Hosting executable on github

Question

I want allow users to download executable of one of my project on github, without downloading all sources or browsing the entire project.

According to this similar question, you could use a upload/download service, which apparently, github has shut down.

So is there another way? Is github aiming at sharing code only, not software?

Answer 1

Update 2d July 2013, you now can define a release.

• Releases are accompanied by release notes and links to download the software or source code.
• Following the conventions of many Git projects, releases are tied to Git tags. You can use an existing tag, or let releases create the tag when it's published.
• You can also attach binary assets (such as compiled executables, minified scripts, documentation) to a release. Once published, the release details and assets are available to anyone that can view the repository.

This is what replaces the old binary upload service, which was removed in December 2012!

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Ideally, you would store your executable in an artifact repository, as opposed as a source repository like GitHub.
So yes, GitHub is for source control management, not deliveries (like binaries produced from your code).

Nexus is the usual choice for any generated artifacts like binaries, with a free upload possibility for open-source projects.
See "How do I get my software into Central?" (from this answer, also mentioned in "Maven repository hosting for non-public artifacts?")