Here is a guide on using the GUI TortoiseGIT, GIT for Windows with GitHub.

Creating a GitHub Account

Make sure you have a GitHub account (free is OK)  https://github.com/

Login to GitHub

I used my defined hardware Security Key

I clicked New Repo

Repo Settings

• I set Private
• Added a readme
• Set .gitignore for Visual Studio files
• I had no idea what licence to select (read more on licences here)

I clicked Create repository

Creating RSA Keys

Now I will create an SSH key to protect communications with GitHub.

When logged into GitHub, I clicked the SSH and GPG Keys menu

I clicked New SSH Key button

GitHub wants a public SSH Key

More on Generating SSH Keys

I used this command to generate a public and private SSH key

ssh-keygen -t rsa

Generate key output.

FYI: These Keys have been deleted, they have not been used beyond this demo

A Public and Private key was generated

id_github_test.pub = Public Key

ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAADAQABAAABgQDKeAydCIpEB9EuBH/h0FbsnhUlmQT/ylKowlOWEkvl0CRZO2b7ak71GI5V4IJtVESjx/yZ3hHAhlOYp5VXbpTXv9rbKGEA12ii6d7cNOzfaAqXoHhdWqxfsfSRq0oocDVt1Inwdwsnh7tRqLHxRt0z0Gg/7m2s3sEIQqbtFkaQGjugQqs6Y9npWLd9utUcnUIRk3kajnlEeAZNVUMEn1hbX/PjODrzyI2JvGMxFzeRUTOSDWRAh6cNTM6fNZI6TLBdWHbmlZujgitiRxkWjmph31epxAkyTc0CsZ4VelU2uDgRLiWFdv+/SY2uT0/WaqZY3AlqM2GdR+WVTtiJJoh4e9ARR/ehZIkJMoWQlZa5Y8t1GnMcOa9sj3VTW5lGt1u+0JJP6IGa9T4UmxkqZRvJTDrZ1Flxcdu61is5tNLI10PYOcXz78jGSNnb8cfNzaMIHsI4oLMdurDDUz5w+5AQ9lA7gi4DE4uiX5cAsNe9jJsixB7TvCr6LF+k36Q0T3c= fearbys@PCName

id_github_test = Private Key

-----BEGIN OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----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-----END OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----

FYI: These Keys have been deleted, they have not been used beyond this demo

I added the Public Key to GitHub

SSH Keys are listed in GitHub

I create a different key per repository.

Setup Git Locally

I checked to see if the “git” command was installed on my local machine.

I will install Git from https://gitforwindows.org/ 

I download Git-2.32.0.2-64-bit.exe and started the installer

Folder C:\Program Files\Git

Set Options (e.g I like Check for Daily updates)

Start Menu Folder

Text Editor: I like Sublime Text from https://www.sublimetext.com/3

Set an Initial Branch name

Set 3rd party software options

Set HTTPS options

Set Line Endings preferences

Set Terminal Emulators preferences

Set Git Pull default preferences

Set Credential Manager preferences

Set Extra Options

Experimental Options

Installing

First Launch

Git is installed

Install Tortoise GIt

Visit https://tortoisegit.org/

Download Gif (64bit)

I started the installer.

Licence Agreement

SSH Type

Components

Install

Installing (Wizard)

Language: English

 

Shell Extension

I checked for a known git path.

I set my desired git username and email

I set desired SSH settings

Folder for Code Repositories

I create C:\Code\MyTestRepo

Before I can clone a repository I need o set the past to SSH in TortoiseGit.

I right-clicked on C:\Code\MyTestRepo and selected TortiseGit\Settings

I expanded the Network Node and set the following as the SSH Client

“C:\Program Files\TortoiseGit\bin\TortoiseGitPLink.exe”

I saved the Settings.

Clone a GitHub Repository via git and Tortoise GIT

Now I can clone a repositor to C:\Code\MyTestRepo, 

I right clicked on C:\Code\MyTestRepo in explorer and clicked Git Clone

I added by GIT URL (Obtained from GitHub), I also set the path for the Private Key I created earlier.

I was informed that the key is in the wrong format

I need to convert the RAS Private Key to a Putty PPK Key

Convert an RSA Key to a Putty PPK with PuuttyGen

I opened the Open Putty Gen

I click Load and select the id_github_test private key I created earlier

I entered my private key password

The private key loaded.

Now I can export the private key to a PPK format

Clone (with a PPK Private Key)

Getting back to cloning a repository I right-clicked on C:\Code\MyTestRepo

I set the PPK private key

I entered the password

I accepted the key

The Repository started cloning.

Creating a Quick Visual Studio Project

I created a quick Visual Studio project and saved it to C:\Code\MyTestRepo\Hello World

Visual Studio files were visible in C:\Code\MyTestRepo

I Commit the new files to the repository (main branch)

I selected desired files to commit

Files were added

I right-clicked on C:\Code\MyTestRepo and selected TortoiseGit\Push

Files are now visible in GitHub

Awesome

Setup on Multiple Machines

I set up Git on multiple machines, cloned, made chances, committed those changes and pushed.  I was able to Sync down those changes to each machine.

Good advice on Using Git

• Git Guides – git push (github.com)
• What is git commit, push, pull, log, aliases, fetch, config & clone | by Ameet Prajapati | MindOrks | Medium
• GitHub 101 — Introduction to GitHub for Newbies | by Arerosuoghene Wisdom | Medium

Happy Coding