A DEV Community guide explains Git as a free, open-source version control system that tracks code changes and enables collaboration, while GitHub serves as the web-based platform for hosting those repositories. The article uses a pancake recipe analogy to illustrate how developers share and improve code over time.

Setting up begins with creating a GitHub account and downloading Git for your operating system. After installation, developers configure their identity using simple commands like `git config --global user.name` and `git config --global user.email`. The guide also covers linking accounts via SSH keys for secure authentication between local and remote repositories.

Core workflows involve using `git push` to upload local commits and `git pull` to fetch updates from the remote. For VS Code users, the tutorial provides both GUI and terminal methods to stage, commit, and push changes. Pulling code requires checking out the correct branch before running the pull command to integrate remote updates.