Part 1: Installing GitHub Desktop
You can install GitHub Desktop on any supported operating system. For more information, see Supported operating systems for GitHub Desktop.
To install GitHub Desktop, navigate to https://desktop.github.com/ and download the appropriate version of GitHub Desktop for your operating system. Follow the prompts to complete the installation. For more information, see Installing GitHub Desktop.
Part 2: Configuring your account
If you have an account on GitHub or GitHub Enterprise, you can use GitHub Desktop to exchange data between your local and remote repositories.
Creating an account
If you do not already have an account on GitHub, create one now. For more information, see Creating an account on GitHub.
If you're part of an organization that uses Enterprise Managed Users and you do not have an account, contact your enterprise administrator.
Authenticating to GitHub
To connect to GitHub Desktop with GitHub, you'll need to authenticate your account. For more information, see Authenticating to GitHub in GitHub Desktop.
After authenticating your account, you are ready to manage and contribute to projects with GitHub Desktop.
Part 3: Configuring Git
You must have Git installed before using GitHub Desktop. If you do not already have Git installed, you can download and install the latest version of Git from https://git-scm.com/downloads.
After you have Git installed, you'll need to configure Git for GitHub Desktop. For more information, see Configuring Git for GitHub Desktop.
Part 4: Customizing GitHub Desktop
You can adjust defaults and settings to tailor GitHub Desktop to your needs.
Choosing a default text editor
You can open a text editor from GitHub Desktop to manipulate files and repositories. GitHub Desktop supports a variety of text editors and integrated development environments (IDEs) for Windows and macOS. You can choose a default editor in the GitHub Desktop settings. For more information, see Configuring a default editor in GitHub Desktop.
Choosing a theme
GitHub Desktop has multiple themes available to customize the look and feel of the app. You can choose a theme in the GitHub Desktop settings. For more information, see Setting a theme for GitHub Desktop.