Module 04 — Connect GitHub

⏱️ 10-15 minutes

STOP — Do This Before Real Work
Discord saves conversations. GitHub saves files.
Without both, you lose everything when sessions end.
This is your "Save Project" button. Other cloud storage works, but GitHub is pretty easy and effective.

What Is GitHub? (Simple Version)

GitHub is like Google Drive for files + a time machine for changes.

Storage: Your agent can save files there, accessible from any device
Downloads: Since you cannot retrieve work product from inside chat, GitHub is where you get complicated projects
Backup: If something breaks, your files are safe
Sharing: Share file links with others
History: GitHub remembers every change

🗄️ The Cricut Analogy: Save Your Project

Remember Module 03 — Discord was downloading the software so you could use the machine. GitHub is saving your project.

You just spent 15 minutes in Modules 01-03 setting things up. Without GitHub:

Your SOUL.md (agent's personality) — gone on restart
Your MEMORY.md (what the agent knows about you) — gone on restart
Any files you created — stuck on the VPS, potentially lost

With GitHub: Everything persists. Close the browser, come back tomorrow, pick up exactly where you left off.

What You Do vs. What Your Agent Does

👤 YOU Do This (One-time setup):

Create a GitHub account
Create a "repository" (fancy word for folder)
Give your agent a "token" (like a password)
Test that it works

🤖 YOUR AGENT Does This (Ongoing):

Save files to GitHub automatically
Organize files into folders
Retrieve files when needed
Create backups on schedule

The Setup (You Do This)

Create Your GitHub Account

Go to github.com
Click "Sign up"
Enter your email, create a password
Choose a username (this becomes part of your address: github.com/yourname)
Verify your email (check inbox for confirmation)

Why this works

GitHub is free for personal use. The account is yours — your agent just gets permission to use it.

Create Your Repository

A "repository" is just a tracked folder.

While logged into GitHub, click the "+" button (top right)
Click "New repository"
Repository name: Type something like my-agent-files or heyron-backup
Description: (Optional) "Files and backups for my AI agent"
Public or Private?
- Private = Only you and your agent can see it ✓ (Recommended)
- Public = Anyone on the internet can see it
Check the box: "Add a README file"
Click "Create repository"

Why this works

You just created a private folder in the cloud. Right now it only has a README file. Your agent will add more.

Get a Personal Access Token

Your agent needs a "key" to unlock your GitHub folder.

Click your profile picture (top right)
Click "Settings"
Scroll down left sidebar, click "Developer settings"
Click "Personal access tokens" → "Tokens (classic)"
Click "Generate new token" → "Generate new token (classic)"
Note: Type "Agent Access"
Expiration: Select "No expiration" (or 90 days if you prefer)
Scopes: Check the box for "repo" (lets your agent read/write files)
Click "Generate token"
IMPORTANT: Copy the token immediately! Looks like ghp_abc123xyz...

⚠️ This is the ONLY time you'll see this token. Save it somewhere safe now.

Why this works

The token is like a password that only works on your repository. You can revoke it anytime if needed.

Give Your Agent the Token

Tell your agent about your GitHub:

Say: "Connect to GitHub. My repository is at github.com/YOURUSERNAME/YOUR-REPO-NAME. My token is: ghp_abc123xyz..."

Your agent will:

Test the connection
Create folder structure
Save the token securely
Confirm everything works

Test: Save a File

Verify GitHub is working:

Say: "Create a test file on GitHub with today's date"

What should happen:

Agent confirms file created
You can see it on github.com in your repository

If it doesn't work: Common issues — wrong username, typo in repo name, token copied incorrectly. Try again or ask in Discord.

What You Can Do Now

With GitHub connected:

✅ Ask your agent to save important files
✅ Upload documents for the agent to analyze (in uploads/ folder)
✅ Download agent-created work from downloads/ folder
✅ Access files from any device
✅ Recover everything if your agent session resets

Quick commands to remember:

"Save this to GitHub" — persists important files
"Put this in the downloads folder" — creates files you can grab
"Check the uploads folder" — sees what you uploaded

The Reality Check

Without GitHub:

Close browser tab → conversation gone (Discord fixes this)
Agent resets → files gone, memory gone, setup lost
You start from scratch every time

With GitHub:

Close browser → no problem, files are saved
Agent resets → agent reads SOUL.md and MEMORY.md from GitHub, knows you again
You build cumulative knowledge over time

This is the difference between a toy and a tool.