My First GitHub Project: From a Local Folder to GitHub Using Git and SSH

Nyambura Thuita — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 22:15:01 +0000

Creating SSH key

At first I confirmed that my Github username and email were associated with Git.

The commands:
github config --global user.name github config --global user.email

To generate the SSH key I ran:
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "my email"

The command:
cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Profile-Settings-Access-SSH and GPG key- New SSH key
Then:

Add Title, Key type(Authentication key) and Paste the entire SSH key, Click Add SSH key.

On Git Bash ran:
ssh -T git@github.com

The correct output should be that I have been successfully authenticated with my GitHub account

cd Desktop - navigate to desktop
mkdir 'Kenyan Health Records Analysis'- create this folder on desktop
cd Kenyan Health Records Analysis- navigate into this folder
touch README.md- create a README file
mkdir data- create this folder within the Kenyan Health Records Analysis folder
Copy the csv file into the data folder.
nano README.md - open the README file so as to edit it directly in GitBash. save and exit the file.
git init- initialize a Git repo.
git status- shows the current status of the files
git add .- stage all files/ changes for the next commit
git commit -m "First commit on health records" - commits all files created to the repo.
Create a new repo on Github page and copy the SSH link.
git remote add origin "ssh link of the new repo on the GitHub page"
git push -u origin main - pushes all files into the repo