GitHub Account Setup

This guide walks you through the complete setup process: configuring Git on your computer, generating SSH keys, creating your GitHub account, and cloning your first project. You'll complete these steps during our first class session.

Step 1: Configure Git Identity

Before you can commit code, Git needs to know who you are. This information will be attached to all the changes you make.

1.1: Open Terminal or Command Prompt

On Mac (lab computers or personal laptops):

1. Press Command + Space to open Spotlight
2. Type "Terminal" and press Enter

On Windows (personal laptops):

1. Press the Windows key
2. Search for "Command Prompt" or "Git Bash"
3. Click to open (either will work)

1.2: Set Your Name

Type the following command, replacing "Your Name" with your actual name:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"

Press Enter. Nothing will appear to happen—that's normal!

1.3: Set Your Email

Type the following command, replacing the email with your Watkinson school email (your @watkinson.org address):

git config --global user.email "your.email@watkinson.org"

Press Enter.

1.4: Verify Your Configuration

To check that everything was set correctly, type:

git config --global --list

You should see your name and email listed. If you made a mistake, just run the commands again with the correct information—the new values will replace the old ones.

Your Git identity is now configured!

Step 2: Generate SSH Keys

SSH keys allow your computer to communicate securely with GitHub without entering a password every time. You'll generate a key pair on your computer, then add the public key to your GitHub account.

For Mac (Lab Computers)

2.1: Open Terminal

If Terminal isn't still open from Step 1, open it again (Command + Space, then type "Terminal").

2.2: Generate an SSH Key

Type the following command, replacing your.email@watkinson.org with your actual Watkinson email address:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your.email@watkinson.org"

Press Enter.

2.3: Save the Key

When asked "Enter a file in which to save the key," just press Enter to accept the default location.

2.4: Set a Passphrase (Optional)

When asked for a passphrase:

• Press Enter twice to have no passphrase

Your SSH key has been created!

2.5: Start the SSH Agent

Type this command:

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

Press Enter. You should see something like Agent pid 1234.

2.6: Add Your SSH Key to the Agent

Type this command:

ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Press Enter.

2.7: Copy Your Public Key

Option A: Using pbcopy (easier)

Type this command:

pbcopy < ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Press Enter. Nothing will appear to happen, but your public key is now copied to your clipboard!

Option B: Manual copy

Type this command:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Press Enter. You'll see your public key displayed (it starts with ssh-ed25519 and ends with your email). Carefully select and copy all of this text.

Keep this Terminal window open—you'll need it for Step 4 to add your key to GitHub and test your connection.

For Windows (Personal Laptops)

2.1: Open Git Bash

1. Press the Windows key
2. Search for "Git Bash"
3. Click to open Git Bash

2.2: Generate an SSH Key

Type the following command, replacing your.email@watkinson.org with your actual Watkinson email address:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your.email@watkinson.org"

Press Enter.

2.3: Save the Key

When asked "Enter a file in which to save the key," just press Enter to accept the default location.

2.4: Set a Passphrase (Optional)

When asked for a passphrase, press Enter twice to have no passphrase (this is simpler for getting started).

Your SSH key has been created!

2.5: Start the SSH Agent

Type this command:

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"

Press Enter. You should see something like Agent pid 1234.

2.6: Add Your SSH Key to the Agent

Type this command:

ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Press Enter.

2.7: Copy Your Public Key

Type this command:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Press Enter. You'll see your public key displayed (it starts with ssh-ed25519 and ends with your email).

Carefully select and copy all of this text:

• Right-click in Git Bash and select Copy, OR
• Use Ctrl + Insert to copy

Keep this Git Bash window open—you'll need it for Step 4 to add your key to GitHub and test your connection.

Step 3: Create Your GitHub Account

We'll create your GitHub account using your Watkinson Google account so everything stays connected.

3.1: Go to GitHub Signup

Go to github.com/signup and click the Continue with Google button.

3.2: Choose Your Watkinson Account

When prompted to choose an account, select your Watkinson school account (your @watkinson.org email).

3.3: Allow Access

Click Continue to allow GitHub access to your Google account.

3.4: Pick a Username

Choose a username for your GitHub account. This will be visible publicly, so pick something appropriate and professional. Your username will appear in your profile URL and repository addresses.

Click Create Account when you're ready.

Congratulations — you now have a GitHub account!

Step 4: Add Your SSH Key to GitHub and Authenticate

Now you'll add your SSH key to your GitHub account so your computer can communicate securely with GitHub, then test the connection.

4.1: Open GitHub Settings

Click your profile picture in the upper-right corner of GitHub, then choose Settings from the menu.

4.2: Navigate to SSH Keys

In the left sidebar, click SSH and GPG keys.

4.3: Add a New SSH Key

Click the green New SSH key button.

4.4: Enter Your Key Details

1. Title: Enter a name that identifies which device this key is from. For the lab computers, use something like "Lab iMac" or "Watkinson Lab". For your personal computer, use something like "My MacBook" or "Home Laptop".

2. Key: Paste your public SSH key here. You copied this during the installation process — if you need to copy it again, see the installation guide for your system.

3. Click Add SSH key to save.

4.5: Test Your SSH Connection

Now that you've added your SSH key to GitHub, let's verify that your computer can successfully connect.

In your Terminal or Git Bash window (where you generated your SSH key earlier), type this command:

ssh -T git@github.com

Press Enter.

What to Expect:

1. First-time connection warning: If this is your first time connecting, you may see a message saying the "authenticity of host 'github.com' can't be established."

   • Action: Type yes and press Enter to continue. This adds GitHub's fingerprint to your list of known hosts — you'll only see this warning once per computer.

2. Success message: If everything is set up correctly, you will receive a response like this:

   Hi [Your Username]! You've successfully authenticated, but GitHub does not provide shell access.

   This message means your SSH key is working correctly! The "does not provide shell access" part is normal — GitHub only allows you to interact with repositories, not run commands on their servers.

3. Authentication failure: If you see a "Permission denied (publickey)" error, it means your computer isn't sending the correct key or the key hasn't been properly added to your GitHub account.

   • What to do: Go back and check that you completed steps 4.1-4.4 correctly. Make sure you copied the entire public key (starting with ssh-ed25519 and ending with your email).

Your SSH authentication is now complete!

Step 5: Submit Your Profile URL

Now you'll share your GitHub profile with your teacher so they can track your repositories throughout the course.

5.1: Go to Your Profile

While still in Settings, click the Go to your personal profile button in the top-right area of the page.

5.2: Copy and Submit Your Profile URL

1. Look at the address bar in your browser — it will show something like https://github.com/yourusername
2. Copy this URL
3. Go to the assignment in Google Classroom and paste the URL to submit it

Step 6: Create Your Repository from the Template

Now you'll create your own copy of the personal landing page template. This will be your first repository.

6.1: Open the Template

Open the template link from your Google Classroom assignment: Personal Landing Page Template

6.2: Use the Template

Click the green Use this template button and choose Create a new repository.

6.3: Configure Your New Repository

1. Repository name: Use personal-landing-page (or another clear name)
2. Description: Optional — you can leave this blank
3. Visibility: Keep it set to Public
4. Click Create repository

Your new repository is now created in your GitHub account!

Step 7: Clone Your Repository in Phoenix Code

The final step is to download your repository to your computer so you can start coding. This process is called "cloning."

7.1: Set Up Your Project Folder

Before cloning, create a folder on your computer where you'll keep all your web development projects:

1. On Mac: Open Finder and go to Documents. You should see a Phoenix Code folder that was created during installation — this is a good place for your projects.
2. Inside your projects folder, create a new subfolder called personal-landing-page (or match your repository name)

7.2: Copy the SSH Clone URL

Back on your repository page in GitHub:

1. Click the green Code button
2. Select the SSH tab
3. Click the copy button to copy the SSH URL (it looks like git@github.com:yourusername/personal-landing-page.git)

7.3: Launch Phoenix Code

Open Phoenix Code. When the Start Project dialog appears, click Get from Git.

7.4: Clone Your Repository

1. Paste the SSH URL you copied into the repository URL field
2. Browse to select the subfolder you created in step 7.1
3. Click Create Project

Phoenix Code will download your repository and open it as a project.

You're Ready to Code!

Your development environment is now fully set up:

• Your GitHub account is connected to your school Google account
• Your computer can communicate securely with GitHub via SSH
• Your first repository is cloned and ready to edit

From here, you'll use the workflow described in the Git, GitHub & Phoenix Code guide to edit files, commit changes, and push your work to GitHub.

Next step: Start exploring the template files and make your first edit!