Git

Git is a version control system that tracks changes in source code. It allows multiple people to work on a project simultaneously and maintains a complete history of all changes.

Why Git?

• Distributed: Every developer has a complete copy of the project history
• Branching: Experiment with new features without affecting the main codebase
• Collaboration: Work with others seamlessly through platforms like GitHub
• Reproducibility: Track exactly which version of code produced which results

Installation

Download and install Git from the official website. Choose the appropriate installer for your operating system.

Windows

Use Git for Windows installer with recommended defaults.

macOS

Git comes pre-installed on most macOS systems. Update with Homebrew: brew install git

Linux

Install using your package manager: sudo apt-get install git (Ubuntu/Debian)

Configuration

After installation, configure your identity:

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

Essential Commands

• git clone - Copy a repository to your local machine
• git add - Stage changes for commit
• git commit - Save changes with a message
• git push - Upload changes to remote repository
• git pull - Download changes from remote repository

Tips

• Use meaningful commit messages that explain why you made changes
• Commit frequently to create detailed checkpoints
• Create branches for new features or experiments
• Use .gitignore to exclude data files and generated content