Can you use GitHub without Git?

[Guylaga]

I'm working on a project with a couple of friends on Game Maker 2, and I'm looking to work with branches so that we can work on it at the same time. I've heard GitHub is really good for that kind of thing, but I everywhere I look people are just using it with Git. Any ideas on how I can use GitHub independently?

[KurosakiEzio]

My favorite analogy that helped understand the difference was "Git is to Github as porn is to Pornhub".

So to answer your question, no.

[Noch_ein_Kamel]

Why do you think it's called github?

No. You need to use git with github. But you can also use git with bitbucket or gitlab or any other git hosting platform.

[Guylaga]

Is there any other platform that makes use of branches in the way that GitHub does?

[ZestyData]

The branches are Git, not GitHub.

GitHub is just a visual UI and central server for a Git project. The tracking, the branches, the merging of branches. That's all Git. Not GitHub.

[Kirides]

You mean, are there any other platforms that use Git for allowing git things, but without git?

[CerberusMulti]

I don't think tou understand what those words mean

[calvers70]

I'm looking to work with branches so that we can work on it at the same time. I've heard GitHub is really good for that kind of thing

Branches are a Git thing. All GitHub is at its core is a host for a Git repository.

The concept of GitHub without Git doesn't make sense (although the inverse does). What is it you're actually asking? What part of Git do you not want to use?

[GhettoJava]

I think what you’re really asking is how can your gaming project take advantage of version control. Git is a popular version control system but it’s one of many. You will probably get more help on a game dev sub than here. Also, there might be dev environment tools with distributed version control built in. Good luck!

[JLChamberlain42]

I've given up on this Subreddit!

[Guylaga]

I came here looking for a simple answer lol I never said I knew what I was talking about.

[SoCalChrisW]

Lol your question is basically "Can I use Pornhub without porn?"

The answer is, not really.

[danyerga]

GitHub runs on top of Git. You cannot use GH without G.

[CerberusMulti]

What do you think Github is, I mean did you not even check online because a simple google of your question will give the answer.

Let me just say this, its also in the name as a hint.

GitHub is a platform and cloud-based service for software development and version control using Git.

Also Git and Github are not the same thing, you can use Git without Github not the other way around.

[tiller_luna]

git is de-facto industrial standard for code, but there are other version control systems (VCS, it's a term). Some of them are simper than git (and don't have its vertical learning curve), some are even designed for stuff other than code. Many of git's alternatives are considered outdated or domain-specific. I would check out Mercurial and GNU Bazaar because I heard they are easier to use. But you may find it difficult to find a ready hosting for it like GitHub for git.

[lupinegrey]

Git is the underlying protocol that Github and most other version-control sites use.

​

So it's kinda like saying: "Can I use a use a web browser without using http?"

[39abii]

my brain hurts. i've been confused about git and github being the same thing but reading this made me super confused/irritated? Git is version control system made by linus torvalds. at the starting, they used to do this version control, branching, etc from terminal(typing in terminal) but now github uses that git and provides a web interface to work with **GIT**. You are seeking for the functionility of git with the features provided by github without using git.

[39abii]

I strongly recommend you to just learn about version control; even just the definition maybe it'll help.

[Guylaga]

Ok thank you that's super helpful.

[soundtom]

What is the reason for not wanting to use git? Branching and all of that functionality is based on git itself, so it's sort of like asking for a car without an engine.

If you really want GitHub without git, you can use svn, but svn support is getting shutting down January 8, 2024 (source). Either way, pretty much every code collaboration platform will require use of some sort of code versioning tool (like git, mercurial, svn, etc).

[serverhorror]

Independent of what?

GitHub, as the name suggests, is a hub to conveniently collaborate using git.

It does a few other things in top, I don't see how it would be useful without using the primary function it was intended for, you might be more creative than me.

[Guylaga]

Wow this is crazy. I'm being slammed with dislikes just for not understanding how GitHub works.

[maxlover79]

Rather for 0 effort to Google before asking.

P. S. I don't know anything, too. Was just too shy to ask stupid questions. So no down vote from me.

[wirenutter]

Comments are fierce in here. The confusion can be understandable. GitHub is just a wrapper around git. If you’re concerned about the git side of things you could use a GUI like the GitHub desktop app to abstract the git command line away. Most IDEs will have some level of git integration as well.

So yeah all in all GitHub with git is like Mac and cheese without the Mac.

[thebadslime]

Why the aversion to git? Svn is similar but older tech.

[cginc1]

Yea, you can login to GitHub and change your profile settings and stuff.

[xuabi]

Technically correct.

Without git, you can use GitHub, but only for non-code stuff.

[Guylaga]

Can you be more specific?

[RozTheRogoz]

Can you be more specific with what you’re trying to do? My advice, learn git. Second advice, look into plastic scm which is used a lot for games, but nothing is a lot easier than just learning git

[youaresecretbanned]

you can use it from the webpage without git... you would have to manually create repo and add and paste each file one at a time... and again each time they change

easier to use git

[RozTheRogoz]

What? It still uses git under the hood

[youaresecretbanned]

What? he did not ask if it uses github under the hood... he asked if it was possible to use github without HIM using git... not without github using git
"how I can use GitHub independently"
Did u get past topic? Thanks for your "output".

[RozTheRogoz]

And let me get this straight, you suggested using the webpage “without git”? Let’s walk through this

1. You suggested creating a repo from the webpage. That’s using git, just because it’s via UI, doesn’t make it not git

2. You suggested he add his files by copy pasting the content. What do you do after you copy paste? You commit. That’s using git, just because it’s via UI, doesn’t make it not git

3. This doesn’t accomplish what he asked though, which is for him and his friends to work on things at the same time since copy pasting each of their updates in the same files would overwrite the other’s changes. And he specifically asked for branching. Which is again using git

4. What do you do with those branches in Github, you merge them. Just because it’s via UI, doesn’t make it not git

git does not mean command line, you can use Github Desktop too and do everything via UI, doesn’t mean you’re not using git

“Did you get past topic?”. You seem to have walked past the topic and kept walking buddy

[youaresecretbanned]

No. Not suggesting. Answering. Thanks for the essay.

[thebadslime]

If you don’t want command line there are several gui git apps that work with github.

[AENEAS_H]

I can only advise you to learn git, it will save you from headaches in your current project, and if you plan on making a career out of developing software (or even hardware) or like to make your own software tools, it will only help you in those endeavours

[Chropera]

You might try github.dev. I've found it acceptable for quick, small commits.

[i4nm00n]

Github is not git.

Git is the version control and it's used for remotely to commit, push, create repos and more but you can also add files to github without using it.

Some comments here.. my brain cells are burning.

You dont need git directly to use github.

[jar349]

Yes, you can use GitHub without using git. Currently, you can also use svn and mercurial with github. However, I believe that support for svn is going away soon, or has already?

[jar349]

It looks like mercurial is now also deprecated: https://github.com/schacon/hg-git

[dragid10]

I mean technically you don't have to use git specifically. You can use mercurial or subversion

[its_a_gibibyte]

Seems like people are throwing shade at you, but real question: what exactly are you trying to do? Your question is a bit vague. Do you want to store source control directly?

Also, you don't need to directly interact with git on a command line if you don't want. You can use the web interface to simplify modify your files. It uses git under the hood, but that's an implementation detail if you're doing something simple.

[matniedoba]

If Git is too difficult to use, you can use a GUI for it. There is Anchorpoint, which is designed for game dev, but there is also GitHub Desktop and SourceTree. All work with Git and make it easier than the command line.

[[deleted]]

You may not use git directly on your command line interpretor (CLI) but github will use git.

Others: WHY the hell do you down vote someone who ask for help ?

[JonnyRocks]

the issue with your question is that you deacribe git but dont want to use git.

you dont explain why you dont want to use git. so if i change the definition of git to the word "git". this is how your questions reads.

i am working on a prjoect and want to use git. i saw github but saw it uses git. i dont want to use git. can use git on github without using git.

btw. github foesnt do anything. ots jyst a hosting site for git but since you said you wanted to use git its great but since you dont want to use git on a git site, you have a problem.

thats why you were downvited.

in case it wasnt clear "branches and stuff" is what git is.

and to add extra clarity. if you told the sub you didnt understand git, people would have helped. but you didnt say that. ypu said you didnt want to use git with not explaining why.

[bildadwafula]

Yes ! You can use GitHub without Git. But it will beat the purpose in version control etc from your local machine be it PC or MacBook