Git works locally. GitHub adds a shared remote layer.
You already know that Git handles commits, branches, merges, and local history on its own.
This lesson covers what GitHub actually provides and why a remote layer changes how you collaborate.
GitHub hosts Git repositories
GitHub is a platform for hosting and collaborating on Git repositories.
At its most basic, GitHub provides:
- a remote place to store your repository
- a web page you can share with others
- a way for multiple people to clone, push, and pull the same project
That alone is useful if you work across multiple machines or want your code backed up remotely.
GitHub adds collaboration features
Beyond hosting repositories, GitHub provides:
- pull requests for proposing and reviewing changes
- code review tools for commenting on and approving changes
- issues for tracking bugs, feature requests, and tasks
- Actions for running automated checks and workflows
These features sit on top of Git but are not part of Git itself.
Important remote terms
Three terms matter early:
- a remote repository is a copy of your repository hosted somewhere else
originis the common default name for your main remote- a push sends your local commits to a remote repository
- a pull fetches and integrates changes from the remote
Those ideas become practical as soon as a project moves from one machine to shared work.
Why GitHub matters in everyday development
Git alone can track local history, but most real projects need more than local history.
Teams usually need to:
- share repositories with others
- collaborate across multiple machines
- review proposed changes before they land in the main branch
- discuss work and track bugs outside of code
That is the layer GitHub is commonly used for.
The GitHub workflow in brief
The typical GitHub collaboration loop looks like:
- push a branch to
origin - open a pull request on GitHub
- others review and comment
- push follow-up commits to the same branch
- merge the pull request when approved
Each of those steps relies on Git locally and GitHub remotely.
The main idea to carry forward
GitHub does not replace Git. It sits on top of it.
Git handles local history. GitHub handles shared history, review, and coordination.
The next lessons cover how to actually connect, clone, push, and use those collaboration features.