How to get started with Git on Windows and WSL

Source: Windows Central

You don't have to be a master programmer to use Git; y'all don't fifty-fifty take to be into coding at all. Git can be applied to a number of tasks since it is, at heart, a version control tool.

Simply as open-source software continues to grow and platforms like GitHub and GitLab are used more and more than to host code and even total applications, in that location'due south a good adventure you might need to know how to use Git to do some basic functions.

This short guide will become you up and running with Git on Windows and the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and testify you the absolute basic commands you'll need to know.

How to install Git on Windows and WSL

Git Source: Windows Fundamental

The bones definition of Git is that it's a version control tool, allowing multiple people to interact with the same files independently with the option to merge changes into the chief co-operative. It'southward completely separate from services like GitHub and GitLab, but you use Git to interact with them and a host of other Git-compatible platforms.

To get started on Windows, you'll beginning need to install Git. The installation will include a dedicated Git Bash terminal, just you don't have to use that, instead, you can just open up the PowerShell terminal you're more familiar with.

To install Git on Windows you can simply go to the website, download, and then install the executable. If yous want to employ the Windows Packet Managing director for an even easier installation, open upwardly a new PowerShell window and enter winget install git.

In WSL distros like Ubuntu and Debian, Git should already be installed from the beginning fourth dimension you ready. But, if for some reason it isn't, yous can install Git yourself in the terminal using the command sudo apt install git. Easy.

1 important thing to remember as well is that while you may have to install Git for Windows specifically, Git itself is platform agnostic so the commands are going to be the same whichever y'all're using. You tin as well use Git on both Windows and inside WSL alongside each other and interact with the same local directories equally WSL has full admission to the Windows file system.

If at any time you need help just type git --help into the last.

How to download (clone) a repository with Git

Github Repo Source: Windows Fundamental

While different Git-connected services will behave a little differently, the Git commands yous need to employ are the same regardless of where yous're pulling from. To download, or "clone" a Git repository yous need the command git clone. Near of the fourth dimension you'll exist using a URL, and GitHub, GitLab, and any other similar platform will all make information technology clear exactly which URL you lot will need.

Then, for example, you would open up PowerShell or WSL and enter something similar:

            git clone https://github.com/microsoft/vscode

This will instruct Git to fetch all contents of the repository at the URL provided. It will magically download everything and create a local Git repository on your machine. To you, it will await like just another folder, merely it will contain some files within that help it stay identified every bit a Git repository.

Git Clone Source: Windows Central

To update to the latest contents of the remote repository on your local machine, you lot merely have to open the associated local directory in your Final and enter:

            git pull

Any changes fabricated since yous concluding cloned or pulled volition at present be brought down to your local machine and merged with the files there.

How to start your ain Git repository

Git repo Source: Windows Central

There are two parts to this, where you have a local Git repository, which you lot then push to a service like GitHub. To begin with, though, you need to gear up things up locally.

Open the directory you want to use as a Git repository in your terminal and enter this control:

            git init

This volition prepare everything you lot demand for Git to handle version command for everything inside that directory. You don't accept to push to a remote service like GitHub, at that place are local options like Gitea that y'all can cocky-host, but wherever you're pushing to there'southward ane essential first step.

Y'all have to tell Git who y'all are. This is considering every commit is logged to the person who made it. If you're a solo creative person you might non encounter why this matters, merely it's crucial as presently every bit you start collaborating with even one other person.

There are two simple commands to enable everything you lot need.

            git config --global user.name "YourUserName" git config --global user.e-mail "YourEmailAddress"

Now, you tin start pushing changes to your Git repository.

How to push a Git repository to a remote

Git Push Source: Windows Central

There's a lot yous can do with Git, but also using it to clone and handle remote version changes, you'll likely want to push some of these files to a remote repository such equally on GitHub or GitLab. There is a process to follow each time, which is outlined below. Essentially you have to add files to exist tracked, then yous can commit them, so button.

Before yous push to a remote service, you will have to ensure you're authenticated on your local machine to exercise and then. With GitHub, the easiest way to practise this is to download the GitHub CLI tool and use information technology to log in with your account credentials as information technology saves having to use access tokens. Our full GitHub beginners guide volition walk you lot through it.

Once this is out of the way, the process and commands are as follows.

git status — It's a expert thought to check the status of your local repository earlier you brainstorm adding files and committing them. This command will tell y'all whether your local copy is up to date with a remote, whether y'all have untracked files to add and whether y'all accept changes to be committed.
git add — Any file to be committed to a Git repo first needs to be staged with this control. Y'all tin either add private file names or use . to add all unstaged files.
git commit -m "InsertCommitMessage" — All commits have to exist made with a message describing what said commit is. Use this command template to achieve this.
git button — Pushes to the remote.

The kickoff time you push to a repository the command is a petty different. Y'all need to tell Git that yous're pushing your local master branch and that the remote is the associated upstream. So while subsequent pushes only need the command above, the first one will need this:

            git push button --ready-upstream origin master

This will ensure that your local Git repository is set up at present to track the remote "chief" branch.

There is a lot more to Git than this, and we haven't even touched on branches and merging and many of the more advanced features. But, for absolute beginners, this covers the essentials, and now you lot'll be able to clone, create, and push your own Git repositories on both Windows and WSL. Or indeed any other operating system!