GitHub CLI

GitHub CLI↗ brings GitHub to your terminal with the gh command. It reduces context switching between browser and terminal. It is available for macOS, Windows, and Linux for free.

# Install it with brew on macOS
$ brew install gh

# Difference to Git

git is the version control system you use for tracking changes, committing code, and syncing with a repository, while gh is the GitHub CLI that provides access to GitHub-specific features like Pull Requests, Issues, and Releases without leaving the terminal.

Think of it this way:

• git: commit, push, pull, merge, checkout
• gh: pr create, issue list, release create, repo view

# Create a repo and connect it to GitHub

To create a new repository, initialize one locally with git, then use GitHub CLI to create the corresponding remote repository on GitHub and automatically push your code, establishing version control and creating a backup in one workflow.

# Initialize a new git repository
git init

# Add files and commit
git add .
git commit -m "Init"

# Create a new public repository on GitHub from the current directory
gh repo create --public --source=. --push
# Follow the steps

# Once this is done, just push like this
git push

# More examples

# Create a pull request from your current branch
$ gh pr create

# Checkout a pull request locally
$ gh pr checkout 123

# List open issues assigned to you
$ gh issue list --assignee "@me"

# View a specific issue in the browser
$ gh issue view 123 --web

# Clone a repository
$ gh repo clone fortrabbit/docs

# Open the current repository in your browser
$ gh browse