hub: use GitHub from the command-line

hub is an extension to command-line git that helps you do everyday GitHub tasks without ever leaving the terminal.

Read the full documentation: man hub, or visit this project on GitHub.

# Homebrew/Linuxbrew: install the latest release
$ brew install hub

# Other platforms: fetch a precompiled binary release, or
# build your own from source.

$ hub version
git version 2.20.1
hub version 2.7.0 # ← it works!

As a contributor to open-source

Whether you are beginner or an experienced contributor to open-source, hub makes it easier to fetch repositories, navigate project pages, fork repos and even submit pull requests, all from the command-line.

# clone your own project
$ hub clone dotfiles
→ git clone git://github.com/YOUR_USER/dotfiles.git

# clone another project
$ hub clone github/hub
→ git clone git://github.com/github/hub.git

# open the current project's issues page
$ hub browse -- issues
→ open https://github.com/github/hub/issues

# open another project's wiki
$ hub browse mojombo/jekyll wiki
→ open https://github.com/mojombo/jekyll/wiki

# Example workflow for contributing to a project:
$ hub clone github/hub
$ cd hub
# create a topic branch
$ git checkout -b feature
# make some changes...
$ git commit -m "done with feature"

# It's time to fork the repo!
$ hub fork --remote-name=origin
→ (forking repo on GitHub...)
→ git remote add origin git@github.com:YOUR_USER/hub.git

# push the changes to your new remote
$ git push origin feature
# open a pull request for the topic branch you've just pushed
$ hub pull-request
→ (opens a text editor for your pull request message)

As someone who loves automation

Scripting your workflows is much easier now that you can list and create issues, pull requests, and GitHub releases.

# List issues assigned to you that are labeled "urgent"
$ hub issue -a YOUR_USER -l urgent

# List the URLs of at most 20 PRs based on "develop" branch:
$ hub pr list -L 20 -b develop --format='%t [%H] | %U%n'

# Create a GitHub release with notes from a file and copy the URL to clipboard:
$ hub release create -c -F release-notes.txt v2.3.0

As an open-source maintainer

Maintaining a project is easier when you can easily fetch from other forks, review pull requests and cherry-pick URLs. You can even create a new repo for your next thing.

# fetch from multiple trusted forks, even if they don't yet exist as remotes
$ hub fetch mislav,cehoffman
→ git remote add mislav git://github.com/mislav/hub.git
→ git remote add cehoffman git://github.com/cehoffman/hub.git
→ git fetch --multiple mislav cehoffman

# check out a pull request for review
$ hub pr checkout 134
→ (creates a new branch with the contents of the pull request)

# directly apply all commits from a pull request to the current branch
$ hub am -3 https://github.com/github/hub/pull/134

# cherry-pick a GitHub URL
$ hub cherry-pick https://github.com/xoebus/hub/commit/177eeb8

# open the GitHub compare view between two releases
$ hub compare v0.9..v1.0

# put compare URL for a topic branch to clipboard
$ hub compare -u feature | pbcopy

# create a repo for a new project
$ git init
$ git add . && git commit -m "It begins."
$ hub create -d "My new thing"
→ (creates a new project on GitHub with the name of current directory)
$ git push origin master

Using GitHub for work

Save time at work by opening pull requests for code reviews and pushing to multiple remotes at once. Even GitHub Enterprise is supported.

# whitelist your GitHub Enterprise hostname
$ git config --global --add hub.host my.example.org

# open a pull request using a message generated from script, then put its URL to the clipboard
$ git push origin feature
$ hub pull-request -c -F prepared-message.md
→ (URL ready for pasting in a chat room)

# push to multiple remotes
$ hub push production,staging