GitHub CLI User Manual – Installation & Usage on Ubuntu

What is GitHub CLI?

GitHub CLI (gh) is the official command-line tool developed by GitHub that allows developers to manage repositories, pull requests, issues, workflows, and releases directly from the terminal.

It simplifies GitHub operations without needing to switch between browser and terminal.

Why Use GitHub CLI?

• Manage repositories from the terminal
• Create and review pull requests
• Manage issues easily
• Run and monitor GitHub Actions workflows
• Automate DevOps tasks
• Faster development workflow

System Requirements

Before installing GitHub CLI on Ubuntu, ensure:

• Ubuntu 20.04 / 22.04 / 24.04
• sudo access
• Internet connection
• Git installed (git --version)

If Git is not installed:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install git -y

Install via Official Repository (Recommended)

Step 1: Update system packages

sudo apt update

Add GitHub CLI GPG key:

curl -fsSL https://cli.github.com/packages/githubcli-archive-keyring.gpg | \
sudo dd of=/usr/share/keyrings/githubcli-archive-keyring.gpg

Add official repository:

echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/githubcli-archive-keyring.gpg] https://cli.github.com/packages stable main" | \
sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/github-cli.list > /dev/null

Install GitHub CLI

Verify Installation

Check installed version:

gh --version

Authenticate GitHub CLI

After installation, authenticate your GitHub account.

gh auth login

You will be prompted to:

• Choose GitHub.com
• Select HTTPS
• Authenticate via browser

Browser Authentication:
URL: https://github.com/login/device

Once completed,

Verify authentication:

gh auth status

📘 GitHub CLI Command List (With Purpose & Example)

#	Command	Purpose	Example
1	gh auth login	Authenticate GitHub account	gh auth login
2	gh auth status	Check login status	gh auth status
3	gh auth logout	Logout from GitHub	gh auth logout
4	gh repo create	Create new repository	gh repo create my-project --public
5	gh repo clone	Clone repository	gh repo clone username/repo-name
6	gh repo view	View repository details	gh repo view username/repo-name
7	gh repo delete	Delete repository	gh repo delete username/repo-name
8	gh repo fork	Fork repository	gh repo fork username/repo-name
9	gh pr create	Create pull request	gh pr create --title "Feature" --body "Added feature"
10	gh pr list	List pull requests	gh pr list
11	gh pr view	View pull request	gh pr view 1
12	gh pr checkout	Checkout PR locally	gh pr checkout 1
13	gh pr merge	Merge pull request	gh pr merge 1
14	gh issue create	Create issue	gh issue create --title "Bug" --body "Fix needed"
15	gh issue list	List issues	gh issue list
16	gh issue view	View issue	gh issue view 5
17	gh issue close	Close issue	gh issue close 5
18	gh workflow list	List workflows	gh workflow list
19	gh run list	List workflow runs	gh run list
20	gh run view	View workflow run	gh run view 123456
21	gh run watch	Watch workflow run live	gh run watch
22	gh release create	Create release	gh release create v1.0.0 --title "Version 1.0"
23	gh release list	List releases	gh release list
24	gh config list	View CLI configuration	gh config list
25	gh alias set	Create command shortcut	gh alias set prl "pr list"
26	gh search repos	Search repositories	gh search repos devops scripts
27	gh search issues	Search issues	gh search issues "login bug"

Common Errors & Troubleshooting

Error: gh command not found

Solution:

• Ensure installation is completed successfully
• Restart terminal
• Check the PATH variable

Authentication Failed

Solution:

gh auth logout
gh auth login

Advantages of Using GitHub CLI in DevOps

• Ideal for CI/CD pipelines
• Useful for automation scripts
• Integrates with GitHub Actions
• Faster repository management
• Works well on Ubuntu servers

Conclusion

GitHub CLI is a powerful tool for developers and DevOps engineers working on Ubuntu systems. It simplifies repository management, pull requests, and issue tracking directly from the terminal.

Installing GitHub CLI on Ubuntu is quick and secure using the official repository method. After authentication, you can manage almost all GitHub features without using a web browser.