Install & Configure Git

Install Git

Git is a command-line program. Many editors and desktop apps wrap it in buttons, but the program they call is still Git. Installing it once gives your terminal, editor, and hosting tools the same version-control engine.

Verify the command

After installation, ask the shell which Git it can run. This catches the dull but common failure mode where Git exists on the computer but is not on the terminal's path.

git --version

You should see a version string, such as git version 2.50.0. The exact number is not the point. The point is that your terminal can find Git and Git can start successfully.

Understand config scope

Git configuration is layered. A setting can apply to the whole machine, to your user account, or to one repository. More specific settings win.

To inspect the combined result, include the origin file. This makes mysterious overrides much easier to diagnose.

git config --list --show-origin

Set your identity

Every commit records an author name and email address. Set these before your first commit so your history is attributable and hosting services can connect your commits to your account.

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

Use the email address you want published in commit history. If you use GitHub and prefer privacy, use the no-reply email address GitHub provides for your account rather than inventing one.

Choose defaults for new repositories

A little configuration now removes friction from every new repository you create. The three defaults worth setting early are the initial branch name, the editor Git launches for messages, and the way pulls reconcile divergent branches.

Initial branch name

When you run git init, Git creates the first branch. Set that default explicitly so new repositories start with the branch name you expect.

git config --global init.defaultBranch main

Editor

Git opens an editor for commit messages, merge messages, tags, and other text you need to write carefully. Pick one you can actually exit under pressure.

git config --global core.editor "code --wait"
# or:
git config --global core.editor "vim"
# or:
git config --global core.editor "nano"

Pull behavior

You do not need to master pulling yet, but it is useful to know that Git may ask how to reconcile local and remote work when histories diverge. Teams often choose a policy together. For a solo beginner, leaving this unset until the branching chapter is fine; do not copy a pull policy from the internet unless you understand the tradeoff.

Handle line endings

Text files end each line with invisible characters. Windows traditionally uses CRLF; macOS and Linux use LF. If collaborators use different systems, Git can normalize line endings so diffs show real code changes instead of every line as changed.

A reasonable first global setting is:

# Windows
git config --global core.autocrlf true

# macOS or Linux
git config --global core.autocrlf input

For projects with mixed file types or stricter needs, prefer a repository-level .gitattributes file. That lets the project, rather than each developer's machine, state how text and binary files should be treated.

Pick a credential strategy

Git itself can talk to remote servers, but authentication depends on the server and URL style. The two common routes are HTTPS with a credential manager, or SSH with a key.

If you install Git for Windows, Git Credential Manager is usually included. On macOS and Linux, GitHub Docs recommend either GitHub CLI or Git Credential Manager for HTTPS workflows.

git config --global credential.helper

Use Git help

Git's help system is part tutorial, part reference. When a command surprises you, ask Git what it thinks the command means before searching random answers.

git help config
git config --help
git config -h

The long help forms open the manual page. The short -h form prints a compact command summary in the terminal. Use the short form when you need a flag name, and the manual when you need the model behind the flag.

First-time setup checklist

Here is a sane baseline for a new machine. Read the commands before running them, especially the values with names and email addresses.

git --version

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"
git config --global init.defaultBranch main
git config --global core.editor "code --wait"

# Choose the line-ending command for your operating system:
git config --global core.autocrlf true   # Windows
git config --global core.autocrlf input  # macOS or Linux

git config --list --show-origin

That last command is the check. It should show where each value came from. If you can explain your identity, default branch, editor, line-ending setting, and credential helper, your machine is ready for the next lesson.

Common pitfalls

Worked examples

git --version

git config --global user.name "Avery Chen"
git config --global user.email "avery@example.com"

cd work-project
git config --local user.email "avery@company.example"

git config --global core.editor "code --wait"

git config user.email
git config --show-origin user.email
git config --list --show-origin

git config --global credential.helper