46 lines
3.7 KiB
Markdown
46 lines
3.7 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: About GitHub Desktop
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shortTitle: 'About'
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intro: '{% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} helps you work with projects hosted on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}.'
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versions:
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feature: desktop
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redirect_from:
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- /desktop/installing-and-configuring-github-desktop/overview/about-github-desktop
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- /github/getting-started-with-github/github-desktop
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- /github/getting-started-with-github/using-github/github-desktop
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- /get-started/using-github/github-desktop
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---
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<a href="https://desktop.github.com?ref_cta=download+desktop&ref_loc=about+github+desktop&ref_page=docs" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary mt-3 mr-3 no-underline"><span>Download {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %}</span> {% octicon "link-external" height:16 %}</a>
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## About {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %}
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{% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} is a free, open source application that helps you to work with files hosted on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} or other Git hosting services.
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## Benefits of {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %}
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{% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} is useful for beginning and advanced users. Benefits include:
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* **Get started easily.** If you're new to Git and {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}, you may find it easier to use {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} than to use Git on the command line. {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} has a graphical user interface that simplifies commands and helps you visualize changes.
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* **Find commands.** Because {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} has a visual interface, you can easily access less-common Git commands, such as choosing which changed lines to include in a commit or adding a co-author to a commit, without needing to memorize or look up syntax.
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* **Follow best practices.** {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} encourages best practices. For example, it helps you to create an accurate and easy-to-follow commit history so other collaborators on a project can easily review your work.
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* **Integrate with {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}.** {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} is specifically designed for use with {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}. For example, you can authenticate to {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom_the_website %} or {% data variables.product.prodname_ghe_server %} quickly, without needing to use a separate credential manager. You can also check out a pull request to run checks without needing to open your browser.
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## {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} workflow
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You can use {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} alongside any tools you need to contribute to a project. For example, a typical workflow is:
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* Use {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} to download a {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} repository to your computer and create a new branch
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* Use an editor such as {% data variables.product.prodname_vscode %} to make changes to the code
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* Return to {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} to commit and push the changes to {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}
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## Getting started
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{% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} is available for Windows and macOS. For information about installing and getting started with {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %}, see "[AUTOTITLE](/desktop/overview/getting-started-with-github-desktop)."
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If you're interested in the open source {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %} project, you can see the roadmap, contribute to the project, or open an issue to provide feedback in the [`desktop/desktop`](https://github.com/desktop/desktop) repository.
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## Further reading
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* "[AUTOTITLE](/get-started/using-git/about-git)"
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