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Overview

GitHub Desktop provides multiple ways to work with repositories, whether you’re cloning from GitHub, adding existing local repositories, or creating new ones from scratch.

Clone Repository

Clone repositories from GitHub, GitHub Enterprise, or any Git URL

Add Existing

Add repositories that already exist on your computer

Create New

Initialize new Git repositories with a single click

Multi-Repository

Manage multiple repositories and switch between them easily

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Cloning Repositories

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Clone from GitHub

GitHub Desktop integrates directly with your GitHub account to make cloning seamless:
1

Access Clone Dialog

Click File > Clone Repository or press Ctrl+Shift+O (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+O (macOS)
2

Select Repository

Choose from repositories you have access to:
  • Your repositories
  • Organization repositories
  • Repositories you’ve starred
3

Choose Location

Select the local path where the repository will be cloned
4

Clone

Click Clone to start the cloning process

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Clone from URL

Clone any Git repository using its URL:
1

Open URL Tab

In the Clone Repository dialog, click the URL tab
2

Enter URL

Paste the repository URL (supports HTTPS, SSH, and file:// protocols)
3

Set Local Path

Choose where to save the repository on your computer
4

Clone

Click Clone to begin downloading the repository
GitHub Desktop automatically clones repositories recursively, including all submodules with the --recursive flag.

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Clone Implementation Details

GitHub Desktop’s clone operation includes several advanced features: 
// From app/src/lib/git/clone.ts
export async function clone(
  url: string,
  path: string,
  options: CloneOptions,
  progressCallback?: (progress: ICloneProgress) => void
): Promise<void> {
  const defaultBranch = options.defaultBranch ?? (await getDefaultBranch())
  
  const args = [
    '-c',
    `init.defaultBranch=${defaultBranch}`,
    'clone',
    '--recursive',  // Automatically clone submodules
  ]
  
  if (options.branch) {
    args.push('-b', options.branch)
  }
  
  args.push('--', url, path)
  await git(args, __dirname, 'clone', opts)
}
Features:
  • Progress Tracking: Real-time progress updates during cloning
  • LFS Support: Automatically tracks Git LFS progress
  • Default Branch: Respects custom default branch names
  • Branch Selection: Clone specific branches with -b option
  • Submodules: Recursive submodule initialization

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Adding Existing Repositories

Add repositories that already exist on your local machine:
1

Open Add Dialog

Click File > Add Local Repository
2

Browse to Repository

Click Choose… and navigate to the repository folder
3

Verify Git Repository

GitHub Desktop verifies the folder contains a valid .git directory
4

Add Repository

Click Add Repository to add it to your repository list
The folder must contain a .git directory to be recognized as a Git repository. If it doesn’t, GitHub Desktop will offer to initialize it as a new repository.

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Creating New Repositories

Initialize a new Git repository from scratch:
1

Open Create Dialog

Click File > New Repository or press Ctrl+N (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+N (macOS)
2

Configure Repository

  • Name: Enter the repository name
  • Description: Add an optional description
  • Local Path: Choose where to create the repository
  • Git Ignore: Select a template for .gitignore
  • License: Choose an open-source license (optional)
3

Initialize

Click Create Repository to initialize the Git repository
4

Publish (Optional)

Optionally publish the repository to GitHub immediately

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Managing Multiple Repositories

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Switching Between Repositories

GitHub Desktop makes it easy to work with multiple repositories:
  • Click the Current Repository dropdown in the toolbar
  • Search or browse your repository list
  • Click a repository to switch to it
  • Use Ctrl+T (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+T (macOS) for quick switching

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Repository List Organization

Repositories are organized by:
  • Recent: Most recently accessed repositories appear first
  • Groups: Repositories can be grouped (GitHub.com, Enterprise, etc.)
  • Search: Filter repositories by name instantly

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Removing Repositories

Remove a repository from GitHub Desktop:
1

Right-Click Repository

Right-click the repository in the repository list
2

Select Remove

Click Remove from the context menu
3

Confirm

Choose whether to remove from the list only or delete from disk
Removing a repository from GitHub Desktop only removes it from the app’s repository list. To delete the repository files from your computer, you must explicitly choose the “Delete repository from disk” option.

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Repository State

GitHub Desktop maintains state for each repository:
  • Working Directory Status: Tracks file changes
  • Branch Information: Current branch and upstream tracking
  • Commit History: Local and remote commit history
  • Remote Configuration: Remote URLs and fetch settings
  • Stash Entries: Saved work-in-progress changes

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Opening in External Applications

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Open in File Manager

  • Windows: Right-click repository > Show in Explorer
  • macOS: Right-click repository > Show in Finder
  • Linux: Right-click repository > Show in File Manager

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Open in External Editor

Configure your preferred editor in Preferences > Integrations, then:
  • Click Repository > Open in [Editor]
  • Or press Ctrl+Shift+A (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+A (macOS)

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Open in Terminal

Open a terminal/command prompt in the repository directory:
  • Click Repository > Open in Terminal
  • Or press Ctrl+`` (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+“ (macOS)

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Repository Settings

Access repository-specific settings:
Configure remote URLs and fetch behavior:
  • Primary remote URL
  • Fork remotes for pull requests
  • Fetch interval settings
Repository-specific Git configuration:
  • User name and email for commits
  • Line ending preferences
  • Git LFS settings
Manage .gitignore patterns:
  • Edit .gitignore file
  • Add patterns to exclude files
  • View ignored files

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Best Practices

Keep repositories organized: Use meaningful repository names and descriptions to make switching between projects easier.
  1. Clone to Consistent Location: Keep all repositories in a dedicated folder (e.g., ~/Projects or C:\Users\[Name]\Projects)
  2. Use Descriptive Names: Choose clear, descriptive names when creating repositories
  3. Regular Cleanup: Remove repositories you’re no longer using from the list
  4. Backup Important Work: Ensure repositories are pushed to a remote backup regularly
  5. Check Disk Space: Monitor disk space when cloning large repositories

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Troubleshooting

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Clone Failures

If cloning fails due to authentication:
  • Verify your GitHub account is connected in File > Options > Accounts
  • Check if you have access to the repository
  • For private repos, ensure your token has the correct permissions
If cloning fails due to network issues:
  • Check your internet connection
  • Verify any proxy settings in File > Options > Advanced
  • Try cloning via HTTPS instead of SSH, or vice versa
If you encounter “path too long” errors:
  • Clone to a shorter path (e.g., C:\Git\repo-name)
  • Enable long paths in Windows: git config --system core.longpaths true

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Repository Not Detected

If a folder isn’t recognized as a Git repository:
  1. Verify the .git folder exists in the root directory
  2. Check that the .git folder wasn’t corrupted
  3. Try running git status in the terminal to verify Git can access it
  4. Consider re-cloning if the repository is corrupted

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