this post was submitted on 11 Jun 2025
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Linux

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Github- I don't get it! (sh.itjust.works)
submitted 2 days ago by bridgeenjoyer@sh.itjust.works to c/linux@lemmy.world
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I feel super dumb asking this. But what actually is and how does github (or similar sites) work? Are they all just source files one needs to manually compile? I am always confused when I look at a github page. I know some have directions but they still go way over my head sometimes. Im not a total noob but some of this stuff seems like you need to be in programming and have an IDE just to run a program.

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[–] BakedCatboy@lemmy.ml 20 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

It completely depends on the project and the maintainer. Lots of repos are just source files, some include instructions on how to compile, some have no instructions. Some post releases with a pre compiled executable that you can download and run, others post releases that just have a zip of the source code. Some projects use GitHub pages to host detailed manuals, tutorials, etc.

If you share a link to a specific project, people may be able to help you get it running. Whether or not you need a bunch of tools like an IDE just depends on the project.