1.2. Git vs. GitHub: Two Different Layers
People say "push it to Git" and "clone it from GitHub" almost interchangeably, and that habit hides an important distinction the exam will test directly.
💡 First Principle: Git and GitHub solve two different problems that happen to be used together constantly. Git is the version control engine — a program that runs on your own computer and tracks changes to files over time, entirely independent of any server. GitHub is a hosting platform built around Git — it stores copies of Git repositories in the cloud and layers collaboration tools on top: pull requests, issues, code review, permissions, and automation.
You could use Git for the rest of your career and never touch GitHub — plenty of developers do, syncing to a private server or working entirely locally. What GitHub adds isn't version control itself; it's a shared, always-available place to host that history and the workflow tools that make working with other people on it practical.
| Git | GitHub | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Version control software | Cloud hosting platform for Git repositories |
| Where it runs | Your local machine | Microsoft-hosted servers (github.com) |
| Needs internet? | No, for most operations | Yes, to reach the hosted repository |
| Adds | Commits, branches, history, diffing | Pull requests, issues, Actions, permissions, Copilot |
⚠️ Exam Trap: Git and GitHub are not the same product, and questions that describe a purely local action (like viewing commit history or creating a branch) are testing Git, not GitHub — even if the repository in question happens to live on GitHub.
Reflection Question: Could you make a commit, view your file history, and create a new branch with no internet connection at all? Why or why not?
