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Forking a Repository

Introduction​

Forking a repository is an essential step in open source contributions on GitHub. It allows you to have your own copy of the original repository, where you can make changes without affecting the original project. This tutorial will guide you on how to fork a repository, step by step.

What is Forking?​

Forking is a feature offered by GitHub that allows you to create a copy of a repository under your own GitHub account. This enables you to freely experiment with changes without affecting the original project.

Step 1: Find the Repository You Want to Fork​

To fork a repository, you first need to find the repository you want to fork. You can do this by searching for the project in the GitHub search bar.

Step 2: Fork the Repository​

Once you're on the page of the repository you want to fork, look for the "Fork" button on the top right corner of the page. Click on it.

Fork

You'll see a pop-up that asks where you'd like to fork the repository. Choose your GitHub username.

Step 3: Clone the Forked Repository​

Now that you have forked the repository, it's time to clone it to your local machine. Click on the green "Code" button and copy the URL.

Code

Open your terminal and navigate to the directory where you want to clone the repository. Run the following command:

git clone [copied URL]

Replace [copied URL] with the URL you copied from GitHub.

Step 4: Navigate to the Cloned Directory​

Next, navigate to the cloned directory by using the cd command followed by the name of the repository:

cd [repository name]

Replace [repository name] with the name of your repository.

Step 5: Verify the Remote URL​

Before making changes, it's a good idea to verify the remote URL of your cloned repository. You can do this by using the git remote -v command:

git remote -v

This command will display the remote URL of your repository. Make sure it points to your forked repository, not the original one.

Step 6: Make Changes and Push​

Now, you can start making changes to the code. Once you've made your changes, stage them with the git add . command, commit them with the git commit -m "commit message" command, and push them to your forked repository with the git push origin master command:

git add .
git commit -m "commit message"
git push origin master

Replace "commit message" with a brief description of the changes you've made.

Conclusion​

Congratulations! You've just forked a repository, cloned it to your local machine, made changes, and pushed them to your forked repository. This is a common workflow for open source contributions. Remember, the power of Git and GitHub lies in collaboration. Happy coding!