Beginner's Guide: Git

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Prerequisites

• A computer with internet access
• Basic command line knowledge
• GitHub account (create one at github.com)
• GitLab account (create one at gitlab.com)

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Installing git

Windows

1. Download git from git-scm.com
2. Run the installer with default settings.
3. Verify installation by opening Command Prompt or PowerShell:
   git --version
   

macOS

Using Homebrew:
brew install git

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)

sudo apt update
sudo apt install git

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Initial git configuration

Set up your identity:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "[email protected]"

Set default branch name:

git config --global init.defaultBranch main

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Connecting to GitHub

Method 1: SSH Authentication (Recommended)

1. Generate SSH key (if you don't have one):
   ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "[email protected]"

2. Start SSH agent:
   eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

3. Copy your SSH public key:

   • Windows: cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub | clip
   • macOS: pbcopy < ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
   • Linux: cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

4. Add SSH key to GitHub:

   • Go to GitHub ===> Settings ===> SSH and GPG keys
   • Click "New SSH key"
   • Paste your key and save

1. Test connection:
   ssh -T [email protected]

Method 2: Personal Access Token (PAT)

1. Generate PAT on GitHub:
   • Go to GitHub ===> Settings ===> Developer settings ===> Personal access tokens
   • Click "Generate new token (classic)"
   • Select required scopes (at minimum: repo, read:org)
   • Copy the generated token

1. Run Git Command:
   When you perform a Git operation (like git push or git pull), Git will prompt you for your username and password.

2. Enter Your GitHub Username:
   For the username, enter your GitHub username as usual.

3. Use the Personal Access Token (PAT) as Your Password:
   For the password, instead of your GitHub account password, paste the Personal Access Token (PAT) that you copied from GitHub.

Important: Your token acts as a password, so don’t share it. You’ll need to use it for Git operations that require authentication.

1. Store credentials (Windows):
   git config --global credential.helper wincred

   On macOS/Linux:
   git config --global credential.helper store

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Connecting to GitLab

Method 1: SSH Authentication

same as github just to test connection use ssh -T [email protected]

Method 2: Personal Access Token

1. Generate PAT on GitLab:
   • Go to GitLab → Preferences → Access Tokens
   • Create a token with necessary scopes
   • Copy the generated token

the next steps is same to github

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Git basic vommands withrExplanations

• git init
  Initializes a new Git repository in the current directory. This command creates a .git directory, where Git stores all the repository's configuration and metadata, making the directory a Git repository.
  

• git add .
  Stages all the changes made in the working directory (files that have been modified, added, or deleted) for the next commit. The period (.) represents all the files in the current directory and its subdirectories.
  

• git status
  displays the current state of the repository. It shows which changes have been staged, which haven't, and which files aren't being tracked by git. this helps keep track of the changes before committing them.
  

• git commit -m 'message-of-the-commit'
  Commits the staged changes to the local repository, adding a descriptive message that explains what was changed in this commit. The -m flag is followed by the message in quotes.
  

• git remote add <name> <url>
  adds a new remote repository to your local Git repository. The <name> is typically a shorthand for the URL (e.g., origin), and <url> is the actual URL of the remote repository (e.g., GitHub). This allows you to push and pull changes between local and remote repositories.
  

• git checkout -b develop
  Creates and switches to a new branch named develop. The -b flag combines the creation and the checkout of the branch in one command, branches allow you to work on separate features or fixes without affecting the main project.
  

• git push --set-upstream origin develop
  Pushes the local develop branch to the remote repository (origin), the --set-upstream option sets the remote branch as the default upstream for the local branch, meaning you can use git push and git pull without specifying the remote or branch name every time.
  

These are some of the most commonly used Git commands, essential for version control and collaboration in software development.

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This is a beginner Git guide. Let's talk about how Git is used in professional work. In my professional experience, I have worked with two methodologies at different companies.

The first methodology is GitFlow Workflow. GitFlow is a branching model that defines a strict branching strategy designed around project releases.

The second methodology is Single Branch (Trunk-Based Development). This is the opposite of GitFlow, where developers commit primarily to a single branch (usually main or master).

the repo that i pushed https://github.com/Omar-ABDELKEFI/GuideGit
it's just html page if you opened you will see somthing like frist gif :p

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additionalresources

• GitHub Documentation
• GitLab Documentation
• Git Documentation

I'm Kafio, a mentor for the Technology and Development Club. I hope to join our club, where there are interesting rewards and plenty of information to share between us.

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For more details about the club, check out the post: *A New Era of Learning on Steemit: Join the Technology and Development Club.

_{cc: @mohammadfaisal , @alejos7ven}