GitHub Desktop Setup

GitHub Desktop: Version Control Without the Command Line

GitHub Desktop is a free application that lets you manage your git repositories with a visual interface. You will use it to push your journal entries and project files to GitHub each week — building a commit history that demonstrates your progress across the semester.

Time needed: 10 minutes

Step 1: Download and Install

  1. Visit desktop.github.com
  2. Download the installer for your operating system (Windows or Mac)
  3. Run the installer — it requires no special configuration
  4. When prompted, sign in with your GitHub account (the one you created in Week 1)

Step 2: Create a Repository from Your Methods Vault

Your Methods Vault is a folder of Markdown files. GitHub Desktop can turn it into a git repository.

  1. Open GitHub Desktop
  2. Click File > Add Local Repository (or File > New Repository if this is your first time)
  3. Navigate to your Methods Vault folder and select it
  4. If prompted, choose Create a Repository — accept the defaults
  5. You should now see your vault files listed in the “Changes” tab

Step 3: Make Your First Commit

A commit is a snapshot of your work at a specific point in time. Think of it as saving a version.

  1. In GitHub Desktop, you should see all your vault files listed as “Changes”
  2. In the Summary field at the bottom left, type: Initial vault setup
  3. Click Commit to main
  4. Your files are now tracked by git

Step 4: Publish to GitHub

Publishing uploads your repository to GitHub so it is accessible online.

  1. Click the Publish repository button in the top bar
  2. Name: Use something like methods-vault or mc451-vault
  3. Keep this code private: Uncheck this box (your repository should be public)
  4. Click Publish Repository
  5. Your vault is now live at https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/YOUR-REPO-NAME

Weekly Workflow: Push Your Journal

After writing each journal entry in Obsidian:

  1. Open GitHub Desktop — it will automatically detect the new/changed files
  2. Review the changes in the “Changes” tab (you should see your new journal entry)
  3. Type a commit message: Week 3 journal (or similar)
  4. Click Commit to main
  5. Click Push origin in the top bar

Your journal entry is now on GitHub. Your instructor can see your commit history, and you are building a visible record of consistent work.

Key Vocabulary

Term What It Means
Repository (repo) A folder tracked by git — it knows every change you have made
Commit A saved snapshot of your work with a message describing what changed
Push Upload your commits to GitHub so they are visible online
Pull Download changes from GitHub to your local machine (used when collaborating)
Branch A parallel version of your repository (you will use main for this course)

Troubleshooting

“Repository not found” when publishing Make sure you are signed into the correct GitHub account in GitHub Desktop (File > Options > Accounts).

Changes not showing up GitHub Desktop only tracks files inside the repository folder. Make sure your journal entries are saved inside your Methods Vault folder, not somewhere else.

“Merge conflict” error This happens if you edited a file on GitHub.com and also locally. For this course, always edit locally in Obsidian and push — never edit directly on GitHub.com.

Large files warning Git works best with text files. Do not commit large data files (CSVs over 50MB, images, PDFs) to your vault repository. Keep those in your 04_Resources/ folder locally but add them to .gitignore.

Next Steps

Once your vault is on GitHub:

  • Week 3: Submit your repository URL for the Project Setup assignment
  • Every week: Commit and push your journal entry after writing it
  • Week 10+: When R begins, you will already be comfortable with git concepts