Start bisecting git bisect start # Mark current commit as bad git bisect bad # Mark specific commit as good git bisect good comit-hash # Git will checkout middle conmit for testing # After testing, mark as good or bad git bisect good # on git bisect bad # Reset after finding the problenatic connit git bisect resetGitHub-Specific Commands GitHub CLI (gh) Commandsbash # Install GitHub CLI first, then authenticate gh auth login # Clone repository gh repo clone usernane/repository-nane # Create new repository Bh repo create my-new-repo # Create private repository gh repo create my-new-repo --private # Fork a repository gh repo fork username/repasitory-name # View repository in browser gh repo view =-web # Create pull request gh pr create --title "My PR" --body "Description" # List pull requests gh pr list # View pull request gh pr view 123, # Checkout pull request Bh pr checkout 123 # Merge pull request gh pr merge 123 # Create issue gh issue create --title "Bug report" --body "Description" # List issues gh issue list # View issue gh issue view 123Working with Pull Requests bash # Create feature branch git checkout -b feat e/new-feature # Make changes and commit git add . git commit -m "Add new feature" # Push branch git push -u origin feature/new-fe # Create pull request (using GitHub CLI) gh pr create --title "Add new feature" --body "This PR adds..." # Or create PR through web interface after pushing Useful Aliases & Configuration Common Git Aliases bash # Set up useful aliases git confi jloba git config --global alias.co checkout alias, t status git config --global elias. br branc git config --global alias.ci commit git config --global alias.unstage ‘reset HEAD -+' git =+global alias.last ‘log -1 HEAD" git config alias. visual 'Igitk’ git config alias.tree ‘log --graph --oneline --all git config bal alias.amend ‘conmit --amend --no-edit' # Now you can use short commands: git st # instead of git status git co main # instead of git checkout main git br # instead of git branch Quick Reference WorkflowDaily Workflow bash #1, Start your day git pull 4 Get Latest changes # 2, Create feature branch git checkout -b feature/ny-feature # Create and switch to branch # 3, Make changes # ... edit files ... # 4, Stage and commit git add. # Stage changes git commit -m "Add my feature” —# Commit changes #5. Push and create PR git push -u origin feature/ny-feature # Push branch gh pr create # Create pull request #6, After PR is merged git checkout main # Switch to main git pull # Get Latest changes git branch -d feature/ny-feature # Delete Local branch Emergency Commandsbash # Undo Last commit (keep changes) git # Undo Last commit (discard changes) git # Undo all uncommitted changes git # Recover deleted branch git # Find the commit hash git # Fix wrong commit message git "Correct message" s for Beginners 1. Always check status: Use (git_status) frequently to understand what's happening 2. Commit often: Make small, focused commits with clear messages 3, Use branches: Never work directly on main/master branch 4, Pull before push: Always (git pull) before (git push) to avoid conflicts 5. Write good commit messages: Be descriptive and use present tense 6. Use .gitignore: Add files you don't want to track (node_modules, .eny, etc) 7. Learn to read git output: Git provides helpful information in its messages 8. Practice with personal projects: Get comfortable with basic commands first 9. Don't panic: Most Git mistakes can be undone 10, Use GitHub Desktop or VS Code Git integration if command line feels overwhelming at first Remember: Git is powerful but can be complex. Start with basic commands and gradually work your way up to advanced features!