If you’re starting as a Database Reliability Engineer (DBRE) or DBA, chances are your team uses Git to store its repositories. That means you’ll need to install Visual Studio Code (VS Code), connect it to GitHub, and pull those files down to your local machine so you can start contributing. This guide walks you through the process step by step on a Mac. There is a separate blog for Windows here: Install with Windows
Step 1: Install VS Code
Download and install VS Code from Microsoft:
https://code.visualstudio.com/download
Open it once it’s installed.
Step 2: Install Git
Your Mac might already have Git. Check it:
- Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities → Terminal).
- Type: git –version
If you see a version number, you’re good.
If not, install Git from here: https://git-scm.com/download/mac
Run the Installer
- Open the .dmg file you downloaded.
- Follow the installation steps (just click “Continue” through the prompts).
Verify the Install
Once it’s done, open Terminal again and type: git –version
You should now see a version number now.
Step 3: Copy Your GitHub Repo Link
- Go to your repo on GitHub in Safari or Chrome.
- Click the green Code button.
- Copy the repo link:
- HTTPS example: https://github.com/username/repo-name.git
- SSH example: git@github.com:username/repo-name.git
If you’re brand new to Git, use HTTPS. SSH is more advanced but you can set it up later.
Step 4: Clone the Repo into VS Code
- Open VS Code.
- Press Command + Shift + P.
- Type Git: Clone and press Enter.
- Paste the repo link you copied.
- Pick a folder on your Mac (for example, your Desktop).
- When it finishes, VS Code will ask if you want to open it. Click Open.
Your repo is local on your Mac inside VS Code and you should be able to see that on the left.
Summary
The steps above walk you through connecting GitHub to VS Code using the menus and buttons. This is a good place to start when you are new, but once you get comfortable, you will notice it is actually easier to do this through the command line.
SSH takes a little setup, but it is worth learning because most teams and companies prefer it. It is faster, more secure, and takes away a lot of the hassle when working with multiple repos. I’ll get into that in a future post.
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