Create a GitHub Account

Overview

GitHub is a platform for version control and collaboration that enables developers to work together on projects. Creating an account and setting up SSH keys are essential first steps for any developer.

Creating a GitHub Account

• Visit https://github.com/
• Click "Sign Up"
• Enter a username and password, use your favorite email
• Add your school email later for GitHub Copilot and other educational perks

Setting Up SSH Keys

SSH keys provide a secure way to connect to GitHub without entering your password each time.

• Open Terminal (Mac) or Command Prompt (Windows)
• Generate a new SSH key with the command below
• When prompted for a file location and passphrase, you can leave these at default/blank values
• Add the SSH key to your GitHub account by copying your public key and adding it in GitHub Settings

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your-email@example.com"

Adding Your SSH Key to GitHub

• Copy your public key to clipboard (usually in ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub)
• Go to GitHub → Settings → SSH and GPG keys → New SSH key
• Paste your key and give it a descriptive title
• Click "Add SSH key"

Verifying Your SSH Connection

Test that your SSH connection is working properly:

• You may see a warning about authenticity of host - type 'yes' to continue
• If successful, you'll see a message like: "Hi username! You've successfully authenticated..."

ssh -T git@github.com

Additional Resources

• GitHub Docs: https://docs.github.com/en/get-started
• GitHub SSH Key Documentation: https://docs.github.com/en/authentication/connecting-to-github-with-ssh
• GitHub Hello World Guide: https://docs.github.com/en/get-started/quickstart/hello-world
• GitHub Student Developer Pack: https://education.github.com/pack