How to Fork a Repository Using GitHub Desktop

Edited 3 weeks ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team

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GitHub is an increasingly popular platform used by developers to host, share, and manage projects. With its easy-to-use interface and many features, GitHub provides an ideal repository for developers who want to contribute to open-source projects or collaborate with other developers. One of GitHub's many useful features is the ability to 'fork' a repository. A 'fork' is essentially a personal copy of someone else's project that lives on your GitHub account. You can modify it without affecting the original project. This guide will walk you through the comprehensive process of forking a repository using GitHub Desktop, GitHub's desktop client that simplifies interaction with GitHub repositories.

Understanding forks and GitHub Desktop

Before diving into the step-by-step process, it is essential to understand what it means to fork a repository. When you fork a repository, you are creating a copy of it on your GitHub account. This allows you to experiment with changes without affecting the source repository. Forking is very useful for open-source contributors, allowing them to work independently on proposed changes, and when they are ready, they can send a pull request to have their changes reviewed and possibly integrated into the original repository.

GitHub Desktop is an application that provides a visual interface for working with repositories on GitHub. It simplifies fork, clone, and commit operations by providing an intuitive UI. The tool is available for both Windows and macOS, and it facilitates the process of managing repositories without relying solely on command-line operations.

Steps to fork a repository using GitHub Desktop

In the following sections, we will discuss the steps required to fork a repository using GitHub Desktop. A mandatory condition is that you must have a GitHub account, and GitHub Desktop must be installed on your computer. Let’s get started!

Step 1: Sign in to your GitHub account

To start forking a repository, you need to make sure you're signed in to your GitHub account. If you don't have an account, you can quickly create one by visiting the GitHub sign-up page. Once you've got your account, download and install GitHub Desktop from the official GitHub Desktop website. After installation, open GitHub Desktop and sign in with your GitHub credentials.

Step 2: Find the repository you want to fork

Now, open your web browser and go to the GitHub website. Browse the projects and identify the repository you want to fork. If you have a specific project in mind, use the search bar to quickly find it by its repository name or its owner. Clicking on the repository name will take you to its main page, where you will find detailed information about the project, including the README file, issues, pull requests, branches, and contributors.

Step 3: Fork the repository

On the repository's main page, find the "Fork" button located in the upper-right corner of the page. Clicking the Fork button creates a copy of the repository in your GitHub account. You will be redirected to your copy of the repository, indicating that the fork was successful. The repository is now part of your account, and you have the freedom to make changes to it. You will also see an indication on your forked repository's page that it is a fork of the original repository.

Step 4: Open GitHub Desktop

Once the repository is successfully forked, the next step is to clone the forked repository to your local machine using GitHub Desktop, allowing you to work on this codebase from your computer. Open GitHub Desktop on your computer. You should be signed in automatically; if not, please ensure you log in with your GitHub credentials.

Step 5: Clone the forked repository

In GitHub Desktop, click “File” in the menu bar and select “Clone Repository…” This action will open a prompt where you can find the repository associated with your GitHub account. In the pop-up window, you will see tabs labeled “GitHub.com,” “Enterprise,” and “URL.” To find your forked repository, stay on the “GitHub.com” tab.

You will see a list of repositories present in your GitHub account. Look for the newly forked repository from this list. Once you find it, select it to preview the details, then click the "Clone button" at the bottom right of the window. You may be asked to select a file path or location on your local machine where you want to clone this repository. Select an appropriate local directory and confirm the clone operation. By cloning the forked repository, you are downloading all files and data to your local machine, allowing you to work on it offline.

Step 6: Committing changes to the local repository

With the forked repository cloned on your local machine, you can now start making modifications without affecting the original repository. You can open the folder from your code editor or integrated development environment (IDE), such as Visual Studio Code, Sublime Text, Atom, or any other environment you are comfortable with.

Make the necessary changes to the files in your local repository. This may include editing the code, adding new files, fixing bugs, or implementing new features. Since the local version is a clone of your fork, you have complete freedom to test and implement the changes before sharing it back.

Step 7: Commit your changes

After making modifications to your local copy, it's time to save these changes. In Git parlance, saving changes is called "committing." Go back to GitHub Desktop and view the current repository if it's not already open. In the left panel, you'll see a list of files you've modified labeled "Uncommitted Changes."

Select the changes you want to commit, and in the "Summary" field, provide a brief description of what you modified. Giving your commit messages a clear and meaningful message helps other developers understand why these changes were made. Add any additional details or context in the "Description" field if needed. When ready, click the "Commit to main" button. Doing so saves your changes to your local repository, but does not send them to your remote GitHub fork yet.

Step 8: Commit the changes to GitHub

After a successful commit, the next step involves pushing these changes to your forked repository on GitHub. Locate the “Push Origin” button in GitHub Desktop – usually found at the top of the application window – and click on it to send the locally committed changes from the local main branch to the remote repository.

Pushing changes ensures that your forked repository on GitHub is up to date with all the developments you've made locally. At this point, your forked version of the repository is updated with your latest changes.

Step 9: Create the Pull Request

After you push your changes to your forked repository, you may want to contribute these changes back to the original repository if appropriate. This process is called creating a "pull request." Go back to the GitHub web page where your forked repository lives. Look for a button or link that suggests you compare changes or create a pull request.

Click to open the pull request page, where GitHub shows a comparison of changes between your fork and the original repository. Make sure the edits you make are correct and follow the original repository's contribution guidelines. Provide a meaningful and descriptive title for your pull request, with a detailed description of all the changes made and any additional context that would be beneficial to reviewers.

Submitting a pull request notifies the maintainers of the original repository, giving them the option to view your changes, review them, provide feedback, or merge them with their codebase. This is a vital part of contributing to open-source software, allowing for collaborative improvements of code projects.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have successfully learned how to fork a repository using GitHub Desktop. Forking, cloning, making changes, committing, pushing, and introducing those changes via pull requests are fundamental in collaborative software development. This workflow facilitates experimentation, contributions, and improvements to the codebase. Whether you plan to make regular contributions or just want to play around with the code freely, you will now feel more equipped to dive into the vast world of projects hosted on GitHub.

Always make sure to follow the guidelines set by the repository you are contributing to, as they may have specific workflows or coding styles they expect contributors to follow. Good practices, respectful communication, and active participation help create a welcoming open-source community. Happy coding!

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