Getting Started

Collab is designed to get you up and running in seconds. Whether you're looking to collaborate on a codebase, resolve issues together in real-time, or just explore your projects in a live coding environment, the onboarding process is quick, seamless, and developer-friendly.

Follow the simple steps below to start collaborating instantly:

🚀 Step 1: Visit the Collab Platform

Head over to the Collab website using any modern web browser. No installation or setup is required. The platform runs entirely in the cloud, so you can begin coding directly from your browser.

🔐 Step 2: Log In or Sign Up Using GitHub

Click on the Login with GitHub button. Collab uses OAuth2 authentication to securely connect with your GitHub account.

• 🔹 If you're a new user, you'll be asked to authorize Collab to access your repositories.
• 🔹 Returning users will be redirected to their personalized dashboard. This ensures a safe, passwordless login experience while enabling repository access and commit capabilities.

🗂️ Step 3: Explore Your Dashboard

Once authenticated, you'll land on the Collab Dashboard — a centralized hub displaying all your GitHub repositories.

• 🔹 Repositories are fetched directly from your GitHub account.
• 🔹 You can filter, search, or scroll to find the project you want to work on. The dashboard provides a live overview of your coding activity, recent sessions, and collaborative history.

🛠️ Step 4: Select a Repository and Launch a Room

Click on any repository to launch a Collab Room — a dedicated real-time collaborative coding environment linked to that repository.

• 🔹 A virtual file system will be initialized based on the selected repo.
• 🔹 Your room is now live for editing, viewing, and pushing changes.
• 🔹 You'll have access to features like syntax highlighting, IntelliSense, and file navigation via the Monaco Editor. Each room supports collaborative coding, GitHub version control, and built-in voice communication.

🤝 Step 5: Share the Room Link with Collaborators

To start collaborating with others:

• 🔹 Click on the “Share Link” button.
• 🔹 This will copy a unique room URL to your clipboard.
• 🔹 Send this link to teammates, friends, or contributors.

Anyone with the link (and appropriate GitHub credentials) can join the session based on their access level (Owner, Editor, or Viewer). They can start coding, talking, and editing in real time.

✅ That’s It! You’re Ready to Code Together In just a few clicks, you can turn your GitHub repo into a live collaboration space — perfect for debugging, mentoring, interviews, code reviews, or pair programming. Collab brings the power of a full IDE and version control to the cloud, backed by real-time communication and seamless GitHub integration.