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This version of GitHub Enterprise was discontinued on 2022-10-12. No patch releases will be made, even for critical security issues. For better performance, improved security, and new features, upgrade to the latest version of GitHub Enterprise. For help with the upgrade, contact GitHub Enterprise support.

Adding locally hosted code to GitHub

Learn how to add existing source code or repositories to GitHub Enterprise Server from the command line using GitHub CLI or Git Commands. Then, share your code and invite others to work with you.

About adding existing source code to GitHub Enterprise Server

If you have existing source code or repositories stored locally on your computer or private network you can add them to GitHub Enterprise Server by typing commands in a terminal. You can do this by typing Git commands directly, or by using GitHub CLI.

GitHub CLI is an open source tool for using GitHub from your computer's command line. GitHub CLI can simplify the process of adding an existing project to GitHub Enterprise Server using the command line. To learn more about GitHub CLI, see "About GitHub CLI."

Tip: If you're most comfortable with a point-and-click user interface, try adding your project with GitHub Desktop. For more information, see "Adding a repository from your local computer to GitHub Desktop" in the GitHub Desktop Help.

Warning: Never git add, commit, or push sensitive information to a remote repository. Sensitive information can include, but is not limited to:

  • Passwords
  • SSH keys
  • AWS access keys
  • API keys
  • Credit card numbers
  • PIN numbers

For more information, see "Removing sensitive data from a repository."

Adding a local repository to GitHub Enterprise Server with GitHub CLI

  1. In the command line, navigate to the root directory of your project.

  2. Initialize the local directory as a Git repository.

    git init -b main
  3. Stage and commit all the files in your project.

    git add . && git commit -m "initial commit"
  4. To create a repository for your project on GitHub, use the gh repo create subcommand. When prompted, select Push an existing local repository to GitHub and enter the desired name for your repository. If you want your project to belong to an organization instead of your user account, specify the organization name and project name with organization-name/project-name.

  5. Follow the interactive prompts. To add the remote and push the repository, confirm yes when asked to add the remote and push the commits to the current branch.

  6. Alternatively, to skip all the prompts, supply the path to the repository with the --source flag and pass a visibility flag (--public, --private, or --internal). For example, gh repo create --source=. --public. Specify a remote with the --remote flag. To push your commits, pass the --push flag. For more information about possible arguments, see the GitHub CLI manual.

Adding a local repository to GitHub Enterprise Server using Git

Further reading