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Fork an existing repository from GitHub, clone it locally, make some changes, and create a pull request to the original repository.

Fork an existing repository from GitHub, clone it locally, make some changes, and create a pull request to the original repository.

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Vaibhav Parekh
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2 min read

Here's a step-by-step guide to fork an existing GitHub repository, clone it locally, make changes, and create a pull request to the original repository.

Step 1: Fork the Repository

  1. Go to the GitHub page of the repository you want to fork.

  2. Click the Fork button in the upper right corner. This creates a copy of the repository under your GitHub account.

Step 2: Clone the Forked Repository

  1. Open your terminal or command prompt.

  2. Clone your forked repository using the following command (replace USERNAME with your GitHub username and REPOSITORY_NAME with the name of the repository):

     git clone https://github.com/USERNAME/REPOSITORY_NAME.git

  3. Change into the cloned directory:

     cd REPOSITORY_NAME

Step 3: Create a New Branch

  1. It's a good practice to create a new branch for your changes:

     git checkout -b feature-branch

Step 4: Make Changes

  1. Open a file in your text editor, make some changes, and save the file.

  2. For example, you can edit the README.md file to add a new section or modify existing content.

Step 5: Stage and Commit Your Changes

  1. Stage your changes:

     git add README.md

  2. Commit your changes with a meaningful message:

     git commit -m "Update README with new information"

Step 6: Push the Changes to Your Fork

  1. Push your changes to the forked repository:

     git push origin feature-branch

Step 7: Create a Pull Request

  1. Go to the original repository on GitHub (the one you forked from).

  2. You should see a message indicating that you recently pushed a branch to your fork. Click on the Compare & pull request button.

  3. Fill out the pull request form, providing a title and description for your changes.

  4. Click the Create pull request button.

Summary

You've successfully forked a repository, cloned it locally, made changes, pushed those changes to your fork, and created a pull request to the original repository. If you have any questions or encounter issues, feel free to ask!

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