From Github Codespaces to Repository: Step-by-Step Setup

Introduction

Context

By default, Codespace is using the GITHUB_TOKEN env var (the “Codespaces token”), which can’t create repos.

It’s necessary to authenticate gh with a token/account that has the right scopes, or create the repo on the web first.

Objective

In this article, let’s focus on authenticating, setting the right scopes and creating the repo.

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Solution

Initiate the project

In short: we’ll check status → create repo → stage everything → commit it.

git status || git init
git add .
git commit -m "init"

git status → shows the current state of the repository (which files are changed, staged, or untracked).

git init → initializes a new Git repository in the current folder.

git add . → stages all changes (new, modified, deleted files) in the current folder for the next commit.

git commit -m "init" → creates a commit with the message "init".

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Check the environment

In short: we’ll log out of the GitHub CLI, then clear the token stored in our environment.

gh auth logout -h github.com
unset GITHUB_TOKEN

• gh auth logout -h github.com → logs you out from GitHub CLI (gh) specifically for the host github.com.

• unset GITHUB_TOKEN → removes the GITHUB_TOKEN environment variable from your current shell session.

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Login

In short: you log in via browser, then check if the login worked.

gh auth login -h github.com -p https -w
gh auth status

• gh auth login -h github.com -p https -w → logs you in to GitHub CLI (gh) for the host github.com, using HTTPS as the protocol (-p https), and opens a web browser (-w) to complete the authentication.

• gh auth status → shows your current GitHub CLI authentication status (which account you’re logged in with, token details, active host, etc.).

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Double check login

gh auth status
gh api user

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Create and push

In short: this creates a new private repo on GitHub and immediately pushes your local project there.

gh repo create alexcalaca/profile-card --private --source . -
-remote origin --push

Output

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Done

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