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Using source control in your codespace

In this article

After making changes to a file in your codespace you can quickly commit the changes and push your update to the remote repository.

Note: Using GitHub Codespaces with JetBrains IDEs is currently in public beta and is subject to change.

About source control in GitHub Codespaces

You can perform all the Git actions you need directly within your codespace. For example, you can fetch changes from a remote repository, switch branches, create a new branch, commit and push changes, and create a pull request. You can use the integrated terminal within your codespace to enter Git commands, or you can click icons and menu options to complete all the most common Git tasks. This guide explains how to use the graphical user interface for source control.

For more information about Git support in Visual Studio Code, see "Using Version Control in VS Code" in the Visual Studio Code documentation.

Source control in the Visual Studio Code web client uses the same workflow as the Visual Studio Code desktop application. For more information, see "Using Version Control in VS Code" in the Visual Studio Code documentation.

A typical workflow for updating a file using GitHub Codespaces would be:

  • From the default branch of your repository on GitHub, create a codespace. See "Creating a codespace for a repository."
  • In your codespace, create a new branch to work on.
  • Make your changes and save them.
  • Commit the change.
  • Raise a pull request.

About automatic forking

You can create a codespace for any repository to which you have write access. If you only have read access to a repository, you can create a codespace for the repository as long as you can fork it.

You do not need to fork the repository before you create the codespace. For example, you can create a codespace from the repository to look at the project and make experimental changes, then delete the codespace if you no longer need it.

If you make a commit from the codespace, GitHub Codespaces either creates a fork of the repository under your account and links it to your codespace, or it links your codespace to an existing fork if you already have one for the repository. You can then push your changes to the fork and create a pull request to propose the changes to the upstream repository.

Note: If you delete your fork repository, then any codespaces linked to the fork are deleted, even if you originally created them from the upstream repository.

If you make a commit from the command line, you will see a prompt asking if you would like to proceed with linking your codespace to a new or existing fork. Enter y to proceed. If you commit changes from the Source Control view in VS Code, or from the navigation bar in a JetBrains IDE, your codespace is automatically linked to a fork without you being prompted.

When GitHub Codespaces creates a fork, or links your codespace to an existing fork, the following things happen.

  • The access token associated with your codespace is updated to include read and write permission to your fork, in addition to read permission to the upstream repository.
  • In your Git settings, the upstream repository is reassigned to the name upstream, and the fork is added as a new remote repository under the name origin.

By default, source control commands that you access from your editor's user interface, such as the Sync Changes button in VS Code, target your fork. If you're working from the command line, you can use origin to refer to your fork and upstream to refer to the upstream repository. For example, you can fetch changes from the upstream repository to ensure your codespace is up to date with the latest changes to the project.

$ git fetch upstream

When you have made some changes, you can push them to a feature branch of your fork.

$ git push origin my-feature-branch

For more information, see "About forks."

Publishing a codespace created from a template

When you create a codespace from a template repository or a template on the "Your codespaces" page, the work you do won't be stored in a repository on GitHub until you publish your codespace. For more information, see "Creating a codespace from a template."

If you're working in a codespace, you can publish it from the VS Code web client or desktop application.

  1. In the Activity Bar, click the Source Control view. Source control view

  2. To stage your changes, click + next to the file you've added or changed, or next to Changes if you've changed multiple files and you want to stage them all.

    Source control side bar with staging button highlighted

    Note: If you start from GitHub's blank template, you will not see a list of changes unless you have already initialized your directory as a Git repository. To publish codespaces created from the blank template, click Publish to GitHub in the Source Control view, then skip to step 5.

  3. To commit your staged changes, type a commit message describing the change you've made, then click Commit.

    Source control side bar with a commit message

  4. Click Publish Branch.

    Screenshot of the "Publish branch" button in VS Code

  5. In the "Repository Name" dropdown, type a name for your new repository, then select Publish to GitHub private repository or Publish to GitHub public repository.

    Screenshot of the "Repository Name" dropdown in VS Code

    The owner of the new repository will be the GitHub account with which you created the codespace.

  6. Optionally, in the pop-up that appears in the lower right corner of the editor, click Open on GitHub to view the new repository on GitHub.com.

    Screenshot of the "Open in GitHub" pop-up in VS Code

Creating or switching branches

  1. If the current branch is not shown in the status bar, at the bottom of your codespace, right-click the status bar and select Source control.
  2. Click the branch name in the status bar. The branch in the status bar
  3. In the drop-down, either click the branch you want to switch to, or enter the name for a new branch and click Create new branch. Choose from the branch menu

Tip: If someone has recently changed a file on the remote repository, in the branch you switched to, you may not see those changes until you pull the changes into your codespace.

Committing your changes

  1. In the Activity Bar, click the Source Control view. Source control view
  2. To stage your changes, click + next to the file you've changed, or next to Changes if you've changed multiple files and you want to stage them all. Source control sidebar with staging button highlighted
  3. Type a commit message describing the change you've made. Source control sidebar with a commit message
  4. To commit your staged changes, click the check mark at the top the source control sidebar. Click the check mark icon

Pulling changes from the remote repository

You can pull changes from the remote repository into your codespace at any time.

  1. In the Activity Bar, click the Source Control view. Source control view
  2. At the top of the sidebar, click the ellipsis (...). Ellipsis button for View and More Actions
  3. In the dropdown menu, click Pull.

If the dev container configuration has been changed since you created the codespace, you can apply the changes by rebuilding the container for the codespace. For more information, see "Introduction to dev containers."

Setting your codespace to automatically fetch new changes

You can set your codespace to automatically fetch details of any new commits that have been made to the remote repository. This allows you to see whether your local copy of the repository is out of date, in which case you may choose to pull in the new changes.

If the fetch operation detects new changes on the remote repository, you'll see the number of new commits in the status bar. You can then pull the changes into your local copy.

  1. Click the Manage button at the bottom of the Activity Bar. Manage button
  2. In the menu, click Settings.
  3. On the Settings page, search for: autofetch. Search for autofetch
  4. To fetch details of updates for all remotes registered for the current repository, set Git: Autofetch to all. Enable Git autofetch
  5. If you want to change the number of seconds between each automatic fetch, edit the value of Git: Autofetch Period.

Raising a pull request

  1. After you've committed changes to your local copy of the repository, click the Create Pull Request icon. Source control sidebar with staging button highlighted
  2. Check that the local branch and repository you're merging from, and the remote branch and repository you're merging into, are correct. Then give the pull request a title and a description. Source control sidebar with staging button highlighted
  3. Click Create.

Pushing changes to your remote repository

You can push changes you've saved and committed. This applies those changes to the upstream branch on the remote repository. You might want to do this if you're not yet ready to create a pull request, or if you prefer to create a pull request on GitHub.

  1. At the top of the sidebar, click the ellipsis (...). Ellipsis button for View and More Actions
  2. In the dropdown menu, click Push.

Publishing a codespace created from a template

When you create a codespace from a template repository or a template on the "Your codespaces" page, the work you do won't be stored in a repository on GitHub until you publish your codespace. For more information, see "Creating a codespace from a template."

If you're working in a codespace, you can publish it from the VS Code web client or desktop application.

  1. In the Activity Bar, click the Source Control view. Source control view

  2. To stage your changes, click + next to the file you've added or changed, or next to Changes if you've changed multiple files and you want to stage them all.

    Source control side bar with staging button highlighted

    Note: If you start from GitHub's blank template, you will not see a list of changes unless you have already initialized your directory as a Git repository. To publish codespaces created from the blank template, click Publish to GitHub in the Source Control view, then skip to step 5.

  3. To commit your staged changes, type a commit message describing the change you've made, then click Commit.

    Source control side bar with a commit message

  4. Click Publish Branch.

    Screenshot of the "Publish branch" button in VS Code

  5. In the "Repository Name" dropdown, type a name for your new repository, then select Publish to GitHub private repository or Publish to GitHub public repository.

    Screenshot of the "Repository Name" dropdown in VS Code

    The owner of the new repository will be the GitHub account with which you created the codespace.

  6. Optionally, in the pop-up that appears in the lower right corner of the editor, click Open on GitHub to view the new repository on GitHub.com.

    Screenshot of the "Open in GitHub" pop-up in VS Code

Creating or switching branches

  1. If the current branch is not shown in the status bar, at the bottom of your codespace, right-click the status bar and select Source control.
  2. Click the branch name in the status bar. The branch in the status bar
  3. In the drop-down, either click the branch you want to switch to, or enter the name for a new branch and click Create new branch. Choose from the branch menu

Tip: If someone has recently changed a file on the remote repository, in the branch you switched to, you may not see those changes until you pull the changes into your codespace.

Committing your changes

  1. In the Activity Bar, click the Source Control view. Source control view
  2. To stage your changes, click + next to the file you've changed, or next to Changes if you've changed multiple files and you want to stage them all. Source control sidebar with staging button highlighted
  3. Type a commit message describing the change you've made. Source control sidebar with a commit message
  4. To commit your staged changes, click the check mark at the top the source control sidebar. Click the check mark icon

Pulling changes from the remote repository

You can pull changes from the remote repository into your codespace at any time.

  1. In the Activity Bar, click the Source Control view. Source control view
  2. At the top of the sidebar, click the ellipsis (...). Ellipsis button for View and More Actions
  3. In the dropdown menu, click Pull.

If the dev container configuration has been changed since you created the codespace, you can apply the changes by rebuilding the container for the codespace. For more information, see "Introduction to dev containers."

Setting your codespace to automatically fetch new changes

You can set your codespace to automatically fetch details of any new commits that have been made to the remote repository. This allows you to see whether your local copy of the repository is out of date, in which case you may choose to pull in the new changes.

If the fetch operation detects new changes on the remote repository, you'll see the number of new commits in the status bar. You can then pull the changes into your local copy.

  1. Click the Manage button at the bottom of the Activity Bar. Manage button
  2. In the menu, click Settings.
  3. On the Settings page, search for: autofetch. Search for autofetch
  4. To fetch details of updates for all remotes registered for the current repository, set Git: Autofetch to all. Enable Git autofetch
  5. If you want to change the number of seconds between each automatic fetch, edit the value of Git: Autofetch Period.

Raising a pull request

  1. After you've committed changes to your local copy of the repository, click the Create Pull Request icon. Source control sidebar with staging button highlighted
  2. Check that the local branch and repository you're merging from, and the remote branch and repository you're merging into, are correct. Then give the pull request a title and a description. Source control sidebar with staging button highlighted
  3. Click Create.

Pushing changes to your remote repository

You can push changes you've saved and committed. This applies those changes to the upstream branch on the remote repository. You might want to do this if you're not yet ready to create a pull request, or if you prefer to create a pull request on GitHub.

  1. At the top of the sidebar, click the ellipsis (...). Ellipsis button for View and More Actions
  2. In the dropdown menu, click Push.

Creating or switching branches

  1. Click the branch name at the right side of the status bar.

    Screenshot of the branch name in the status bar

  2. In the pop-up menu, do one of the following:

    • To create a new branch based on the current branch, click the name of the current branch, then choose New Branch.

      Screenshot of the new branch option

      Enter a name for the new branch and click Create.

      Screenshot of the create branch dialog box

    • To check out an existing branch, start typing the name of the branch you want to check out. Click the branch from the list, then click Checkout.

      Screenshot of the checkout option

      Tip: If someone has recently changed a file on the remote repository, in the branch you switched to, you may not see those changes until you pull the changes into your codespace.

Committing your changes

  1. At the right side of the navigation bar, click the check mark.

    Screenshot of the commit check mark

  2. In the Commit Changes dialog box, enter a commit message.

  3. Click Commit.

    Alternatively, click the down arrow beside Commit and click Commit and Push.

    Screenshot of the commit and push button

Pulling changes from the remote repository

You can pull changes from the same branch on the remote repository and apply those changes to the copy of the repository you are working on in your codespace.

  1. At the right side of the navigation bar, click the downward pointing arrow.

    Screenshot of the update project downward arrow button

  2. In the Update Project dialog box, choose whether you want to merge or rebase the incoming changes.

    Screenshot of the Update Project dialog box

  3. Click OK.

Pushing changes to your remote repository

You can push changes you've saved and committed. This applies those changes to the upstream branch on the remote repository. You might want to do this if you're not yet ready to create a pull request, or if you prefer to create a pull request on GitHub.

  1. At the right side of the navigation bar, click the upward pointing arrow.

    Screenshot of the push commits upward arrow

  2. In the Push Commits dialog box, click Push.