Using GitHub Desktop

At some point, you will want to make a local copy of your website. This can be handy when you have multiple documents to edit, since editing on the website can be a bit of a pain.

At the top level of your repo, click the "Clone and Download" button and select "Open in GitHub Desktop".

I like to have a code specific folder to store my code, such as "c:/code/" (windows) or "~/Code/" (Mac/Linux) so that it has a permanent place to stay. So create a folder that is somewhere permanent and save your repo into that folder. Your "code" folder should now have a local copy of your repo.

You can now make changes on your local machine. Edit the files in a text editor such as Sublime Text or Atom and save them.

To update local files you've changed and push them to your GitHub, you will need to create a commit. In GitHub Desktop, click on the changed files that you updated and want pushed to the site. You'll need to create a commit message (a short bit of text that describes the changes you've made). Then you can push the "Sync" button to update.

Keep in mind: if you changed and added files on the website version, you will need to sync your own local repository to see those changes there.

A handy video intro to GitHub Desktop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFix7UDJ7LA

For more info on using GitHub Desktop: https://help.github.com/desktop/guides/getting-started/