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Git / GitHub

/git / git-hub/noun

Filed underDevopsSoftware Engineering

In brief · quick answer

Git is a version control system that tracks changes to your code. GitHub is a cloud platform that hosts Git repositories and adds collaboration features like pull requests, issues, and Actions.

§ 1 Definition

Git is a distributed version control system created by Linus Torvalds in 2005. It tracks every change to every file in a project, letting you revisit any previous state, create branches for experimental work, and merge changes from multiple contributors. Git runs locally on every developer's machine. GitHub is a web-based platform built on top of Git that adds remote repository hosting, a web interface, collaboration tools (pull requests, code review, issues, discussions), and integrated features like GitHub Actions for CI/CD. Git without GitHub is like a car without roads: useful locally but limited. GitHub gives you the network to collaborate.

§ 2 Git Basics

Git works by taking snapshots of your project at points in time. A commit is a snapshot with a message describing what changed. A branch is a parallel version of your code where you can work without affecting the main line. Merging combines changes from different branches. Pull requests propose changes from one branch to another, typically paired with code review. Git's distributed nature means every developer has a full copy of the entire history, so work continues even without internet access.

§ 3 GitHub Adds the Collaboration Layer

GitHub stores your Git repository in the cloud, making it accessible to your whole team. Beyond basic Git hosting, GitHub provides: pull requests with inline code review, issue tracking, project boards, GitHub Actions for CI/CD, GitHub Pages for hosting, security scanning (Dependabot, CodeQL), Wiki documentation, and discussions. GitHub is the largest host of source code in the world, with over 100 million repositories.

§ 4 The Git Workflow

A typical team workflow: create a branch from main, make commits on that branch, push the branch to GitHub, open a pull request, request code review, address feedback with additional commits, merge the pull request to main, and deploy. Each step is trackable, reviewable, and reversible. This workflow is the foundation of modern software development and maps directly into Deployment Pipeline practices.

§ 5 Note

Learn these commands first: git clone, git add, git commit, git push, git pull, git branch, git checkout, git merge, git log. Everything else builds on these.

§ 6 In code

```bash
# Basic Git workflow
git clone [email protected]:username/project.git
cd project
git checkout -b feature/new-feature
# ... make changes ...
git add .
git commit -m "Add new feature"
git push origin feature/new-feature
# Then open a pull request on GitHub
```

§ 7 Common questions

Q. Is Git the same as GitHub?: A. No. Git is the version control tool that runs locally. GitHub is a cloud service that hosts Git repositories and adds collaboration features. GitLab and Bitbucket are alternatives to GitHub.
Q. Do I need Git for solo projects?: A. Yes. Git gives you a safety net to experiment, revert mistakes, and track what changed and when. You will thank yourself when you need to undo something.

Key takeaways

Git tracks every change to your code with full history and branching.
GitHub hosts Git repositories and adds pull requests, issues, CI/CD, and collaboration tools.
The branch-commit-push-pull-request workflow is the standard for modern development.
Use Git even on solo projects. It's your safety net.

How Atomic Glue helps

We manage code with Git and GitHub on every project, from version control to automated deployments. Web Development services include full Git workflow setup.

Get in touch

# Git / GitHub

Git is a version control system that tracks changes to your code. GitHub is a cloud platform that hosts Git repositories and adds collaboration features like pull requests, issues, and Actions.

Category: Devops (also: Software Engineering)

Author: Atomic Glue Editorial Team

## Definition

Git is a distributed version control system created by Linus Torvalds in 2005. It tracks every change to every file in a project, letting you revisit any previous state, create branches for experimental work, and merge changes from multiple contributors. Git runs locally on every developer's machine. GitHub is a web-based platform built on top of Git that adds remote repository hosting, a web interface, collaboration tools (pull requests, code review, issues, discussions), and integrated features like GitHub Actions for [CI/CD](/glossary/ci-cd-github-actions). Git without GitHub is like a car without roads: useful locally but limited. GitHub gives you the network to collaborate.

## Git Basics

Git works by taking snapshots of your project at points in time. A **commit** is a snapshot with a message describing what changed. A **branch** is a parallel version of your code where you can work without affecting the main line. **Merging** combines changes from different branches. **Pull requests** propose changes from one branch to another, typically paired with code review. Git's distributed nature means every developer has a full copy of the entire history, so work continues even without internet access.

## GitHub Adds the Collaboration Layer

## The Git Workflow

## Note

Learn these commands first: git clone, git add, git commit, git push, git pull, git branch, git checkout, git merge, git log. Everything else builds on these.

## In code

## Common questions
Q: Is Git the same as GitHub?
A: No. Git is the version control tool that runs locally. GitHub is a cloud service that hosts Git repositories and adds collaboration features. GitLab and Bitbucket are alternatives to GitHub.
Q: Do I need Git for solo projects?
A: Yes. Git gives you a safety net to experiment, revert mistakes, and track what changed and when. You will thank yourself when you need to undo something.

## Key takeaways

Git tracks every change to your code with full history and branching.
GitHub hosts Git repositories and adds pull requests, issues, CI/CD, and collaboration tools.
The branch-commit-push-pull-request workflow is the standard for modern development.
Use Git even on solo projects. It's your safety net.

## Related entries

Last updated July 2026. Permalink: atomicglue.co/glossary/git-github