Git GitHub Pages
GitHub Pages is a static hosting feature. A repository commit or tag does not deploy a site unless an authorized publishing workflow is configured and succeeds.
How it works
The lab commits a tiny original static page and inspects its recorded HTML. It does not enable Pages, create a publishing branch, build this website or upload anything. A real Pages setup needs an eligible repository, chosen publishing source or workflow, supported static output and any domain settings. Server-side PHP cannot execute as a normal static Pages site.
Run the disposable lab
Use Windows PowerShell 5.1 or later and Git 2.28 or later. The reviewed CLI is Git for Windows 2.53.0.windows.2. These are PowerShell examples, not Git Bash commands. Save the download as github-pages.ps1 in a separate empty learning folder and run it in a separate process: powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\github-pages.ps1. The execution-policy option applies to that process, not your machine policy.
The script creates bhylu-git-github-pages and refuses an existing folder. It supplies two fictional seed files and repository-local settings, then runs the lesson commands. The literal separator is quoted as '--' so PowerShell passes it through the guard. A guard function named git calls the real CLI and stops on unexpected failures; Expect-GitFailure checks deliberately refused operations. Child-process configuration isolates your personal Git settings. File transports are allowed only for owned local remotes; internet transports are disabled in this lab. No hosting account, Apache or MySQL service is required. There is no Git playground. Leave the generated folder for inspection; choose another empty parent to run again.
Test boundary: Static source inspection only; no build or Pages deployment.
Example
# Bhylu Git lab: GitHub Pages
# Run in a separate PowerShell process, in an empty learning folder.
# Existing lab folders are refused; nothing is pushed to an internet host.
$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
$script:GitExe = (Get-Command git -CommandType Application | Select-Object -First 1).Source
$script:LabRoot = Join-Path (Get-Location) 'bhylu-git-github-pages'
if (Test-Path -LiteralPath $script:LabRoot) { throw 'Lab folder already exists. Choose another empty parent folder.' }
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $script:LabRoot | Out-Null
$env:GIT_CONFIG_NOSYSTEM = '1'
$env:GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL = Join-Path $script:LabRoot 'empty-global-config'
[IO.File]::WriteAllText($env:GIT_CONFIG_GLOBAL, '')
$env:GIT_TERMINAL_PROMPT = '0'
$env:GIT_EDITOR = 'true'
$env:GIT_SEQUENCE_EDITOR = 'true'
$env:GIT_AUTHOR_DATE = '2026-01-10T10:00:00+00:00'
$env:GIT_COMMITTER_DATE = $env:GIT_AUTHOR_DATE
function git {
& $script:GitExe -c protocol.allow=never -c protocol.file.allow=always @args
if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw "Git exited with code $LASTEXITCODE" }
}
function Expect-GitFailure {
& $script:GitExe -c protocol.allow=never -c protocol.file.allow=always @args
if ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 0) { throw 'Expected Git to refuse this operation' }
}
function Assert-Equal($Actual, $Expected) {
if ((($Actual | Out-String).Trim()) -cne (($Expected | Out-String).Trim())) { throw "Expected [$Expected], got [$Actual]" }
}
function Write-LabFile([string]$Name, [string]$Text) {
$target = [IO.Path]::GetFullPath((Join-Path (Get-Location) $Name))
if (!$target.StartsWith($script:LabRoot + [IO.Path]::DirectorySeparatorChar, [StringComparison]::OrdinalIgnoreCase)) { throw 'Path outside lab' }
[IO.Directory]::CreateDirectory([IO.Path]::GetDirectoryName($target)) | Out-Null
[IO.File]::WriteAllText($target, ($Text.Replace('\n', "`n") + "`n"), (New-Object Text.UTF8Encoding($false)))
}
function New-LabRepo([string]$Name) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $Name | Out-Null
Push-Location $Name
try {
git init --initial-branch=main
git config --local user.name 'Repair Lab'
git config --local user.email 'repair@example.invalid'
git config --local core.autocrlf false
git config --local commit.gpgSign false
git config --local tag.gpgSign false
git config --local core.hooksPath (Join-Path $script:LabRoot 'empty-hooks')
Write-LabFile 'notes.md' 'Inspect hinge'
Write-LabFile 'tasks.txt' 'desk=open'
git add '--' notes.md tasks.txt
git commit -m 'Record initial repair plan'
} finally { Pop-Location }
}
Push-Location $script:LabRoot
try {
New-LabRepo 'desk'
Set-Location desk
Write-LabFile 'site/index.html' '<!doctype html><html lang="en"><meta charset="utf-8"><title>Repair desk</title><h1>Repair desk notes</h1></html>'
git add '--' 'site/index.html'
git commit -m 'Add standalone static page fixture'
$page = git show HEAD:site/index.html
if ($page -notmatch '<h1>Repair desk notes</h1>') { throw 'Heading missing' }
Assert-Equal (git branch --show-current) @('main')
Write-Output 'Verified: github-pages'
} finally { Pop-Location }
Focus on the lesson commands
This excerpt omits the seed repository and guard helpers. Use the complete download to run it.
Write-LabFile 'site/index.html' '<!doctype html><html lang="en"><meta charset="utf-8"><title>Repair desk</title><h1>Repair desk notes</h1></html>'
git add '--' 'site/index.html'
git commit -m 'Add standalone static page fixture'
$page = git show HEAD:site/index.html
if ($page -notmatch '<h1>Repair desk notes</h1>') { throw 'Heading missing' }
Assert-Equal (git branch --show-current) @('main')
Expected result
The static page is present in the local commit. No deployment or Pages configuration is performed.
The complete script ends with Verified: github-pages only after its checks pass. Object IDs, temporary paths and progress output can differ.
Separate source content from any generated release artifact and inspect what a workflow publishes. Credentials, private data and build dependencies should not become public output accidentally. Custom-domain verification and certificate delivery require separate live checks.