In this section, we will guide you through the process of setting up Git on your system. This includes configuring your identity, setting up a text editor, and verifying your installation. By the end of this section, you will have a fully functional Git setup ready for use.

Git uses your identity to track changes and attribute them to you. This is essential for collaboration and maintaining a clear history of contributions.

1. Open your terminal or command prompt.

2. Set your username:

   git config --global user.name "Your Name"
   

   Replace "Your Name" with your actual name.

3. Set your email address:

   git config --global user.email "[email protected]"
   

   Replace "[email protected]" with your actual email address.

• --global: This flag ensures that the configuration applies to all repositories on your system. If you omit this flag, the configuration will only apply to the current repository.

Git uses a text editor for various tasks, such as writing commit messages. You can configure Git to use your preferred text editor.

1. Set your default text editor:

   git config --global core.editor "editor"
   

   Replace "editor" with the command to open your preferred text editor. Common options include:
   • nano
   • vim
   • code (for Visual Studio Code)
   • subl (for Sublime Text)

• --wait: This flag is specific to Visual Studio Code and ensures that Git waits for you to finish editing before proceeding.

After setting up your identity and text editor, it's a good idea to verify your configuration to ensure everything is set up correctly.

1. Check your configuration:

   git config --list
   

• The git config --list command displays all the configuration settings that Git is currently using. Verify that your name, email, and editor are correctly listed.

While the above steps cover the essential setup, there are additional configurations you might find useful.

1. Setting up line endings:

   git config --global core.autocrlf true
   

   • true: Converts LF to CRLF on checkout and CRLF to LF on commit (recommended for Windows).
   • input: Converts CRLF to LF on commit but leaves LF unchanged on checkout (recommended for macOS and Linux).

2. Setting up color output:

   git config --global color.ui auto
   

   • auto: Enables color output in Git commands for better readability.

In this section, you have learned how to set up Git by configuring your identity, setting up a default text editor, and verifying your configuration. Additionally, you explored some common configuration options to enhance your Git experience. With these steps completed, you are now ready to start using Git for version control.

Next, we will dive into creating your first repository and performing basic Git operations.