Module 4: What is GitHub?¶
🎯 What you'll learn: The difference between Git and GitHub, what GitHub actually is, a tour of its features, and how it fits into your workflow.
Git ≠ GitHub — The Most Common Confusion¶
Let's clear this up once and for all:
| Git | GitHub | |
|---|---|---|
| What | A version control tool | A platform/website |
| Where | Runs on your computer | Runs in the cloud (github.com) |
| Created by | Linus Torvalds (2005) | GitHub Inc (2008), now owned by Microsoft |
| Cost | Free, always | Free tier + paid plans |
| Needs internet | No — works fully offline | Yes — it's a website |
| Needs the other | No — Git works without GitHub | Yes — GitHub uses Git underneath |
The Analogy¶
Think of it like Word and OneDrive:
Git = Microsoft Word (the tool that creates and tracks documents)
GitHub = OneDrive (the cloud service where you store and share them)
You CAN use Word without OneDrive → You CAN use Git without GitHub
You CAN'T use OneDrive without Word (or similar) → GitHub USES Git underneath
Another way:
Git = The engine 🔧 (does the actual work)
GitHub = The garage 🏠 (stores it, lets others see it, adds features)
💡 Key point for your role: When customers say "we use GitHub" — they might mean Git, GitHub, or both. Knowing the difference makes you sound sharp in conversations.
What is GitHub?¶
GitHub is the world's largest software development platform. It uses Git for version control, but adds a huge layer of features on top:
| Feature | What It Does | Analogy |
|---|---|---|
| Repositories | Store projects + history | Cloud folders for your projects |
| Pull Requests | Propose and review changes | "Can you check my work before I merge?" |
| Issues | Track bugs, features, tasks | A built-in to-do list for your project |
| Actions | Automate builds, tests, deploys | A robot assistant that does work when you push |
| Pages | Host websites for free | Free web hosting |
| Codespaces | Cloud development environments | A full computer in your browser |
| Copilot | AI coding assistant | The tool you're using right now! |
GitHub by the Numbers (2026)¶
| Metric | Number |
|---|---|
| Developers | 100+ million |
| Repositories | 420+ million |
| Organisations | 16+ million |
| Owned by | Microsoft (since 2018, $7.5B acquisition) |
Microsoft + GitHub
Microsoft bought GitHub in 2018 for $7.5 billion. This is directly relevant to your role — GitHub is a Microsoft product, and GitHub Copilot is a key Microsoft AI offering. When you talk to customers about Copilot, you're talking about a GitHub product backed by Microsoft.
Tour of a GitHub Repository¶
Let's look at a real repo you own — aguidetocloud-revamp:
github.com/susanthgit/aguidetocloud-revamp
├── 📄 Code tab ← Your files (what you see first)
│ ├── content/ ← Hugo content files
│ ├── themes/ ← Theme files
│ └── config.toml ← Hugo configuration
├── 📋 Issues tab ← Bug reports, feature requests
├── 🔀 Pull Requests tab ← Proposed changes
├── ⚡ Actions tab ← Your auto-deploy workflows!
├── ⚙️ Settings tab ← Repo configuration
└── 📊 Insights tab ← Traffic, contributors, activity
What Each Tab Does¶
| Tab | Purpose | You've Used It? |
|---|---|---|
| Code | Browse files, see README, download | ✅ Yes — this is what you see when you visit the repo |
| Issues | Track bugs, ideas, tasks | ✅ Yes — you filed one for easycopilotlab! |
| Pull Requests | Review & merge changes | Module 7 covers this |
| Actions | CI/CD automation | ✅ Yes — your auto-deploy runs here! |
| Settings | Secrets, permissions, branch rules | ✅ Yes — deployment tokens stored here |
What is a Remote Repository?¶
In Module 2, you learned about the Repository (local, on your machine). A remote repository is a copy stored somewhere else — usually GitHub.
┌──────────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐
│ LOCAL REPO │ │ REMOTE REPO │
│ (your computer) │ ←——————→ │ (GitHub) │
│ │ push/ │ │
│ Where you WORK │ pull │ Backup + sharing │
└──────────────────┘ └──────────────────┘
You can have multiple remotes (GitHub, Azure DevOps, GitLab), but most people just have one — called origin by convention.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| origin | The default name for your main remote (usually GitHub) |
| push | Send your local commits to the remote |
| pull | Get remote commits to your local machine |
| clone | Copy an entire remote repo to your local machine for the first time |
GitHub Features — What You Get Beyond Git¶
1. GitHub Actions ⚡ (You Already Use This!)¶
Automated workflows that run when you push. Your aguidetocloud-revamp repo has an Action that:
- Triggers on
git push - Builds your Hugo site
- Deploys to Azure Static Web Apps
- Your website is live!
You: git push
↓
GitHub Actions: "I see a push! Running the workflow..."
↓
Build Hugo site → Deploy to Azure → ✅ Website updated!
2. GitHub Issues 📋¶
A built-in task tracker for each repository. You can: - Report bugs ("The menu page is broken") - Request features ("Add a search bar") - Track to-dos with labels and assignees - Link issues to pull requests
3. GitHub Pages 🌐¶
Free website hosting directly from a repository. Perfect for: - Personal websites - Project documentation - Portfolios
(Your sites use Azure Static Web Apps instead, but Pages is a popular free alternative.)
4. GitHub Codespaces ☁️ (Cloud Development)¶
A full development environment in your browser. No installation needed — just a browser!
| Feature | What It Means |
|---|---|
| What it is | A Linux VM in the cloud with VS Code |
| How to launch | Click "Code" → "Codespaces" on any repo, or press . for github.dev |
| What's included | Terminal, Git, VS Code, extensions, all tools |
| Cost | Free: 60 hours/month for personal accounts |
| Use case | Work from any device, quick fixes, temporary environments |
Three ways to edit code:
1. LOCAL (your PC) ← Full power, works offline
2. github.dev (browser) ← Quick edits, no terminal
3. Codespaces (browser) ← Full environment, has terminal
💡 Keyboard shortcut: On any GitHub repo page, press
.(period) to instantly open github.dev — VS Code in your browser!
5. GitHub Copilot 🤖¶
The AI assistant you're using right now! Copilot lives in: - GitHub Copilot CLI (what we're chatting in) - VS Code (code suggestions while you type) - GitHub.com (Copilot Chat on the website) - Mobile apps
GitHub vs Alternatives¶
GitHub isn't the only Git hosting platform:
| Platform | Owner | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub | Microsoft | Largest community, Copilot, Actions |
| GitLab | GitLab Inc | Built-in CI/CD, self-hostable |
| Bitbucket | Atlassian | Integrates with Jira, smaller teams |
| Azure DevOps | Microsoft | Enterprise focus, Boards + Pipelines |
💡 For your role: Microsoft has both GitHub and Azure DevOps. GitHub is the developer-first platform (community, open source, Copilot). Azure DevOps is the enterprise platform (project management, Boards, more governance). Many organisations use both!
Your GitHub Account¶
You have two GitHub accounts:
| Account | Type | Used For |
|---|---|---|
susanthgit |
Personal | Your websites, content, personal projects |
ssutheesh_microsoft |
Enterprise (EMU) | Work repos managed by Microsoft |
Your websites (aguidetocloud-revamp, learning-docs, -ainews) are all on the susanthgit personal account.
✅ Module 4 Summary¶
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Module 4 Recap │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Git ≠ GitHub: │
│ Git = tool on your PC (the engine) │
│ GitHub = cloud platform (the garage) │
│ │
│ GitHub adds: Repos, Issues, PRs, Actions, │
│ Pages, Codespaces, Copilot │
│ │
│ Remote = a copy of your repo on GitHub │
│ origin = the default remote name │
│ push = send, pull = receive, clone = copy │
│ │
│ GitHub is owned by Microsoft (since 2018) │
│ │
│ ➡️ Next: Module 5 — Connect local ↔ GitHub │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
🧪 Module 4 Quiz¶
Q1: Can you use Git without GitHub?
Yes! Git runs entirely on your computer. GitHub is optional — it adds backup, sharing, and collaboration features on top of Git. You could use Git your entire life without ever touching GitHub.
Q2: What is the default name for a remote repository?
origin — when you connect a local repo to GitHub, the remote is typically named origin by convention. You can have multiple remotes with different names, but most people just have one.
Q3: You push code to GitHub and your website updates automatically. What GitHub feature makes this happen?
GitHub Actions — automated workflows that trigger on events (like a push). Your aguidetocloud-revamp repo has an Action that builds your Hugo site and deploys it to Azure Static Web Apps.
Q4: What's the keyboard shortcut to open any GitHub repo in VS Code in your browser?
Press . (period) on any repo page on github.com. This opens github.dev — VS Code in your browser, no installation needed!
Q5: Microsoft owns both GitHub and Azure DevOps. What's the difference?
GitHub = developer-first platform (community, open source, Copilot). Azure DevOps = enterprise platform (project management with Boards, governance, Pipelines). Many organisations use both.
➡️ What's Next?¶
In Module 5: Local ↔ Remote, you'll connect your practice repo to GitHub and push your commits online! You'll also learn about git clone, git pull, and how authentication works.