Setup Instructions

Learn how to install and configure the essential software needed for Git and GitHub workflows, including VS Code, Git, and GitHub account setup.

This tutorial modifies content from Jenna Jordan’s Intro to Git & GitHub (Speedrun edition), which draws from the Software Carpentry Version Control with Git lesson, the Carpentries Incubator Version Control with Git lesson, and the Library Carpentry Introduction to Git lesson. Copyright (c) The Carpentries. The original material is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Changes made: Content has been modified and expanded by Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) to include IPA-specific examples.

NoteLearning Objectives
  • Install VS Code and other needed software
  • Connect VS Code to GitHub

Create a GitHub account

If you do not already have a GitHub account, visit github.com to create one.

You can refer to this doc page for further instructions about creating a GitHub account.

If you already have a GitHub account, please verify that you can sign in, and take note of the emails associated with the account.

It is strongly recommended that you set up 2FA for your GitHub account, and to use a password manager.

Software Installations

Visual Studio Code

Download and install VS Code.

# On Windows, you can also install VS Code using
winget install --id Microsoft.VisualStudioCode

# On Mac, you can also install VS Code using Homebrew
brew install --cask visual-studio-code

If you are new to using VS Code, you can review this Getting Started guide.

Positron

Alternatively, you can use Positron, which is a version of VS Code that comes pre-configured for data science and research workflows.

Download and install Positron.

# On Windows, you can also install Positron using
winget install --id Positron.Positron

# On Mac, you can also install Positron using Homebrew
brew install --cask positron

Git

You must have Git installed on your local computer. Typically, Mac and Linux computers come pre-installed with git, while Windows users must install GitBash (Git for Windows). However, you should verify that Git is installed on your computer.

You can verify git is installed by opening a command line application (e.g. Terminal) and typing:

git version

If you see an error message stating git is an unknown command, you will need to install git.

If you do not already have git installed, you can refer to this GitHub guide on installing git for any OS.

# On Windows, you can also install Git using
winget install --id Git.Git

# On Mac, you can also install Git using Homebrew
brew install git

Bash

You should have a Bash terminal. If you are on a Windows, you will have a Bash terminal by virtue of installing Git for Windows (GitBash). If you are on a Mac or Linux, you will already have a Bash terminal.

Rather than using a separate command line application, you will be using the Terminal in VS Code. To learn more about using the Terminal in VS Code, refer to these docs.

Connect VS Code/Positron to GitHub

Please refer to these instructions to sign in to GitHub from VS Code.

Optionally, you can install the GitHub extension, and follow these instructions to sign into GitHub.

Key Points

  • GitHub, VS Code/Positron, bash, and git are needed for this lesson
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