Setup Git on Your Computer

Let's install Git and get you ready to contribute! Don't worry - we'll go through this step by step.

What is Git?

Git is a tool that helps you track changes in your code. Think of it like a "save game" feature for your projects - you can save your progress and go back to any previous version!

🖥️ Choose Your Operating System

Click on your computer's operating system below:

Windows

macOS

Linux

Windows Installation

Download Git for Windows

Go to git-scm.com/download/win
The download should start automatically
If not, click "Click here to download manually"

File Size

The file is about 50 MB. It should download in a few minutes.

Run the Installer

Find the downloaded file (usually in your Downloads folder)
Double-click Git-2.x.x-64-bit.exe
Click "Yes" if Windows asks for permission

Installation Wizard

Follow these steps in the installer:

Screen 1: License

Click "Next"

Screen 2: Installation Location

Keep the default location
Click "Next"

Screen 3: Components

Keep all checkboxes as they are
Click "Next"

Screen 4: Start Menu Folder

Keep the default
Click "Next"

Screen 5: Default Editor

Choose "Use Visual Studio Code" (if you have it)
Or keep "Use Vim" (we'll change this later)
Click "Next"

Screen 6-10: Other Settings

Keep all defaults
Click "Next" for each screen

Final Screen

Click "Install"
Wait for installation (takes 1-2 minutes)
Click "Finish"

Verify Installation

Press Windows Key + R
Type cmd and press Enter
In the black window, type:
```
git --version
```
You should see something like: git version 2.42.0

Success!

If you see a version number, Git is installed correctly! 🎉

macOS Installation

Check if Git is Already Installed

Open "Terminal" (press Cmd + Space, type "Terminal", press Enter)
Type this command and press Enter:
```
git --version
```

If you see a version number:

Git is already installed! Skip to Configure Git

If you see "command not found":

Continue with the installation below

Install Using Homebrew (Recommended)

First, install Homebrew if you don't have it:

Open Terminal

Copy and paste this command:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Press Enter and follow the prompts
Enter your password when asked (you won't see it typing - that's normal!)

Then install Git:

brew install git

Alternative: Install from Website

If you don't want to use Homebrew:

Go to git-scm.com/download/mac
Download the installer
Open the downloaded .dmg file
Follow the installation wizard

Verify Installation

In Terminal, type:

git --version

You should see something like: git version 2.42.0

Linux Installation

Check if Git is Already Installed

Open Terminal and type:

git --version

If you see a version number, Git is already installed! Skip to Configure Git

Install Git

Choose your Linux distribution:

Ubuntu / Debian:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install git

Fedora:

sudo dnf install git

Arch Linux:

sudo pacman -S git

openSUSE:

sudo zypper install git

Verify Installation

git --version

⚙️ Configure Git

Now let's tell Git who you are. This information will appear on your contributions.

Set Your Name

Open Terminal (or Command Prompt on Windows) and type:

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

Replace "Your Name" with your actual name!

Example:

git config --global user.name "Emma Johnson"

Set Your Email

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

Use the same email you used for GitHub!

Example:

git config --global user.email "emma.johnson@gmail.com"

Important

Use the same email address you used to sign up for GitHub. This connects your commits to your GitHub account!

Set Default Branch Name

git config --global init.defaultBranch main

This sets "main" as the default branch name (GitHub's standard).

Set Default Editor (Optional)

If you have VS Code installed:

git config --global core.editor "code --wait"

If you have Nano (simpler):

git config --global core.editor "nano"

Verify Your Configuration

Check that everything is set correctly:

git config --list

You should see your name and email in the output.

🔐 Connect Git to GitHub

Now let's connect your computer to your GitHub account using SSH keys (a secure way to authenticate).

What are SSH Keys?

SSH keys are like a special password that proves your computer is allowed to access your GitHub account. It's more secure than typing your password every time!

Check for Existing SSH Keys

ls -al ~/.ssh

If you see files named id_rsa.pub or id_ed25519.pub, you already have SSH keys! Skip to step 3.

Generate New SSH Key

Copy and paste this command (replace the email with yours):

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your.email@example.com"

When prompted:

"Enter file to save the key": Just press Enter (use default)
"Enter passphrase": Press Enter (no passphrase) or type a password
"Enter same passphrase again": Press Enter again or retype password

Created!

You should see a message saying "Your public key has been saved"

Copy Your SSH Key

On macOS:

pbcopy < ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

On Linux:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Then select and copy the output (Ctrl+Shift+C)

On Windows:

clip < ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Add SSH Key to GitHub

Go to github.com and log in
Click your profile picture (top right)
Click "Settings"
Click "SSH and GPG keys" (left sidebar)
Click "New SSH key" (green button)
Give it a title (like "My Laptop")
Paste your key in the "Key" field
Click "Add SSH key"

Test the Connection

ssh -T git@github.com

You might see a warning about authenticity. Type yes and press Enter.

Success looks like:

Hi YourUsername! You've successfully authenticated...

Make sure Git is installed
Restart your terminal
On Windows, make sure you're using Git Bash

"Permission denied (publickey)"

Solution:

Make sure you copied the entire SSH key
Check that you added it to GitHub correctly
Try generating a new SSH key

"Could not resolve hostname github.com"

Solution:

Check your internet connection
Try again in a few minutes
Check if GitHub is down: githubstatus.com

Still Having Issues?

Check GitHub's documentation
Ask in GitHub Community
Search for your error message on Google

📚 Useful Git Commands

Here are some commands you'll use often:

# Check Git version
git --version

# See your configuration
git config --list

# Get help
git help

# Clone a repository
git clone <url>

# Check status
git status

# Add files
git add .

# Commit changes
git commit -m "Your message"

# Push to GitHub
git push

# Pull latest changes
git pull

Don't Memorize!

You don't need to memorize these now. We'll explain each command when you need it!

Setup Git

Your First PR

Browse Issues

Learn Git Basics

Join Community

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