GitHub - Creating Your Account

In our previous article, we covered the installation and basic configuration of Git on your local machine. Now, before we can create repositories for our CI/CD pipeline, we need to set up a GitHub account and configure critical security features. This foundational step ensures you'll have a secure and functional environment for managing your code and automation workflows.

Creating a GitHub Account

Set up a GitHub account

1. Navigate to GitHub.com

2. Click "Sign up" and follow the prompts to create your personal account

3. Verify your email address when prompted (required for creating repositories)

Securing Your GitHub Account

GitHub now enforces two-factor authentication (2FA) for all accounts that contribute code, making this a mandatory step in your CI/CD journey.

Setting Up Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication adds an essential security layer to your GitHub account:

1. Navigate to your account settings by clicking your profile picture and selecting Settings

2. Select "Password and authentication" from the sidebar, or go directly to Settings / Security

3. Click "Enable two-factor authentication" under the 2FA section

4. Choose your preferred 2FA method:

   • Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) via authenticator apps (recommended)

   • Security keys

For detailed instructions on setting up specific authentication methods, refer to GitHub's official 2FA documentation.

Recovery Options

Always set up recovery options to avoid being locked out of your account:

1. Save your recovery codes in a secure password manager

2. Set up recovery methods such as a backup phone number or email

3. Consider adding a security key as an additional authentication method

Configuring Your GitHub Profile

While not strictly necessary for CI/CD, a well-configured profile enhances your professional presence and can be valuable for collaboration:

1. Add a profile picture that's professional and recognisable

2. Complete your bio with relevant technical skills and interests

3. Consider creating a profile README to showcase your projects and skills

Benefits of a GitHub Account for CI/CD

A GitHub account provides several advantages for your CI/CD workflow:

• Single Sign-On (SSO) capabilities for integration with many developer tools and services

• Personal showcase for your projects and contributions

• GitHub Pages for hosting documentation or project websites directly from your repositories

• Access to GitHub Actions for creating integrated CI/CD workflows

• Collaboration features including issues, pull requests, and project boards

• Package registry for storing and managing packages for your projects

Configuring Your GitHub Email Settings

In our previous article, we mentioned using GitHub's noreply email address for privacy. Now that you have your account, let's properly configure this setting:

1. Navigate to your email settings by clicking your profile picture, selecting "Settings", then "Emails" in the sidebar

2. Look for your noreply email address in the "Keep my email addresses private" section

   • It will follow the format [email protected]

3. Take note of this email address for configuration in the next step

4. Enable "Keep my email addresses private"

5. Enable "Block command line pushes that expose my email"

Updating Your Git Configuration

Now let's update your local Git configuration to use your GitHub noreply email address:

1. Open a terminal (Linux/macOS) or PowerShell/Command Prompt (Windows)

2. Set your GitHub noreply email with the following command:

git config --global user.email "[email protected]"

Replace [email protected] with your actual GitHub-provided noreply address.

1. Verify the configuration by checking your configured email address:

git config --global user.email

This should display your GitHub noreply email address, confirming it's been set correctly.

See Setting your commit email address for more detailed information.

Verifying Your Setup

Before proceeding to repository creation, verify your account is properly configured:

1. Test your 2FA setup by logging out and back in to confirm it's working correctly

2. Check your profile visibility settings match your desired privacy level

Conclusion and Next Steps

You've now successfully created and secured your GitHub account—the foundation for your CI/CD environment. This account will serve as your central hub for code storage, collaboration, and eventually running automated workflows.

In the next article, we'll build on this foundation by creating a public GitHub repository specifically designed for CI/CD pipelines, and we'll explore how to structure it for optimal automation workflows.

Stay tuned for more practical CI/CD tips and techniques!