Git

Software developers rely on version control systems to support solo and collaborative open- and closed source development. If you don’t already have git installed (it’s installed by default on macOS and some linux distros), install it (and make sure it’s added to path where you can use the git command from the CLI). While you’re getting comfortable with git on the command line, Dr. Stewart recommends also having a nice GUI for it…

Windows

The git install wizard defaults are probably fine, but if you happen to notice this, consider answering a few of the steps as follows:

Default editor:

vscode

Git Pull something:

rebase

Extra Options:

✅ enable symlinks

(On Windows) Ensure that once you install git, you have git bash, and that in git bash you have curl. This post may help if you don’t have curl on Windows.

Not Windows

Probably you already have git installed, try it in your shell by opening a terminal and running git

Configuring Git (all OSes)

1. Open a terminal
   • Windows: open git bash
   • mac or linux open a terminal

2. run the following commands, but:

   1. change the placeholder values for real ones
      • note: the username and email you set do not have to match things github already knows about

        git config --global user.name "Duke Dog"
        git config --global user.email woof@dukedog.com
        git config --global pull.rebase false
        git config --global init.defaultBranch main
        

        the above are with thanks to the Pro Git Book
   🤔 I think I already have those 👆 in my git config…

   If you’d like to check what settings you have in your global git configuration, run this command. Note: you may have to press Q after running this to exit your view of the output.

   git config --global -l
   

GUI for Git

One of the best GUIs for Git isn’t available on linux 🤦‍♂️. So get it if you can, but if you’re on linux, you’ll have to go for the GitHub Desktop app.