Get started with GitBook and GitHub a small guide

In this blog post I want to point out the great documentation topic GitBook.

The first time I noticed GitBook, was in a hands-on workshop, when I asked the presenters how they create and update their good looking workshop documentation.

I directly tried out the free GitBook version  for one of my GitHub projects and I noticed the awesome navigation, search, feedback and the responsive webpage capabilities which is all provided out of the box by GitBook. That’s awesome.

Here is a small gif that shows the GitHub readme.md page and the GitBook page at the same time.

Sure there are many more functionalities in GitBook such as teaming, but to use these functionalities you need a paid license and I didn’t tried that out.

Here is a small “get started guide” I created from my perspective to get started with a GitBook page.

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First understand the basic organization of GitBook from my perspective, by using the GitBook documentation.

• Organization
• Space
• Integration

Let’s create your own GitBook

That’s just a short guide, how to create an own GitBook page and integrate that page with a private GitHub project.

Step 1: Sign up to GitBook

Step 2: Create a public space

• Name: public_gitbook (pubic 😉 i forgot the “l” )

Step 3: Verify the newly created space

Step 4: Setup the GitHub integration

Step 5: Create a private GitHub project (just to use the new functionality in GitHub 😉 )

Step 6: Don’t edit the new GitHub project

Step 7: Select the new create GitHub project in GitBook

Step 8: Configure the branch you want to sync

Step 9: Enable to show link of the GitHub project in your GitBook so that others can change content (ok, in this case, they will not be able access project, because the GitHub project is private)

Step 10: Do your first change in your GitBook and document your change

Step 11: Merge your change in GitHub project

Step 12: Verify the change in your private GitHub project

Step 13: To verify the content of the public space in on a published page in the internet, copy the shareable link.

Step 13: See the public GitBook with the button to the (private) GitHub project

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I hope this was useful for you and let’s see what’s next?

Greetings,

Thomas

#GitBook, #GitHub