Setting up a repo for a new project

Every project starts the same way: a clean repository with the right foundation. This tutorial walks through setting up a Git repo from scratch with all the essentials.

Create the project directory

Pick a name and create your project folder. Keep names lowercase with hyphens -- it makes URLs and paths easier to work with.

mkdir my-project
cd my-project

Initialize Git

Turn the directory into a Git repository. This creates a hidden .git folder that tracks all your changes.

git init

You now have an empty repo with no commits.

Create a .gitignore

A .gitignore file tells Git which files to skip. Without one, build artifacts, dependencies, and secrets end up in your history.

Create the file with common Node.js patterns:

node_modules/
.env
.env.local
dist/
.next/
*.log
.DS_Store

Every ecosystem has its own set of patterns. GitHub maintains a useful collection at github.com/github/gitignore.

Create a README

The README is the first thing people see when they visit your repo. Keep it simple: what the project is, how to run it, and how to contribute.

# my-project
 
A short description of what this project does.
 
## Getting started
 
1. Clone the repo
2. Install dependencies: `npm install`
3. Start the dev server: `npm run dev`
 
## License
 
MIT

You can always expand it later. A short README is better than no README.

Choose a license

A license tells others what they can do with your code. Without one, the default is "all rights reserved" -- nobody can legally use or modify it.

For most open-source projects, the MIT License is a solid default. It lets anyone use, modify, and distribute your code with minimal restrictions.

Visit choosealicense.com to compare options, then copy the license text into a LICENSE file at the root of your project.

Make the first commit

Stage everything and create your initial commit:

git add .
git commit -m "initial commit"

Keep the first commit small. It should contain only the scaffolding -- no real code yet.

Push to GitHub

If you have the GitHub CLI installed, creating and pushing is one command:

gh repo create my-project --public --source=. --push

Without the CLI, create the repo on GitHub first, then add the remote manually:

git remote add origin git@github.com:your-username/my-project.git
git push -u origin main

Your project now has a clean foundation: version control, a sensible ignore list, documentation, and a license. Everything else builds on top of this.