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After installing Git, verify it runs, set the name and email that will appear in your commits, then either initialize your own project or clone one that already exists. You can do all of that locally; connecting to a hosting service and authenticating are separate steps.
Minute 0–1: Confirm Git is available
Open a terminal (or Git Bash on Windows) and run:
git --versionIf Git is installed correctly, the command prints a version number. If the command is not recognized or cannot be found, use the official installation instructions for your operating system rather than guessing at a platform-specific fix: Installing Git. The available installation route differs by platform; the official guide covers package managers for Linux distributions and Xcode Command Line Tools as one option on macOS.
Minute 1–3: Set the identity recorded in commits
Before creating commits, configure the name and email Git should record as your author identity:
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"Replace the example values with the identity you want attached to your commits. These settings are user-wide defaults, not a hosting-site account or login. Git records them in commits; they do not create an account with a code-hosting provider. See First-Time Git Setup.
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If a particular project needs a different identity, run the same commands from that repository but omit --global. Repository-specific configuration can override your global defaults.
Minute 3–4: Check which settings Git will use
To inspect configuration values and where they came from, run:
git config --list --show-originGit can read settings from system, user, and repository configuration files. When the same setting appears at different levels, the more specific setting takes precedence. The origin shown beside a value can help explain why Git is using an unexpected name, email, editor, or other option. See the git-config reference.
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Minute 4–5: Choose the right way to start
These commands solve different problems: git init starts tracking a local folder as a repository, while git clone obtains an existing repository and its history.
For a project folder you already have
In a terminal, move into the folder and run:
git initThis creates Git repository metadata in that directory. It does not download a remote project.
For a repository that already exists elsewhere
Use the repository’s clone URL:
git clone <repository-url>Replace <repository-url> with the URL provided by the host. Cloning creates a local copy of the existing repository and its history. Git’s user manual explains both paths: Git User Manual.
Minute 5–8: Make a first local commit
For a repository you just initialized, add only the files you intend to record, review the staged changes, and commit them:
git add <file-or-folder>
git status
git diff --staged
git commit -m "Add initial project files"git addstages the specified file or folder for the next commit. Choose deliberately rather than adding everything automatically.git statusshows which changes are staged and which are not.git diff --stagedlets you inspect the staged content before recording it.git commitrecords the staged changes in your local repository. Replace the example message with a short description of the change.
Check that you have not staged credentials, private keys, or other secrets. Generated files may also be inappropriate to commit, depending on the project; there is no single ignore rule that fits every repository. Git’s getting-started guide demonstrates the git init, git add, and git commit flow: First-Time Git Setup.
Minute 8–10: Set optional preferences
You can use Git without changing these preferences. Set them only if they suit your workflow.
Choose an editor
If Git opens an editor you do not want to use, configure core.editor with a command available on your computer. For example:
git config --global core.editor "<editor-command>"Replace the example with your editor’s command; the correct value depends on the editor and how it is installed. Configuration options are described in the git-config reference.
Choose a default branch name for new repositories
If you want new repositories you initialize to use a particular default branch name, set it like this:
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git config --global init.defaultBranch mainThis affects repositories created in the future; it does not rename an existing repository’s branch. The git-init documentation describes initialization options.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happens when you connect to a remote?
A local commit is saved in your local repository. Pushing or otherwise working with a remote host is separate, and Git may ask for credentials when an operation contacts that host. The credential method depends on your host and setup, so there is no single credential-helper command that applies to everyone. See Git’s credentials documentation.
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