Quickstart Guide

Get started with Git in 5 minutes - from installation to your first commit

Your First Repository in 5 Minutes

This quickstart guide will help you set up Git and make your first commit. Let’s get you up and running quickly!

1. Install Git

   If you haven’t already installed Git, choose your platform:

   macOS

   brew install git
   

   Verify installation:

   git --version
   
2. Configure Your Identity

   Tell Git who you are. This information will be attached to your commits:

   git config --global user.name "Your Name"
   git config --global user.email "[e-mail]"
   

   Use the same email address you’ll use for GitHub, GitLab, or other Git hosting services.

3. Create Your First Repository

   Initialize a new Git repository:

   # Create a project directory
   mkdir my-project
   cd my-project
   
   # Initialize Git
   git init
   

   You’ll see:

   Initialized empty Git repository in /path/to/my-project/.git/
   
4. Make Your First Commit

   Create a file and commit it:

   # Create a README file
   echo "# My Project" > README.md
   
   # Stage the file
   git add README.md
   
   # Commit the changes
   git commit -m "Initial commit"
   

   The -m flag adds a commit message. Always write clear, descriptive commit messages!

Basic Daily Workflow

Once you have a repository, here’s the typical workflow:

1. Edit Files

Make changes to your files using your favorite editor.

2. Check Status

See what files have changed:

git status

Output:

On branch main
Changes not staged for commit:
  modified:   README.md

Untracked files:
  app.js

3. Stage Changes

Add files to the staging area:

# Stage specific files
git add README.md app.js

# Or stage all changes
git add .

4. Commit Changes

Save your staged changes:

git commit -m "Add initial application code"

Understanding Git Status

When you run git status, files can be in different states:

Untracked

New files that Git isn’t tracking yet

Modified

Tracked files that have been changed

Staged

Files ready to be committed

Viewing Changes

See what changed in files

# View unstaged changes
git diff

# View staged changes
git diff --staged

View commit history

# View commit log
git log

# View compact log
git log --oneline

# View log with graph
git log --graph --oneline --all

Quick Reference

Here are the most essential commands:

git init

Initialize a new Git repository

git init

git add

Stage files for commit

git add <file>        # Add specific file
git add .             # Add all changes
git add -p            # Interactive staging

git commit

Save staged changes

git commit -m "message"    # Commit with message
git commit -am "message"   # Stage and commit tracked files
git commit --amend         # Modify last commit

git status

Check repository status

git status            # Full status
git status -s         # Short status

git log

View commit history

git log               # Full log
git log --oneline     # Compact log
git log -n 5          # Last 5 commits

git diff

View changes

git diff              # Unstaged changes
git diff --staged     # Staged changes
git diff HEAD         # All changes

Practical Example

Let’s build a simple todo app:

# Create project
mkdir todo-app
cd todo-app
git init

# Create initial file
echo "# Todo App" > README.md
echo "[] Buy groceries" > todos.txt

# First commit
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit with README and todos"

# Add more todos
echo "[] Walk the dog" >> todos.txt
echo "[] Study Git" >> todos.txt

# Check what changed
git diff

# Commit new todos
git add todos.txt
git commit -m "Add more todo items"

# View history
git log --oneline

Tips for Better Commits

Write Clear Commit Messages

Good:

• Add user authentication feature
• Fix navigation bug on mobile
• Update README with installation steps

Avoid:

• Update
• Fix stuff
• WIP

Commit Frequently

Make small, focused commits rather than large ones. Each commit should represent one logical change.

Review Before Committing

Always check git status and git diff before committing to make sure you’re committing what you intend.

Common Mistakes

Committing Without Staging

If you forget to run git add, your changes won’t be committed. Always stage files first!

Wrong Files in Commit

Be careful not to commit sensitive files like passwords or API keys. Use .gitignore to prevent this.

Working with Existing Projects

To work on an existing Git project:

# Clone a repository
git clone https://github.com/username/repo.git

# Enter the directory
cd repo

# Make changes and commit
# (follow the workflow above)

Next Steps

Learn Core Concepts

Understand repositories, commits, and branches

Complete Tutorial

Follow our comprehensive step-by-step tutorial

Essential Commands

Deep dive into Git commands

Best Practices

Learn Git workflows and conventions

Cheat Sheet

Command	Description
git init	Create new repository
git add <file>	Stage file
git commit -m "msg"	Commit changes
git status	Check status
git log	View history
git diff	View changes
git clone <url>	Clone repository

You’re now ready to start using Git! For more details, check out our Complete Tutorial or browse the Command Reference.