Using Git with GeoLab#
Git is a broadly used version control system that is included in all GeoLab images. The git toolkit provides users with a powerful open-source development tool to collaborate on various projects together.
If you want to utilize repositories maintained on a different platform (GitHub, for example) you can simply clone them into your GeoLab account. However, it is expected that each users will need to manage the repositories they clone to prevent any issues. Per the Acceptable Use Policy, the GeoLab administrators are not responsible for any issues that may arise during repository management.
To avoid complications, it is highly advisable that you avoid any nested cloning of repositories (ie, don’t clone a repository within another repository) and to use a single directory to clone all repositories of interest (/home/jovyan/ is a fine choice).
Learning Git#
There are many, many resources for learning to use git. While GeoLab does have an integrated git dashboard on the left sidebar, we recommend learning the git CLI (command line interface) so your learning is portable to any future compute environments you might find yourself in. Once you understand git on the command line, using any version of a git GUI is an easy transition.
Some git resources we love: Why Git? Illustrated Happy Git - Though the title of this article implies it is for RStudio, very little of the content is R-specific. We think it’s a fantastic resource for all git learners. Free Code Camp