Setup#

Before Session 1, install Git, tell it who you are, and create a practice folder. It takes about 20 minutes, once.

Step 1 · Open a terminal#

Your computer	How to open a terminal
Windows	Install Git for Windows (next step). It includes Git Bash, a terminal where every command in this course works. Open it from the Start menu. (If you already use WSL, open Ubuntu and follow the Linux steps.)
macOS	Open Terminal (Applications → Utilities).
Linux	Press `Ctrl + Alt + T`.

Step 2 · Install Git#

First check whether you already have it:

git --version

git version 2.43.0

Any version from 2.30 onward is fine. If you see command not found, install it:

Ubuntu / Debian / WSL

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y git

macOS (this also offers to install the developer tools)

git --version

or, with Homebrew: brew install git.

Windows: download the installer from git-scm.com/download/win. Click Next through the questions. Two choices worth making: pick “Use Visual Studio Code as Git’s default editor” (or Nano) when asked about the editor, and keep “Override the default branch name” set to main.

Run git --version again to confirm.

Step 3 · Introduce yourself to Git#

Every save (commit) in Git is stamped with who made it. Tell Git your name and email, once per computer:

git config --global user.name "Asha Kumar"
git config --global user.email "asha@example.com"

Note

Use the same email you will use for GitHub (Session 7), so GitHub can link your commits to your account. If you want to keep your address private, GitHub offers a no-reply address in its email settings.

Three more settings that make life easier:

git config --global init.defaultBranch main    # new repos start on a branch called "main"
git config --global core.editor "nano"         # editor used for commit messages (or "code --wait")
git config --global pull.rebase false          # pull = fetch + merge (we explain this in Session 7)

Check what you set:

git config --global --list

user.name=Asha Kumar
user.email=asha@example.com
init.defaultbranch=main
core.editor=nano
pull.rebase=false

Step 4 · Create the practice folder#

All the exercises happen inside one folder, so nothing you do can touch your real projects:

mkdir ~/git-lab
cd ~/git-lab
pwd

/home/asha/git-lab

Tip

To reset everything at any time (for example to redo a session), run rm -rf ~/git-lab and mkdir ~/git-lab again. Be careful with rm -rf: it deletes without asking. Only use it on this practice folder.

Step 5 · Make a GitHub account (needed from Session 7)#

Go to github.com and sign up with a free account. You can do this now or when you reach Session 7. Pick a username you are happy to show on a CV.

You are ready#

git --version
git config user.name
git config user.email

If all three print something sensible, begin with Session 1 · Meet Git.

If something goes wrong#

You see	Meaning and fix
`git: command not found`	Git is not installed, or the terminal was opened before installing it. Close the terminal, open a new one.
`Author identity unknown`	You skipped Step 3. Run the two `git config --global user.*` commands.
`Permission denied` when installing	Put `sudo` in front (Linux). On Windows, run the installer as administrator.
The commit message editor looks strange	That is `vim`. Press `Esc`, type `:q!` and press Enter to leave, then set `core.editor` as in Step 3.