Installing Git

Let's get Git installed on your computer and configure it for first use.

Download Git

Visit git-scm.com and download the installer for your operating system:

• Windows — download the .exe installer and follow the setup wizard
• macOS — install via Homebrew: brew install git
• Linux — use your package manager: sudo apt install git

Verify Installation

git --version
# Output: git version 2.43.0 (or similar)

Configure Git

Set your name and email — these appear in every commit you make:

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

Check Your Configuration

git config --list
# Shows all your Git settings

git config user.name
# Shows just your name

Configuration Levels

• --global — applies to all repositories for the current user
• --local — applies to the current repository only (overrides global)
• --system — applies to all users on the machine

Setting Up a Text Editor

# Use VS Code as the default editor
git config --global core.editor "code --wait"

# Use Notepad++ on Windows
git config --global core.editor "notepad++"