Git & GitHub Crash Course: Create a Repository From Scratch! (Udemy.com)
Learn how to create a Git repository, clone it, make changes, and submit changes to GitHub in less than 30 minutes.
Created by: Kalob Taulien
Last updated October 2025
Our take
Based on the ratings of 17,700 students, a sample of their written reviews and the syllabus, as the course stood in October 2025. No course pays to be reviewed.
Kalob Taulien's free crash course does one thing: it walks a web developer through creating a GitHub repository, cloning it, adding files, committing, and pushing, all from the command line. Twelve lectures, 39 minutes of video, one section. It's aimed at people who have heard of Git but never used it, and reviewers confirm that's exactly who gets the most out of it. Anyone who already runs git commands daily will find nothing new here. It was refreshed in October 2025, though a few GitHub screens still look older than that.
Students praise the clarity. Reviewers say he keeps each lesson short, shows every command on screen in real time, and explains why as well as how, so it's easy to follow along with a terminal open. Two reviewers who had bounced off Git elsewhere say this was the one that finally clicked. The complaints are mild. It's recorded on a Mac, and Windows users ask for their own walkthrough. Some GitHub screens are dated. And one three-star review calls it extremely basic, which is fair: the syllabus doesn't list branching, merging, or pull requests.
Value is hard to argue with, because it's free and about 40 minutes. The instructor himself pitches it as a taster before paying for an eight-hour course, and the others on our Git list, like The Git & Github Bootcamp and Git Complete, are the places to look next. Take this one first, and if the command line stops feeling scary, move on to one of those. Rated 4.5 by roughly 17,700 reviewers with over 277,000 enrolled, it's an easy recommendation for a first afternoon with Git.
Pros
- Free, and the whole thing fits in under 40 minutes across 12 short lectures
- Every command is typed live on screen, so reviewers can follow along in their own terminal
- Explains the vocabulary (clone, stage, commit, push, diff) before using it
- Refreshed in October 2025 and still rated 4.5 by about 17,700 students
Cons
- Recorded on a Mac; two reviewers ask for a version showing a Windows setup
- Stops at push and diff; branching, merging and pull requests aren't on the syllabus, and one reviewer calls it too basic
- Some GitHub screenshots are dated since the site has changed its interface
I really appreciate that the instructor gives clear instructions and keeps each lesson short while still covering the basics.
Genuinely beginner. You need a computer and a terminal, nothing else; no prior Git or GitHub experience is assumed.
What you will learn
- Create your first repository
- Clone it to your computer and add files
- Push your changes to GitHub
- Learn how to see differences between old and new files
- Learn how to do all of this on the command line, as if you were deploying code on a live server!
Course content
1 section · 12 lectures · 39 min of video 1 quiz, 3 articles
- 1Introduction 2 free previews12 lectures · 1 quiz · 39 min
Who it is for
The instructor says it suits
- Web developers who aren't sure how to use Git or GitHub, or web developers who have heard about Git and GitHub but don't know where to start
What you need before you start
- You only need your computer, we'll tackle the rest together!
- You do NOT need any special or expensive software
Quality Score
No CourseDuck member has rated this course yet. Taken it? Give each part a thumbs up or down.
Overall Score : 90 / 100
Course Description
Welcome to the 30 minute free Git and GitHub crash course!
Employers and developers everywhere are using Git. This is why you should learn it (and also because it's powerful and a really cool tool!)
Git is a powerful (and VERY popular) versioning tool for web developers. But it's hard to get started because there's a lot to know and everyone assumes you already know the basics.
Looking for a short course on Git?
Looking for a short course on GitHub?
Then this is the course you're looking for!
This course is perfect for a web developers who's next step is to learn Git and GitHub.
The core of this course is less than 30 minutes, and you'll learn:
How to create a repository
How to copy it to your computer
How to add files to your repository
How to send the changes to GitHub
Plus you'll learn:
Git fundamentals, and
GitHub fundamentals
You'll also learn the terminology that developers use, like: cloning, staging, committing, pushing and diff. And you'll learn WHY Git is so popular and HOW it's powerful. And we'll be using GitHub which is the Git-service brand name.
Not sure if you should pay for an 8 hour course on Git? Take this course first to get your feet wet.
P.S. You'll learn how to do all this through your command line... because one day you'll be deploying code on a server and you'll need to use the command line, it's the only way! This course will set you up for success! ;)
Instructor Details
- 4.5 Rating
17,700 Reviews
Kalob Taulien
He is a professional web developer who's been developing websites and working with startups since 1999. He also has a broad set of skills in software, web development, and information technology.
Teaching over 450,000 students on Udemy alone, he's helped hundreds of thousands of people learn web development. From zero to hero and novice to ninja, he's considered a top teacher by thousands. With so much experience, why not give his experience and knowledge to others so they can fulfill their dreams?
The passion to learn and to share his knowledge by teaching and helping others is something that drives him. It's a passion he's had since he was born. Kalob's ability to turn complex programming concepts into easy-to-understands bits of knowledge has been called his "superpower".
Throughout the years, Kalob has built hundreds, if not thousands, of websites, and has created multiple companies from his ideas and software. He also provides one-on-one coaching and startup consulting to new organizations.
Teaching isn't an option in Kalob's life, but a moral obligation to pass on knowledge to others.
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Reviews
By Loretta Andrade on 8/26/2026
I have heard about GitHub and GitLab. However, do not know whether both are the same or are they different? I am from an Administrative, HR and Business Operations background, and yes I'm tech savvy. Nonetheless, if you could guide me on how I could go about understanding the difference and what is GitHub and GitLab used for, I would like to use the same for my data or repository? I want to know if I can also use it as my personal website (?) or as my personal blog page? Thank you in advance for your time to respond, and I think you are doing great in tetting people to learn. Kind regards Loretta Andrade loretta.andrade@gmail.com
By Cassandra Pitassi on 8/14/2026
I'm taking this course as a review. I really appreciate that the instructor gives clear instructions and keeps each lesson short while still covering the basics. He has created a very hands-on feel, so I can apply the lessons immediately as I follow right along with him. Although some screens are a bit dated, as GitHub has made some UI updates since its creation, I'm still finding this course very helpful. The core lessons have been a great review, and it's just good practice to know why and how to do things "the long way" via the command line. Thank you, Kalob!
By Molli Sowjanya on 7/12/2026
This course was very helpful for me. Before taking it, I had very little knowledge of Git and GitHub. The instructor explained every concept clearly with practical examples. I learned how to create repositories, clone projects, stage and commit changes, use branches, and push code to GitHub. The hands-on exercises made it easy to understand. I now feel much more confident using Git in my projects. I would definitely recommend this course to beginners.
By Λ Λ D H Λ V Λ N on 7/10/2026
using git felt like putting a hand through a bush.. didn't know where to start... i am so lucky to find this course for free on udemy.. and this guy teaches it soo clearly... am soo hyped to finish this course!!
By Sasidharan Selvam on 5/29/2026
So far, I’m really enjoying the courses and the technical insights being shared, especially from the GitHub perspective. It has been an awesome and valuable learning experience for me. Although I had some basic knowledge of GitHub earlier, learning it again from scratch is helping me a lot in understanding things more clearly and practically.
By KM Ahmed on 5/23/2026
This course delivered what I was expecting. It presents what I need to learn in half an hour. A few suggestions. Add resources and list the command you use in the course. Add one more topic to your list: Git also works locally on the developer's computer; just add this as well.
By najd .D.A on 5/22/2026
He is so cool, I’ve always wanted to learn github even though i had it as a college subject I still didn’t get it, but this course teach me a lot and I think I really understood how to use github im grateful for the tutor for this course I really appreciate how well made and how he is so fond of his work
By Veeresh Surabhi on 5/11/2026
Yeah its a good course. But adding couple of GUI based classes would have been bit easier for new folks
By Manish Kumar Patnaik on 5/2/2026
It was a good beginner course. However, could have been better if it could have a graphic structure in terms of how each command clones, stages, commits and pushes the files in the structure to visually explain it
By Daniel Covello on 3/11/2026
I had a lot of issues with security & tried to use MS Copilot to troubleshoot. Then, I wound up restarting the course but copied & pasted the stuff listed on the github repository that helped me get caught up quickly in lesson 6. I still have some windows core credential stuff to clean up. I'd like to join the facebook group. Need to learn this after messing up robotics ROS2 course.












