As I continue to be blessed in the work of compiling roms and kernels, I have had to take a few new steps for me. One of those steps was Github. I am not very Github savvy, and I really struggled with how to push/pull/commit, etc. In fact, it was so daunting that I didn’t start posting source code and the like for my kernels or device trees, because I was unable to figure out how to make it work! Then I found a tool that actually made sense to me, Gitkraken.
Gitkraken is a program for your computer which allows you to easily work with Github repositories and files. Originally, I had forked an ArcTeam kernel repository for my personal edits, but I was strugling with the Github web interface. It was extreamly teadious to delete 30+ files, one at a time, online. Finally, I couldn’t take the web gui any more, and I began searching for computer programs that would make the interface easier. That’s when I found Gitkraken.
All I had to do was download the program from Gitkraken’s website: https://www.gitkraken.com/download , and intall it like any other Linux program from the command line:
[CODE]sudo dpkg -i gitkraken-amd64.deb [/CODE]
Note that they do not maintain a 32 bit version for Linux. They do have older versions of Gitkraken that are 32 bit, but those versions I tried do not look or work anything like the current version. Fortunately, my computer is 64 bit, so this was not a problem. Gitkraken is available for Windows and Macintosh also.
In either event, opening the program brought me to a somewhat straight forward setup screen, to which I filled in all of my Github account information. After getting set up, I wanted to open my repo. Gitkraken works with local repositories, and can push/pull them to the online Github, so the first thing I needed was my kernel repository. So I downloaded the zip file from Github for my repository (you don’t need to download each branch, just the master worked for me). I put it in a folder I appropriately named “github”, and unzipped it. I then realized I could simply choose to clone repo, and download it in one fell swoop!
Once that was done, I then opened that repository with Gitkraken, and that’s where things got a whole lot easier! Things that confused me before were now made so simple to comprehend, as I could visually see what was going on. Want to make a pull request? Sure, there’s a button for that. Want to compare each commit and see the code that changed? No problem, just click on one. It was that simple! Need to create a new branch? Absolutely, just click the button!
What really made a difference, though, was how easy it was to edit my files. Essentially, I just used a regular browser, made edits in my “github/kernelsource” folder directly to the files. Then, when I opened Gitkraken, it automatically parsed the files and found all of the new changes! All I needed to do was click the “stage”, “commit”, and “push” buttons, in that order, and presto, my online Github repository was up to date with my new changes!
Finally, a Github tool that is made the way it should be! Sleek, smooth, easy, with lots of functionality, but none of the technical heartburn!
Linux – keep it simple.
I can’t find a ‘pull request’ button in GitKraken.
Be sure you have downloaded gitkraken from their website. Many of the Linux distributions have an old gitkraken in their repositories. On my GitKraken, the pull button is at the top of the window and looks like a down arrow. If I hover over it, it says “pull”. It is between the redo and push icons. You can also right click on your branches, such as ” master” in the left column, and choose to make a pull from there. I hope that helps and thanks for stopping by! Comments are always welcome!