Creating the GitHub repository #

This page is for designers who have a theme under Git on their computer and want it on GitHub. Other Git hosts work much the same; the commands below use the GitHub command line gh.

Before you start #

• The theme is a Git repository whose root is the extension folder (Putting a theme under Git).
• gh auth status says you are logged in to github.com.
• LICENSE and README.md are committed.

Step by step with gh #

1. In the theme's folder, create the repository and push in one go:

   gh repo create yourvendor/mytheme --public --source . --remote origin --push \
       --description "A responsive theme for Exponential 6 sites"

   Expected: the repository's URL, then the output of the push.

2. Set the website and topics (see Repository name, description and topics):

   gh repo edit yourvendor/mytheme --homepage https://packagist.org/packages/yourvendor/mytheme \
       --add-topic exponential --add-topic theme --add-topic responsive-design

3. Check what GitHub detected:

   gh repo view yourvendor/mytheme --json licenseInfo,hasIssuesEnabled,homepageUrl

   Expected: your license (for the GPL version 2, GitHub reports GPL-2.0), issues enabled, the homepage.

In the browser #

1. On github.com, New repository: owner, name (the extension name), description, Public. Do not let GitHub add a README or license; you already have them.

2. Copy the repository URL and connect your local repository:

   git remote add origin https://github.com/yourvendor/mytheme.git
   git push -u origin main

3. In Settings, check that Issues is on; in the sidebar's gear, add the website and topics.

Good practice #

• Use an organization account for a theme that a team or company maintains, so it does not depend on one person.
• Turn on two-factor authentication for every account with write access.
• Add SECURITY.md before the first release (A security policy for a theme).

Related pages #

• The first push and the default branch
• Develop with Git
• Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.