FAQ

Common questions about GitHub and the collaborative workflow. Each answer links to the page where the topic is covered in full.

What is the difference between Git and GitHub?

Git is the version-control tool that runs on your computer; GitHub is a website that hosts Git repositories and adds collaboration features (pull requests, issues, Actions, Pages). You can use Git with no GitHub; GitHub always uses Git underneath. See What is GitHub.

Do I have to pay to use GitHub?

No. A free account covers everything in this guide: public and private repositories, unlimited collaborators, GitHub Actions and GitHub Pages. Paid plans add higher limits and organisation features you will not need here.

When do I create a branch and when do I fork?

If you have write access to the repository (your own or your team's), create a branch. If you do not (someone else's public repository), fork it — make your own copy — then open a pull request back to the original. See Workflow § Branch or fork.

What is a pull request, exactly?

A proposal to merge one branch into another, with a diff, a description and a discussion attached. It is where review and the automated checks happen before code reaches main. See Workflow § Pull request.

What is the difference between an issue and a pull request?

An issue describes something to do or fix — it is a conversation, no code. A pull request proposes an actual change and carries a diff. A PR can say Closes #12 to auto-close the issue it resolves when merged. See First steps § Issues and pull requests.

Git asks for a password when I push, but my GitHub password is rejected. Why?

GitHub stopped accepting account passwords for Git operations. Push over HTTPS with a Personal Access Token in place of the password, or set up an SSH key. See First steps § Create an account.

What does the green Verified badge on a commit mean?

That the commit was cryptographically signed with a key GitHub associates with the author, so its authorship can be trusted. Configure it with GPG or SSH signing. See Workflow § Commit signing.

What are GitHub Actions?

Automation that runs on GitHub's servers when an event happens (a push, a pull request). This repository uses them to run tests, check spelling and build the documentation automatically. See GitHub Actions.

A check on my pull request is red. What do I do?

Open the failing check in the Actions tab and read its log — it names exactly what failed. Every check is a command you can run locally (pytest, mkdocs build --strict, codespell); fix the problem, push again, and the check re-runs. See GitHub Actions.

Why can't I push directly to main?

Because the repository has a ruleset protecting it: changes must go through a reviewed pull request. This is deliberate — it keeps main from breaking. See Repository configuration.

How is this documentation website published?

A workflow builds the MkDocs site and pushes it to the gh-pages branch, which GitHub Pages serves at https://jparisu.github.io/nlp-esperantilo/. Pull requests also get a temporary preview site. See GitHub Pages.

I opened a pull request but there is no preview link. Why?

Most likely the pull request comes from a fork, which runs with a read-only token and cannot publish a preview. The documentation is still built and checked; it just gets no URL. See GitHub Pages § Previewing a pull request.