How to Upload a Starter Files Repository to Your Personal Github

May 16, 2018

Short and Sweet

$ git clone <someone-elses-repo-url>
$ git remote remove origin
$ git remote add origin <your-new-repo-url>
$ git push -u origin master

Step 1: Download the Starter Files

Let’s say you forgot to fork the repo on GitHub and have downloaded a starter files repo via git clone. You could go back and start over with a fork but we’re here now so let’s move forward.

Step 2: Change Your Remote Settings in Git

Github will tell you to git remote add origin <your-repo-url>. So you’ll do this and try to git push only to realize you’re still trying to push to the original owner’s repo. What’s needed here is a git remote remove origin followed by git remote add origin <repo-name>. That first part will start you off fresh.

Step 3: Upload to Github

Now you can git push. Github will ask for your login credentials and you’ll now have the starter files safe and available on GitHub.