Beginner’s Guide: Fork, Clone & Run Threadbare with Godot

[wizard-keen]

Beginner’s Guide: Fork, Clone & Run Threadbare with Godot

Author: Wizard Keen (Adam Clarke)

Greetings adventurers!
This guide will walk you through, step by step, how to get your very own copy of Threadbare running on your Windows computer. It’s written for absolute beginners — even if you’ve never typed a command before. By the end, you’ll have Threadbare open in Godot, ready for you to explore, tinker, and maybe even create your own quests.

---

Step 1: Understand Forks and Clones

Think of GitHub as a giant shared library.

• A fork is your own copy of the book on your shelf in the library (online).
• A clone is taking that book home to your desk (on your computer).

You’ll need both: fork first, then clone your fork.

---

Step 2: Create a Project Folder

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Go to Documents.
3. Right-click → New → Folder.
4. Name it GameProjects.
5. Open it, click in the empty space of the address bar to reveal the folder path and copy it (we’ll use it soon).

---

Step 3: Open Command Prompt

1. Press Start, type cmd, press Enter.

2. In the Command Prompt window, type:

   cd "C:\Users\YourName\Documents\GameProjects"
   

---

Step 4: Install Git

1. Download Git for Windows: https://git-scm.com/download/win

2. Run the installer, accept the default settings.

3. Close and reopen Command Prompt (this refreshes the PATH).

4. Type the following to confirm Git is installed:

   git --version

If you see a version number (for example git version 2.51.0.windows.1), Git is ready to use.

---

Step 5: Install Git LFS (Large File Support)

Threadbare uses large art and audio files that normal Git cannot handle.
Git LFS (Large File Storage) is an extension that makes sure these files download correctly.

1. Download Git LFS from the official site: https://git-lfs.com

2. Run the installer and accept the default settings.

3. Open a new Command Prompt window.

4. Type the following to set it up on your system:

   git lfs install

You should see the message:
Git LFS initialized.

This means Git LFS is now active on your computer.

---

Step 6: Fork Threadbare

A fork is your own online copy of the Threadbare project.
This lets you make changes safely without touching the original.

1. Visit the Threadbare repository: https://github.com/endlessm/threadbare
2. In the top-right corner, click Fork.
3. On the fork page:
   • Owner should be your GitHub account.
   • Repository name can stay as threadbare.
   • Leave Copy the main branch only checked.
4. Click Create fork.

You now have your own copy of Threadbare under your account, for example:
https://github.com/yourname/threadbare

---

Step 7: Clone Your Fork

Cloning brings your online fork down onto your computer so you can open it in Godot.

1. Open Command Prompt.

2. Move into your GameProjects folder (the one you created earlier). For example:

   cd "C:\Users\YourName\Documents\GameProjects"

3. Go to your fork page on GitHub (for example: https://github.com/yourname/threadbare).

4. Click the green Code button.

5. Choose HTTPS, then copy the link. It will look like:

   https://github.com/yourname/threadbare.git
   

6. In Command Prompt, type the following commands, pressing Enter after each one:

   git clone https://github.com/yourname/threadbare.git
   cd threadbare
   git lfs pull

What these commands do

• cd "C:\…\GameProjects" makes sure you’re in the right place before cloning.
• git clone makes a new folder called threadbare with all the project files.
• cd threadbare moves you into that folder.
• git lfs pull downloads the large assets (art, audio, etc.) that Git LFS manages.

When this finishes without errors, you have a complete local copy of Threadbare.

---

Step 8: Open in Godot

Now that you have the project cloned to your computer, it’s time to open it in Godot.

1. Make sure you have Godot 4.3 or newer installed.
   Download here: https://godotengine.org

2. Open the Godot Project Manager (this is the screen you see when Godot first starts).

3. Click Import.

4. Navigate to the folder where you cloned Threadbare, for example:

   C:\Users\YourName\Documents\GameProjects\threadbare
   

5. Select the file called project.godot.

6. Click Import & Edit.

7. Once the editor opens, press the Run Project button (the ▶ arrow in the top right).

If everything is set up correctly, Threadbare will launch inside Godot.

---

Step 9: Link to the Original Repo

Right now your Git setup knows only about your fork (called origin).
It’s a good idea to also connect it to the original Threadbare repository (called upstream) so you can pull in updates later.

1. Make sure you are inside your threadbare folder in Command Prompt.
   For example:

   C:\Users\YourName\Documents\GameProjects\threadbare>
   

2. Add the upstream remote by typing:

   git remote add upstream https://github.com/endlessm/threadbare.git

3. Check your remotes to confirm:

   git remote -v

You should see two entries:

• origin → your fork (for example https://github.com/yourname/threadbare.git)
• upstream → the official repo (https://github.com/endlessm/threadbare.git)

This means you can keep your fork up to date with the original project whenever it changes.

---

Step 10: Create Your Own Branch

It’s best practice to keep your main branch clean and do your work on a separate branch.
Branches are like parallel timelines — you can experiment safely without affecting the main project.

1. Make sure you are inside your threadbare folder in Command Prompt.
   For example:

   C:\Users\YourName\Documents\GameProjects\threadbare>
   

2. Create and switch to a new branch in one step:

   git checkout -b my-first-quest

• git checkout -b creates a new branch and moves you into it.
• my-first-quest is the name of your branch. You can use any descriptive name, such as fix-bug, add-feature, or test-changes.

You are now working in your own branch. Any changes you commit will stay here until you decide to merge them.

---

Step 11: Add a Small Scaffold

Let’s create a simple placeholder so you can see how changes are added and tracked in Git.
We’ll make a new folder for a quest and add a small README file inside it.

1. In Command Prompt, type:

   mkdir scenes\quests\my_first_quest
   echo This is a scaffold for my first quest > scenes\quests\my_first_quest\README.md

2. Check that it worked by opening the scenes\quests folder in File Explorer.
   You should see a new folder called my_first_quest with a file named README.md inside.

This doesn’t affect the game yet — it’s just a safe way to practice adding new content and committing it to your branch.

---

Step 12: Tell Git Who You Are

Before you make your first commit, you need to tell Git who you are.
This information will be attached to your commits so they can be credited to you on GitHub.

1. In Command Prompt, type the following commands (replace with your own details):

   git config --global user.name "Your Name"
   git config --global user.email "your@email.com"

• Use the name you’d like to appear on your commits (it doesn’t have to be your real name).
• The email should match the one you use for GitHub, so commits are linked to your account.

2. You only need to do this once on your computer. Git will remember it for all future projects.

---

Step 13: Save Your First Commit

Now that you have added a scaffold file, it’s time to save that change into Git history.
This process is called a commit.

1. In Command Prompt, make sure you are still inside your threadbare folder.

2. Stage all changes (the new folder and file):

   git add .

3. Create a commit with a short descriptive message:

   git commit -m "Add scaffold for my first quest"

4. Push your branch to your fork on GitHub:

   git push -u origin my-first-quest

What these commands do

• git add . tells Git to include all new or changed files in the commit.
• git commit -m "message" saves the snapshot with your message.
• git push -u origin my-first-quest uploads your branch to your fork on GitHub.

At this point, your changes are both on your computer and safely stored in your GitHub fork.

---

Step 14: Keeping It Private

Your changes are now saved in your fork of the repository.
They are not part of the main Threadbare project yet.

• A fork is your own copy on GitHub. Only you can see and control it.
• A pull request is how you ask the main project team to review and possibly merge your changes.

If you are not ready to share:

• Simply keep working in your branch.
• You can commit and push as often as you like.
• Nothing will be visible to the main project until you open a pull request.

This means you have a safe, private workspace to experiment in until you decide your work is ready to be reviewed.

---

Step 15: Troubleshooting

Sometimes things don’t go smoothly. Here are common issues and how to fix them:

• git not recognized
  Git is not installed, or Command Prompt cannot find it.
  Close Command Prompt, reopen it, and try again. If it still fails, reinstall Git from https://git-scm.com/download/win.

• Not in a Git repository
  You ran a Git command in the wrong folder.
  Make sure you are inside the threadbare folder:

  cd path\to\GameProjects\threadbare

• Clone fails or leaves a broken folder
  If the clone stops halfway and leaves a damaged threadbare folder, delete it and try again:

  rmdir /S /Q threadbare
  git clone https://github.com/yourname/threadbare.git

• Line ending warning (CRLF vs LF)
  This message is normal and safe to ignore. It just means Git is adjusting text file formatting for different operating systems.

• Still stuck?
  Copy the exact error message and search it online, or ask for help in the Threadbare Discord.
  You’re not the first person to see it — most problems already have solutions.

---

Step 16: What You’ve Achieved

Congratulations — you’ve completed the full setup journey. Here’s what you’ve done:

• Forked the Threadbare repository into your GitHub account.
• Cloned it onto your computer.
• Installed Git and Git LFS.
• Opened the project in Godot.
• Created a new branch for safe experimentation.
• Added a scaffold folder and file.
• Saved your first commit.
• Pushed your branch to your fork on GitHub.

You now have a working copy of Threadbare and your own private space to explore, learn, and create quests.

From here, you can:

• Build quests and add dialogue.
• Experiment with puzzles, art, and mechanics.
• Share your work by opening a pull request when you’re ready.

Every quilt begins with one patch. Every story begins with one stitch.
Your adventure with Threadbare starts here.