Getting Started with Git

Git is a distributed version control system that tracks changes in your code. This guide will walk you through the essentials.

Installation

First, install Git on your system:

# macOS (using Homebrew)
brew install git

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install git

# Windows (using winget)
winget install Git.Git

Configuration

Set up your identity:

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

Creating Your First Repository

Initialize a new repository:

mkdir my-project
cd my-project
git init

You should see a message saying the repository was initialized.

Basic Workflow

Staging Changes

Add files to the staging area:

# Add specific file
git add filename.txt

# Add all changes
git add .

Committing

Save your staged changes:

git commit -m "Your commit message"

Viewing History

Check your commit history:

git log --oneline

Working with Remotes

Connect to a remote repository:

git remote add origin https://github.com/username/repo.git
git push -u origin main

Next Steps

Now that you understand the basics, explore:

• Branching and merging
• Pull requests
• Rebasing
• Git hooks