Lesson 03 — Cloning a Repository

Goal

Copy an existing GitHub repository to your computer.

What cloning means

To clone a repository means to download a full working copy of it from GitHub to your computer.

After cloning, you have:

• The project files
• The Git history
• A connection back to the GitHub repository

Checklist

1. Find the repository on GitHub

• Open the repository page in GitHub.
• Click the green Code button.
• Copy the HTTPS URL.

It will look like:

https://github.com/organization/repository-name.git

2. Choose where to put the project

In your terminal, move to a folder where you keep projects.

Example:

cd Documents

3. Clone the repository

Run:

git clone https://github.com/organization/repository-name.git

Replace the URL with the actual repository URL.

• The repository downloaded successfully.

4. Move into the repository folder

Run:

cd repository-name

• I am now inside the repository folder.

5. Check status

Run:

git status

• Git says I am on a branch, usually main.
• Git says my working tree is clean.

Practice task

Clone a practice repository, enter the folder, and run:

git status
git remote -v

git remote -v shows the GitHub address connected to your local copy.

Completion check

• I can clone a repository.
• I can move into the repository folder.
• I can run git status inside the repository.
• I can run git remote -v to see the GitHub connection.