Git FAQ

This guide covers common Git, Git Bash, and GitHub Codespaces issues and their solutions for the Data Engineering Zoomcamp.

Table of contents

1. Git & Shell Configuration
   1. Backslash escape character in Git Bash (Windows)
2. GitHub Codespaces
   1. Managing secrets in GitHub Codespaces
   2. pgAdmin blank screen in GitHub Codespaces

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Git & Shell Configuration

Backslash escape character in Git Bash (Windows)

Problem: Need to configure backslash as an escape character in Git Bash for Windows.

Solution: Configure the escape character setting:

bash.escapeChar=\

Note: This doesn’t need to be included in your .bashrc file - just run it in the terminal when needed.

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GitHub Codespaces

Managing secrets in GitHub Codespaces

Problem: Need to store and manage sensitive information (API keys, credentials) securely in GitHub Codespaces.

Solution: Use GitHub’s built-in secrets management for Codespaces:

1. Access secrets settings:
   • Go to your GitHub account settings
   • Navigate to Codespaces section
   • Manage account-specific secrets
2. Add secrets:
   • Create new secrets with appropriate names
   • Set values for your sensitive data
   • Configure access permissions for repositories

Reference: GitHub Documentation - Managing account-specific secrets for GitHub Codespaces

Best practices:

• Use descriptive names for secrets (e.g., GCP_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_KEY)
• Limit secret access to specific repositories when possible
• Regularly rotate sensitive credentials

pgAdmin blank screen in GitHub Codespaces

Problem: Blank screen when running pgAdmin in Docker with GitHub Codespaces.

Root Cause: pgAdmin doesn’t work properly with Codespaces’ reverse proxy configuration by default.

Solution: Add proxy configuration environment variables to your pgAdmin setup:

Docker run command:

docker run --rm -it \
    -e PGADMIN_DEFAULT_EMAIL="admin@admin.com" \
    -e PGADMIN_DEFAULT_PASSWORD="root" \
    -e PGADMIN_CONFIG_PROXY_X_HOST_COUNT=1 \
    -e PGADMIN_CONFIG_PROXY_X_PREFIX_COUNT=1 \
    -p "8080:80" \
    --name pgadmin \
    --network=pg-network \
    dpage/pgadmin4

Docker Compose configuration:

services:
  pgadmin:
    image: dpage/pgadmin4
    environment:
      - PGADMIN_DEFAULT_EMAIL=admin@admin.com
      - PGADMIN_DEFAULT_PASSWORD=root
      - PGADMIN_CONFIG_PROXY_X_HOST_COUNT=1
      - PGADMIN_CONFIG_PROXY_X_PREFIX_COUNT=1
    ports:
      - "8080:80"
    networks:
      - pg-network

Key environment variables:

• PGADMIN_CONFIG_PROXY_X_HOST_COUNT=1 - Configures proxy host handling
• PGADMIN_CONFIG_PROXY_X_PREFIX_COUNT=1 - Configures proxy prefix handling

These variables enable pgAdmin to work correctly with GitHub Codespaces’ reverse proxy system.