Stop 03 · Git & GitHubTopics · 2/11

Clone

In short

Joining a team project or trying an open-source API? You don't download a zip. You clone it, and you get the code plus its entire history in one go.

`git clone <url>` downloads a full copy of a remote repository — including its entire history — onto your machine, ready to work on.

The mascot stands at a photocopy machine holding the original notes and a full copy.

Think of it like this

Photocopying the topper's full file

Before exams you don't copy just the last page of the topper's notes. You photocopy the whole file, every chapter, every correction. git clone copies the full project with all its past versions onto your laptop.

Watch it happen

What git clone does

Your laptop

GitHub

git clone <url>

1/5You ask GitHub for the repository at that URL, over HTTPS or SSH.

The big ideas

What you need to know

You get the full history

git log works offline right after cloning, because every commit came along with the code.

origin is the remote

Clone saves the source URL as a remote called origin. git push and git pull talk to it by default.

HTTPS or SSH

HTTPS asks for a token when you push. SSH uses a key on your laptop, so no typing after the first setup.

Shallow clones for speed

--depth 1 grabs only the latest commit. Handy for CI or huge repos where you don't need old history.

See it in code

Walk through the code

bash

1# Clone into a folder named after the repo2git clone https://github.com/expressjs/express.git3 4# Clone into a folder name you choose5git clone git@github.com:your-name/todo-api.git todo6 7cd todo8git remote -v        # shows origin and its URL9git log --oneline -5 # last 5 commits, works offline

1/3HTTPS clone of a public repo. The folder will be called express.

The SSH form (git@github.com:...) only works after you add an SSH key to your GitHub account.

Save yourself the pain

Common mistakes

Oops

Downloading the zip from GitHub and wondering why git pull says 'not a git repository'.

Do this instead

The zip has files only. Use git clone to get the .git folder and the link back to GitHub.

Oops

Cloning a repo inside another repo's folder by accident.

Do this instead

cd out to a clean place like ~/code first. Nested repos confuse git status and commits.

Your mission

Clone and explore

~15 min

Quick check

Right after git clone, your Wi-Fi drops. Which command still works fully?

Go deeper

1Clone a public open-source repo and explore its commit history with `git log`.
2Learn the difference between HTTPS and SSH clone URLs.
3Practice cloning, making a change, and pushing it to your own fork.