Git Basics

Set Up Name and Email Info

First, you need to setup a default name and email. Else, git won't let you commit.

Everytime you commit, your user name and email is in part of the commit info. This allows git to show who did what, when working in a team. That's why user name and email are required. (you can use random name and email if you want)

Type the following in a terminal.

# set up default name and email
git config --global user.name "Mary Lee"
git config --global user.email "mary@example.com"

the above will create a file at ~/.gitconfig. You can run these commands again to change. (you can also edit the file directly.)

Most Frequently Used Git Commands

The following are most frequently used git commands. Don't worry if you don't understand it. We'll have Detailed tutorial with step-by-step instruction in this tutorial.

Those marked 🔷 are use daily.

New Project

git init

Create a git repository in current dir. This will create a directory named “.git” in current dir. The “.git” directory holds all git's internal data.

[see Create Project]

git clone url_or_path

Clone a new git repository from url_or_path to current dir. “clone” basically means copy. The newly created dir will have the same name as project name of the remote repository at url_or_path. If a non-empty directory of the same name already exist, git will complain. The url_or_path can be a local directory/folder path that contains “.git”.

[see Clone a Project]

Once you have a project, you edit files in that dir to make changes, then you need to “add” to a staging area, then “commit”. (these are done to your local repository.)

Commit Changes to Local Repository

🔷 git status

Show current status. (that is, list changed files.)

🔷 git add .

Add changes from current dir to local repository's staging area.

🔷 git commit -m"message"

Commit changes to the local repository. The message is a short description of changes you made.

Sync with Remote Repository

To get update from a server, or put your changes to a server , you need to pull or push.

🔷 git pull

Pull from remote to your local repository.

🔷 git push

Push your local repository to remote.