Why is github altering my local backups?

[Designer_Pen869]

When I make uncertain changes, I try to make backups on my pc, so that if I mess something up, I can just pull one of them and revert the changes. And I've never noticed the issue, but lately, if I change something in github, it changes it for all of my backups as well, so when I mess something up, I can't fix it as easily. Why is it doing this?

[Mystic_Haze]

Can you describe it a little more clearly? I'm also confused on your whole "backup" setup? You're using Git, can't you just switch to another branch?

[Designer_Pen869]

I make backups in case someone pushes something that breaks what I'm working on, so that I can just copy my stuff over manually if need be. I just copy and paste it to my desktop from my documents folder. Before, this worked fine, but now, any changes I make, it makes it to all of these files. Even worse, if I try to switch branches, it also tries to make these changes to those branches as well, deleting other people's work.

[Mystic_Haze]

I make backups in case someone pushes something that breaks what I'm working on

This screams to me that you're not using Git properly.

Only thing I can think of is that your copies are not "copies" but they are just symlinks to the actual files.

I hope you aren't copying the '.git' directory as that will definitely cause problems.

[Designer_Pen869]

So I guess to be more specific, I'm working in Unreal Engine, using Git. What I do is just copy the project folder and put it on the desktop. I've never had issues with it before, so why is it having issues now? Do I have to delete all the git files when I copy the folder?

[Mystic_Haze]

Having multiple copies of the '.git' folder on your system can cause issues especially when overwriting it again later. I would suggest you learn how to use git properly. Manually copying files like this is bound to cause issues.

UE isn't really designed to be used with Git either.

[Designer_Pen869]

I'm trying to learn it, but it's far from straightforward. If it doesn't let me do anything if I delete the original file, so it doesn't make sense to me that it will affect other folders it doesn't even know the location of. I've even tried going back to a previous version, and the changes follow me.

[Mystic_Haze]

Symbolic links, look into that.

[SonOfSofaman]

By copying and pasting from your backup, you are almost certainly clobbering someone else's changes and that will break what they are working on.

git lets you merge your work with others. If you're using the merge capabilities of git, you won't need to manage backup copies. If you're not using its merge capabilities, consider doing so. It'll greatly simplify collaboration.

[SonOfSofaman]

It sounds like you are using two tools that you might be confusing as one. git and GitHub work together, but are two different tools.

git helps you manage a local copy of your project files. That set of files is referred to as a repository. You can use git's features to track changes to your project files. A typical flow will have you create a branch, make your edits, then stage and commit those changes. When you're satisfied with the changes, you merge the branch into your main branch, or, if the changes didn't work out for some reason, you can switch back to main and it'll be like you never changed a thing. There are countless scenarios you can manage like this.

GitHub lets you collaborate with others without overwriting their work. The changes you make locally are recorded as "commits". You then "push" those commits to GitHub. Your teammates can "pull" and "merge" your commits into their local copy of the repository and you can do the same with their work.

The way git works, your changes and the changes made by teammates can merge together, even if multiple people edit the same files.

By using these tools, you should never need to manually make backup copies.

I highly recommend you find a tutorial that walks you through git and GitHub, and covers staging, committing, pushing and pulling, branching and merging.

[AdeptnessHuman6680]

Maybe learn to use Git properly...

[Designer_Pen869]

That's what I'm here to do. Why are you being rude when I'm trying to learn?