Installing Git

Welcome to the first installment in our Git and GitHub series! As we explore building CI/CD pipelines, we'll start with the fundamentals. Before diving into CI/CD pipelines (systems that automate your software delivery process), you need to set up the fundamental tool that powers most modern version control systems: Git. In this post, learn how to install Git on different operating systems and verify your installation.

Installing Git on Windows

Windows - use the official installer

• Download the latest Git for Windows installer from git-scm.com

• Run the installer and follow the prompts

• Use the default options unless you have specific requirements

• Ensure "Git Bash" is selected during installation for a Linux-like command experience

Windows - use Chocolatey

If you have Chocolatey installed, open PowerShell and run:

choco install git.install

Windows - use WinGet

If you have WinGet installed, open PowerShell and run:

winget install --id Git.Git -e --source winget

Installing Git on Windows Subsystem for Linux

WSL Ubuntu

According to the Microsoft Learn instructions,

If you need to install or update it on an Ubuntu-based system:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install git

This method provides a native Linux Git experience within your Windows environment.

Installing Git on macOS

macOS - use Homebrew

Open Terminal and run:

brew install git

macOS - use the official installer

• Download the latest Git for Mac installer from git-scm.com

• Run the installer and follow the prompts

• Use the default options unless you have specific requirements

Verifying Your Git Installation

After installation, verify that Git is properly installed by checking the version:

git --version

You should see output similar to git version 2.48.1 (your version number may vary).

Configuring Git

Now that Git is installed, you'll need to set up some basic configuration.

Inspecting Your Git Configuration

Git uses a series of configuration files to determine its behavior. Examine your current configuration:

# View all configuration settings
git config --list

# View global configuration
git config --list --global

# View system configuration
git config --list --system

Key configuration files

Git stores configuration in three main locations:

• System-wide config: /etc/gitconfig or C:\Program Files\Git\etc\gitconfig

• User-specific config: ~/.gitconfig or C:\Users\<Username>\.gitconfig

• Repository-specific config: .git/config in each repository

Essential configuration settings

Setting your name

If this is your first time using Git, set your name:

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

Setting your email address

For your email address, you have two options:

GitHub account holders

Consider GitHub's privacy recommendations:

See Setting your commit email address for more information.

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

Non-GitHub users

Use your personal email for now:

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

Remember to update this setting before contributing to public repositories. We'll cover creating and configuring a GitHub account in the next post.

What's Next?

Now that you have Git installed and configured, you're ready to take the next step in your CI/CD journey. In the next post of this series, we'll focus on securing your GitHub account with best practices for authentication and account protection. This crucial step will ensure your code remains safe as you build out your development workflow.

Stay tuned for more in our Git and GitHub series!