Drupal: Using Git

This information pertains to groups that are planning to do custom development within Drupal. Custom development includes:

  • Coding your own sub-theme
  • Developing your own modules
  • Using contributed modules that are not part of the standard modules offered as part of the enterprise implementation

About Git

Git is a revision control system in wide use at the University and around the world. It tracks changes made to the files as you work with them. Usually, Git is used to track text files containing computer code. A folder of files that are tracked using Git makes up a repository. To learn more about using Git, view the tutorials on the Git website. 

About the UMN GitHub

GitHub is a tool that helps manage Git repositories by maintaining versions of the code, and allowing easy collaboration among multiple people working on the same project, so that their changes can add to each other's work instead of overwriting them.  More information about GitHub is available on the GitHub website. 

Note: The University is currently transitioning from GitHub Enterprise Server (GHES) to GitHub Enterprise Cloud (GHEC). The OIT Drupal platform currently supports both. See the Drupal Github Cloud Transition Guide for more information.

Set Up GitHub for Drupal

A GitHub repository is only needed if you will be putting in custom code (modules, themes, etc.)

  1. If you are using GHES, we strongly recommend that you create an organization to own your site repository if your unit does not already have one.
  2. Create a repository with at least one branch
  3. Grant OIT access to your code repository so that your code can be deployed to your website