How to install Git with GitHub Desktop on macOS

In this article, I share short but clear instructions on how to get started with Git and GitHub behind the friendly user interface of GitHub Desktop, or via the command line.

For a background article on how git and GitHub work, check the article over here.

5 steps for setting up Git and GitHub

1. Create a GitHub account

Sign up for GitHub at github.com. It is very easy!

2. Choose whether you want to use the graphical and user-friendly GitHub Desktop or the Command Line / Terminal

• Command line / Terminal is great for developers who are already at ease with the command line, or for those who will need to learn Command Line anyway.
• GitHub Desktop is great is you want to get started quickly and easily. You can shift to the command line later if you want. Avoid if you are regularly working in a command-line environment, like Linux servers etc.

3a Install the necessary tools [for GitHub Desktop approach]

On the following link, download and install GitHub Desktop: https://desktop.github.com/

Simply download and run it and it will explain what to do itself!

3b Install the necessary tools [for Command Line / Terminal approach]

Unlike on Windows, macOS has git preinstalled. So no steps needed for the command line approach.

4a Getting the program going [GitHub Desktop approach]

Open GitHub Desktop via the Spotight (or any way you like).

And login on GitHub Desktop using your GitHub user account information.

You can now use the interface of GitHub Desktop to do your git operations.

4b Getting the program going [Command Line / Terminal approach]

Open a Terminal

You can now use the git commands to do all git operations that you’d want.

5. Starting to use GitHub Desktop and/ or Git command line

Your journey to GitHub can now begin! The best starting point is to clone an existing repository and play around with it.

• Find out more about the basic Git commands in this article or
• Get started with a simple but completed tutorial over here.

Thanks for reading this article. Don’t hesitate to leave a clap and stay tuned for more!