How To Download Stuff Off Of Github Cmd Lined

If yous've ever used GitHub before, you know that it's not immediately articulate on how to download files from the platform. It's 1 of the more than complicated platform, as it isn't direct meant for direct file sharing, simply for development instead. Granted, one of the large things nearly GitHub is that all of the public repositories are open up source, and people are encouraged to contribute — at that place are private repositories, merely these are generally used for evolution purposes inside businesses that don't want their code seen past the public. GitHub, however, still handles downloading files differently than other places.

How To Download Files From GitHub

So if you're not entirely sure how you can download files from projects (or unabridged projects) from GitHub, we're going to bear witness you how. Let'south become started.

Downloading a File From GitHub

Most public repositories can be downloaded for free, without fifty-fifty a user account. This is because public repositories are considered to be codebases that are open source. That said, unless the owner of the codebase checks a box otherwise, their codebase tin be downloaded onto your computer, packed into a .zip file.

So, if you go to a public codebase — such as this Tip Calculator that I built — you'll notice that in the meridian-right corner is a green button that says Clone or Download, click on the push.
Then, in the dropdown, select Download Null. All of the files volition begin downloading to your computer, usually in your Downloads binder.
Then, open up your Downloads folder on your computer and find the Cypher file. You'll want to right-click information technology and choose the option that says Extract All…, Unzip, or Uncompress, and then select a folder where you lot want the files to end upward.
Finally, navigate to that selected folder, and you lot'll detect all of those Github files that we downloaded right at that place!

That's a fairly small codebase, with only a couple of files in it. If you go to Wes Bos' JavaScript 30 repository on Github, you'll notice that — since it is a public repository — it can be downloaded the aforementioned manner.

Downloading GitHub Files Using Commands

Alternatively, you can easily clone a file or repository using a few uncomplicated commands on GitHub. For this to piece of work, you'll need to install the Git tools. We're going to be installing the aforementioned tip computer from the command line in this demo.

Copy the URL from your address bar or from the same card where you downloaded the zip file from.
Open upward Git Fustigate, type in "cd Downloads" and hit Enter. This will accept you to the Downloads folder in the command window, yous can as well blazon whatever file location you want to salvage the file in.
Now, type in "git clone https://github.com/bdward16/tip-figurer.git"and hitting Enter.
Using this method, the files are automatically unzipped when downloaded.

In that location'south a Better Manner to Download Files

While the way we outlined is elementary and straightforward, it's most optimal for only viewing the code files, non experimenting. If you're planning on downloading GitHub files to experiment with, the all-time way would be to "fork" the project. A fork is just your own re-create of a repository.

Forking a repository comes with a number of benefits. It gives y'all your own copy on your GitHub business relationship that allows y'all to freely experiment with changes without affecting the original project. For example, you could find a bug in my Tip Reckoner or want to add your own features. So, you could "fork" my Tip Figurer, creating a copy on your GitHub business relationship. Here, you lot could mess effectually the code and experiment with it without affecting the original project, because this would be your copy or "fork."

Well-nigh unremarkably, forks are used to either propose changes to someone else's project, like fixing a problems or adding a feature as we mentioned.

And then, how do y'all fork a public repository? It's really quite easy. Before we get started, you need to create a free GitHub business relationship, as you'll need somewhere to shop your fork. You lot tin head to world wide web.github.com and do this right now.

Once you lot take your business relationship created, you can fork a public repository to your business relationship.

For case, you can head over to the public repository for Wes Bos' 30 Days of JavaScript grooming course, and in the top-correct corner, you'll see a button that says Fork. Click the push.
It could take a couple of seconds to a few minutes, just GitHub will then clone or "fork" that project over to your own GitHub account. Once information technology's washed, it'll immediately bear witness y'all the projection under your GitHub username.
To verify, y'all tin click on your profile icon in the navigation bar at the top-right, and so select the option that says Your Repositories . In your list of repositories, you should see the JavaScript 30 grade codebase.

At present, y'all tin change and experiment with the code all you want, and it won't bear on the original project files of the original owner. If you modify some code, fix a issues, or add a new characteristic, you tin can create something chosen a "Pull Asking," where that change tin be discussed. If the original project possessor likes the change — and information technology works properly — it can be merged into the original codebase as production code.

Closing

As you tin see, downloading files and whole projects from GitHub is actually quite easy. In but a couple of minutes, you tin can have an entire project downloaded onto your figurer, or fifty-fifty forked to your own GitHub account. It doesn't take much to mess effectually with the code in your fork to see what affects what, and then eventually, you might even exist able to create your first pull asking! Happy coding!