What is it?

gh is GitHub’s official command-line tool designed to extend Git’s functionality with GitHub-specific features.

Purpose:

Simplifies interaction with GitHub’s ecosystem directly from the terminal. Allows you to manage repositories and use GitHub features like issues, pull requests, and workflows.

Key Features:

GitHub-specific tasks:

  • Authentication: Easier login (gh auth login) without dealing with tokens manually.
  • Repository Management: Create, fork, or clone repositories.
  • Issues & Pull Requests: Manage issues, PRs, and comments directly.
  • Actions: Manage and view GitHub Actions workflows.
  • Works alongside Git for basic version control tasks.

Use Case:

Best for developers heavily using GitHub and its features (for example: pull requests, issues, and actions).

How it works

  • Install gh:

      > yay -S github-cli

  • Verify the installation:

      > gh --version

  • Login with GitHub CLI (gh)

      > gh auth login

  • Follow the interactive prompts to log in:

    • Choose HTTPS or SSH for connection.
    • Log in via a browser using a one-time code or SSH keys.

  • Verify authentication:

      > gh auth status

What’s best about it that you can install and use both Git and gh (GitHub CLI) seamlessly. Here’s how to set them up:

  • Install Git

      >sudo pacman -S git

  • Check the installation:

      > git --version

Using Git and gh Together

You can now: Use Git for version control:

> git clone https://github.com/username/repo.git
> git add .
> git commit -m "message"
> git push