GitHub is a very popular service for version control. It has also become essential in the field of software development. You can use this tool from the command line or take advantage of the GitHub Desktop graphical client. It only takes a few steps to install it on 64-bit Windows systems.
Technical specifications
Installing GitHub is very simple. To equip yourself with this version control system under Windows, the most important thing is to have a version of a compatible operating system. Starting with Windows 7, all 64-bit versions can be used. Since these are so widespread today, it is rare that this technical specification poses a problem.
To install GitHub Desktop, all you need is basic knowledge about installing programs on Windows. This is not the case if you want to install GitHub as a command line tool. Indeed, no specific knowledge of terminal commands is required to install this version control system.
If you are using a 32-bit version that does not allow you to install GitHub, there are various GitHub alternatives that also support 32-bit systems.
Install GitHub: step by step
The GitHub Desktop installation method that we present to you here applies to all 64-bit versions of Windows starting with Windows 7.
Step 1: Open the GitHub Desktop download page
Open the web browser of your choice and navigate to the official GitHub download page. Click the “Download for Windows (64bit)” button to start the download process from your browser.
Step 2: Install GitHub Desktop
To start installing GitHub, all you have to do is open the file you just downloaded. By defaultthis one is located in your “Downloads” folder. The installation process starts automatically. When finished, GitHub Desktop opens. You can then log in if you already have a GitHub account, or create a new one.
Connection and getting started
After installing GitHub Desktop, you can log in to it using your GitHub account. To do this, let the program redirect you to the official GitHub website, then enter your username and password. You must then authorize GitHub Desktop app to access your account, as well as your repositories. Just click the “Authorize Desktop” button.
After a new redirection to GitHub Desktop, all you have to do is complete the connection process by entering an account name and email address or by entering the data you use for your GitHub account. Finally, click the “Finish” button to enter the GitHub Desktop user interface.
For example, you can use the desktop tool offered by GitHub to create new repositories or duplicate existing repositories. You also have a list of all your repositories, an overview that you can access at any time. Like the web version, you can also use GitHub Desktop to manage and modify your GitHub Actions. Haven’t set up Git yet? You can install it at any time from the command line. To do this, simply follow the practical advice in our Git tutorial.
