Introduction to GitHub is a guided learning exercise that teaches new developers the fundamentals of GitHub in under an hour.
The exercise addresses the challenge of onboarding developers unfamiliar with version control and collaborative workflows. It works by walking users through hands-on tasks within a real repository: creating a branch, making a commit, opening a pull request, and merging changes. Rather than abstract instruction, learners practice these core concepts directly by building a profile README file, which gives them a tangible artifact at the end.
This tool suits anyone starting their first day on GitHub, including new developers, students, and people transitioning to collaborative development. It requires no prerequisites and is designed specifically for rapid onboarding. The exercise is self-contained and can be copied into a personal account or organization, making it accessible regardless of prior Git knowledge.
The project is maintained with attention to user experience and troubleshooting. The README includes explicit guidance for common setup issues, such as checking the Actions tab if the exercise does not initialize within twenty seconds, and acknowledges that private repositories consume Actions minutes. The exercise is structured to complete in approximately one hour, with the initial setup taking about twenty seconds. The project includes a code of conduct and operates under an open license, signaling commitment to community standards.
