Github Management Guide

This blog post documents how to manage GitHub repositories for personal website deployment. My GitHub username is Ziya-Jiang, and this guide will cover the complete workflow from local development to GitHub Pages deployment.

Part 1: Committing Updated Repository to Main Branch

1. Initialize Local Repository

First, ensure your local project is initialized as a Git repository:

# Initialize Git repository if not already done
git init

# Add remote repository (if not already added)
git remote add origin https://github.com/Ziya-Jiang/Ziya-Jiang.github.io.git

2. Check Current Status

Before committing, check the current working status:

# Check current branch
git branch

# Check file status
git status

# View modified files
git diff

3. Add Files to Staging Area

Add all modified files to the Git staging area:

# Add all files
git add .

# Or add specific files
git add _posts/2025-07-18-Github-Management.md
git add _config.yml

4. Commit Changes

Commit changes with meaningful commit messages:

# Commit changes
git commit -m "feat: add GitHub website management blog post

- Add comprehensive GitHub repository management guide
- Include code commit and branch management workflow
- Update website configuration and content"

5. Push to Main Branch

Push local changes to the GitHub main branch:

# Push to main branch
git push origin main

# If first time pushing, may need to set upstream branch
git push -u origin main

6. Verify Push Results

After pushing, verify the results:

# Check remote branch status
git remote -v

# View commit history
git log --oneline -5

7. Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you encounter push conflicts:

# First pull remote changes
git pull origin main

# Resolve conflicts and recommit
git add .
git commit -m "resolve: fix merge conflicts"
git push origin main

If force push is needed (use with caution):

# Force push (use only when necessary)
git push --force origin main

8. Automation Script

To simplify the process, create an automation script:

#!/bin/bash
# deploy.sh

echo "Starting deployment process..."

# Add all changes
git add .

# Commit changes
git commit -m "update: $(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S') auto update"

# Push to main branch
git push origin main

echo "Deployment completed!"

Usage:

chmod +x deploy.sh
./deploy.sh

9. Best Practices

1. Regular commits: Don’t accumulate too many changes before committing
2. Meaningful commit messages: Use clear commit messages to describe changes
3. Branch management: Consider using feature branches for important changes
4. Backup: Regularly backup important files
5. Testing: Test website functionality locally before pushing

10. Next Steps

In the next part, we will cover:

• GitHub Pages configuration and deployment
• Custom domain setup
• Automated deployment workflows
• Performance optimization and monitoring