Intro to Git
Build Your Own Website with Github Pages and Cloud9
Women Who Code DC
Front End Hack Night
About Me
Alexandra Ulsh
alexandraulsh.com
@AlexUlsh
Women Who Code DC Front End Hack Night (FEHN) Lead
InfoSec @ Mapbox
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Goals
- Learn Git
- Learn GitHub
- Learn GitHub Pages
- Learn a little Bash
- Learn Cloud9
After tonight, you will be able to use Git, Github Pages, and Cloud9 IDE to host your own website!
What is Open Source?
Open = Free, available, public, transparent
Source = software source code
Public software projects on GitHub are open source.
Opposite of commercial proprietary software.
What is Git?
A software program that helps you write software.
Distributed version control for source code
Distributed = more than one copy on more than one computer
Created in 2005 by Linus Torvalds (Linux kernel).
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Git = a software program
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What is GitHub?
A website that hosts public and private Git repositories
Repository = a project or set of files
"Social coding"
Created in 2008
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GitHub = a website
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Git
+
social media
=
GitHub
tl;dr
What is GitHub Pages?
Public
Uses specially named repositories
User pages = http://username.github.io/
Organization pages = http://organization.github.io/
Project pages = http://username.github.io/my-cool-project
GitHub Pages Limitations
- Only static files
- HTML, CSS, JavaScript, CSV, JSON, GeoJSON
- No PHP, Node.js, Ruby, Django, or server-side frameworks
- This means it is hard to manage pieces of code that repeat on multiple pages - menus, headers, and footers
Unless you use Jekyll!
Jekyll
- Static site generator
- Uses template and configuration files
- GitHub Pages runs on Jekyll
- GitHub the website runs on Ruby on Rails
- Jekyll = a Ruby gem
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Why use GitHub Pages?
- Free!
- Secure
- Easy to use and configure
- Under source control automatically
- Use Jekyll to host your blog
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What is Cloud9?
Free cloud-based integrated development environment (IDE)
Each workspace is its own Ubuntu Docker container
Support for 40+ programming languages
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Why use Cloud9?
- Hardware agnostic = socioeconomic accessibility
- Saves time - pre-configured
- Amazing productivity features
- Live preview and cross-browser testing
- Collaborative coding - "Google docs style"
- Available from any computer or tablet
Best way to code on a Chromebook
Why have a personal website?
- Great first front
end development project - Complete control of your personal brand
- Shows up when you Google your name
- Career advancement
- Showcase portfolio
Women are encouraged to not self-promote...
Let's change that by building a personal website!
Let's get started!
Create a GitHub Account
https://github.com/
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Keep the Free Plan
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GitHub Welcome Page
Create a New User Pages Repository
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username.github.io
GitHub Repository
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GitHub User Profile
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Organization Profile
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What is README.md?
.md = Markdown
"Text-to-HTML conversion tool"
GitHub Flavored Markdown
You can use Emojis!
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Cloud9 - GitHub Sign In
https://c9.io/
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Authorize application
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Cloud9 Dashboard
Clone Username Repo
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Create Workspace from Repo
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Repository Workspace
Git is already installed
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Let's add some files!
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Create with GUI
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GUI = Graphical User Interface
Upload Local Files
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Create files via Bash
# Create a new file
touch index.html
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Quick Intro to Bash
Why learn bash? Because it saves time
Builds command line interface (CLI) skills
CLIs used in SASS, bower, Node.js, and Ruby
The Terminal
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Create files via the Terminal
# Create a new file
touch index.html
# Create a new directory (folder)
# mkdir = "Make directory"
mkdir css
# Change the current directory
# cd = "Change directory"
cd css
# Create CSS stylesheet
touch styles.css
Open Files Quickly in Cloud9
# Open file in Cloud9
c9 index.html
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# Where am I? What's my working directory?
# pwd = "Print working directory"
pwd
# returns /home/ubuntu/workspace/css
# List files in current directory
# ls = "list"
ls
# returns styles.css
# Go back a directory (to the parent)
cd ..
# Go back two directories
cd ../..
# Clear all text in the terminal
clear
Navigating the File System
# Remove a file
# rm = "Remove"
rm styles.css
# Remove a directory containing files
# -r = "Recursive"
rm -r css
# Delete empty directory
# rmdir = "Remove directory"
rmdir js
Deleting Files and Directories
Let's add some code!
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index.html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1">
<title>My Personal Website</title>
<link href="css/styles.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
</head>
<body>
<div class="container">
<h1>My Personal Website</h1>
<p>Here's a puppy</p>
<img src="img/Dougie-the-Shih-Tzu.jpg">
</div>
</body>
</html>
Preview index.html
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Side by Side
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Live Preview Changes
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Preview In Your Browser
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Run with Apache
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Different URL
Test on Multiple Browsers
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Let's Add Our Code to GitHub
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Checking Git Status
git status
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Adding Untracked Files
# Add one file
git add index.html
# Add all current untracked files
git add --all
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Commiting Changes
# Commit changes to the local working directory
# -m = "Message"
git commit -m "My first commit"
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I accidentally just did git commit!
git commit
What is this?
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Nano Text Editor
Type your commit message
To save type ctrl + o then enter
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After saving, type ctrl + x to exit
OS X - Vim Editor
Type the letter a
Type your commit message
Type esc then :w to save
To exit, type :q
May have to type esc again before
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Windows - Vim Editor
Type the letter a
Type your commit message
Type esc then :w to save
To exit, type :q
May have to type esc again before
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Push Changes to GitHub
# Push changes to GitHub repository on the master branch
git push origin master
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What's "origin"?
# Get information about remote servers
git remote -v
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origin = default name for connection to Github
Github = remote server, or "remote"
repository = https://github.com/techladyulsh/techladyulsh.github.io
Let's check GitHub...
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Hmm... let's wait 5-10 minutes?
Success!
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Let's create a branch to test some CSS!
Branches allow us to safely isolate changes or work on multiple features in parallel
# Get a list of branches
git branch
# Create a new branch
git branch css
# Switch to the new branch
git checkout css
# Shortcut - create and switch to new branch
git checkout -b css
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Update styles.css
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Commit and push changes to CSS branch
# Add modified styles.css to tracked files in CSS branch
git add --all
# Commit changes to CSS branch
git commit -m "Set default font family to Sans Serif"
# Push changes to CSS branch on Github
# NOTE we are pushing to "origin css" not "origin master"
git push origin css
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Let's check GitHub...
New CSS branch!
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Hmm... my website hasn't changed though?
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For user pages, only the master branch is public.
We need to merge our changes in the css branch with the master branch.
Merging Branches
# Check out the master branch
git checkout master
# Merge the CSS branch with the master branch
git merge css
# Push changes from merge back to master branch on Github
git push origin master
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Website updated!
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Delete the Old Branch
# Delete the remote branch on Github
git push origin --delete css
# Delete the local branch
# -d = "Delete"
git branch -d css
# View available branches
git branch
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Troubleshooting Updates
If an update is not showing on your site despite pushing the changes to GitHub, open up your browser's developer tools and disable caching.
Google Chrome Developer Tools
Windows/Linux/Chromebook = Ctrl + Shift + J
Mac OS X = Cmd + Opt + i
Make sure "Disable cache" is checked, then refresh the page.
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I want to host a portfolio on my website.
Try GitHub Project Pages!
These use the gh-pages branch of any repository, as long as you have already created a User Pages repository.
Project Pages Setup
- Create new repository on GitHub
- Create new workspace in Cloud9 from GitHub repository
- Add files and code to new workspace
- Push code to master branch
- Create a gh-pages branch
- Push gh-pages branch to GitHub
Sample Project
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Sample Project Repository
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Setup the Project Page
# Create the gh-pages branch
git branch gh-pages
# Checkout the gh-pages branch
git checkout gh-pages
# Push the gh-pages branch to GitHub
git push origin gh-pages
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Admire Your Work
http://techladyulsh.github.io/My-Sample-Project
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NOTE: Project Pages URLs are case sensitive!
GitHub Extras!
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.gitignore file
Allows certain files, file extensions, and folders to be excluded from your Git repository.
Particularly useful for Node.js applications.
To enable in Cloud9, show hidden files.
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Sometimes may have to add the hidden .c9 folder to a .gitignore file.
GitHub Social and Collaboration Features
- Watch a repo
- Star a repo
- Submit an issue
- Pull requests
Watch a repo
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Get notifications of any new pull requests or issues.
Star a repo
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- Bookmark interesting repositories
- Show appreciation of good work
- Affects ranking of repository
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Log an Issue
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Pull Requests
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What if I want my own custom domain name for my website?
Buy your domain name
I used namecheap
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CNAME = canonical name
DNS (Domain Name System) record
Points an alias (domain name), to another domain name (canonical name).
For example, alexandraulsh.com is the alias for alulsh.github.io.
Add a CNAME file to GitHub Repo
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CNAME file does not have a file extension.
Configure DNS with your domain name provider
Domain name needs to point to Github's servers.
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Cloud9 Extras
- Node.js, PHP, Go, C++, Ruby on Rails, Django...
- ALL THE THINGS
- Npm already installed
- Bower already installed
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Want more to do for your website?
Check out Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Google Analytics, and Jekyll.
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Need Inspiration?
Check out some personal websites of awesome women and non-binary people in the DC Tech scene.
Questions?
WWCDC - Build Your Own Website With Cloud9 and GitHub Pages
By Alexandra Ulsh
WWCDC - Build Your Own Website With Cloud9 and GitHub Pages
Presented at Women Who Code DC Front End Hack Night - Intro to Git
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