Getting started with Git and GitHub is easier than ever with GitHub Desktop 2.2

Anyone who uses Git knows that it has a steep learning curve. We’ve learned from developers that most people tend to learn from a buddy, whether that’s a coworker, a professor, a friend, or even a YouTube video. In GitHub Desktop 2.2, we’re releasing the first version of an interactive Git and GitHub tutorial that can be your buddy and help you get started. If you’re new to Desktop, you can download and try out the tutorial at desktop.github.com.

Get set up

To get set up, we help you through two major pieces: creating a repository and connecting an editor. When you first open Desktop, a welcome page appears with a new option to “Create a Tutorial Repository”. Starting with this option creates a tutorial repository that guides you through the core concepts of working with Git using GitHub Desktop.

There are a lot of tools you need to get started with Git and GitHub. The most important of these is your code editor. In the first step of the tutorial, you’re prompted to install an editor if you don’t have one already.

Learn the GitHub flow

Next, we guide you through how to use GitHub Desktop to make changes to code locally and get your work on GitHub. You’ll create a new branch, make a change to a file, commit it, push it to GitHub, and open your first pull request.

We’ve also heard that new users initially experience confusion between Git, GitHub, and GitHub Desktop. We cover these differences in the tutorial and make sure to reinforce the explanations.

Keep going with your own project

In GitHub Desktop 1.6, we introduced suggested next steps based on the state of your repository. Now when you complete the tutorial, we similarly suggest next steps: exploring projects on GitHub that you might want to contribute to, creating a new project, or adding an existing project to Desktop. We always want GitHub Desktop to be the tool that makes your next steps clear, whether you’re in the flow of your work, or you’re a new developer just getting started.

What’s next?

With GitHub Desktop 2.2, we’re making the product our users love more approachable to newcomers. We’ll be iterating on the tutorial based on your feedback, and we’ll continue to build on the connection between GitHub and your local machine. If you want to start building something but don’t know how, think of GitHub Desktop as your buddy to help you get started.

Learn more about GitHub Desktop

Written by

Amanda Pinsker

@ampinsk