Git Installation & Setup

Before using Git, we need to install and configure it on our computer. After installation, Git commands can be used from the terminal or command prompt.

Configuration is also important because Git saves the developer’s username and email address with each commit. This helps identify who made the changes to the code.

Install Git on Windows

Installing Git on Windows is very simple.

Step 1: Visit the official Git website and download the latest version.

https://git-scm.com

Step 2: Open the installer after the download is complete.

Step 3: Continue clicking the Next button throughout the installation wizard.

Step 4: Click the Install button.

Step 5: Once the installation is complete, click the Finish button. Git is now installed on your system.

Install Git on macOS

There are several methods to install Git on macOS.

Method 1: If Homebrew is installed, open Terminal and run the following command:

brew install git

Git will be ready once the installation is complete.

Method 2: If you don’t want to use Homebrew, you can download the installer from Git’s official website and install it.

https://git-scm.com

Install Git on Linux

The installation commands vary slightly across different Linux distributions.

Ubuntu / Debian

sudo apt update
sudo apt install git

Fedora

sudo dnf install git

CentOS / RHEL

sudo yum install git

Once the installation is complete, Git is ready to use.

Verify Git Installation

To verify whether the installation was successful, run the following command in the terminal or command prompt.

Command

git --version

Output

git version 2.51.0

The version number may be different.

If the version is displayed, Git has been successfully installed.

Configure Username and Email

Open git terminal after installation or simply you can use commands in any terminal or command prompt.

Git saves the developer’s name and email address with every commit.

Therefore, the username and email address should be configured first after installation.

Configure Username

git config --global user.name "Vishal Kumar"

• git → Executes a Git command.
• config → Sets or changes the Git configuration.
• –global → Configuration will apply to all repositories.
• user.name → Sets the Git username.
• “Vishal kumar” → Your name that will appear in commits.

Configure Email

git config --global user.email "vishal@gmail.com"

• git → Executes a Git command.
• config → Changes the configuration.
• –global → Applies to all repositories.
• user.email → Sets the email address.
• “ritik@example.com” → Your Git email.

If you use GitHub, it’s generally best to use the email address registered with your GitHub account.

Check Git Configuration

Use the following command to check if the configuration is saved.

git config --list

Output

user.name=Ritik Kumar
user.email=ritik@example.com
core.editor=vim
init.defaultBranch=main

This command displays Git’s current configuration in a list.

Check Only Username

git config user.name

Output

Vishal kumar

Check Only Email

git config user.email

Output

vishal@gmail.com

Difference Between Global and Local Configuration

Configuration in Git can be set at two levels.

Example

Global Username

git config --global user.name "Vishal Kumar"

Local Username

git config user.name "Anshu Gaur"

In this case, the Anshu Gaur username will be used in the current repository, while Vishal Kumar will remain in the remaining repositories.

Summary

• After installing Git, the installation should be verified first.
• git –version is used to verify the installation.
• git config –global user.name sets the username.
• git config –global user.email sets the email address.
• git config –list displays the current Git configuration.
• Global configuration applies to all repositories, while local configuration applies only to the current repository.