Essential Git Bash Commands for Pushing and Pulling Code on GitHub

Source: Dev.to

What is Git Bash

Git Bash is a command‑line interface that lets you run Git commands on your local machine. It’s not GitHub, it’s not a programming language, and it’s not optional if you want to use Git from the terminal. Git Bash is simply the environment where Git commands are executed.

You use Git Bash every time you want to pull code from GitHub or push your local changes back to it.

How to set up Git Bash

Before you start working on anything, configure your Git identity.

Set your username

git --config global user.name "yourname"

Set your email

git --config global user.email "your email"

Git uses this information to link your commits to your account.

Getting a Repository into Git Bash

1. Cloning an existing GitHub repository

If the project already exists on GitHub, clone it with:

git clone 

This command downloads the project to your local machine and creates a local repository.

2. Using Git Bash inside an existing local project

If the project already exists on your computer, initialize a repository:

git init

Then connect it to a remote GitHub repository:

git remote add origin 

The Core Workflow: From Local Changes to GitHub

Check the current state of your project

git status

git status shows which files have changed and which are untracked. Run it before pulling, committing, or pushing.

Pulling code from GitHub

Pulling always comes before pushing. It downloads changes from GitHub and applies them to your local code, preventing conflicts.

git pull origin main

Replace main with your branch name if needed.

Making changes locally (before pushing)

Stage your changes after editing:

git add

Pushing code to GitHub

Send your local commits to GitHub:

git push -u origin 

Common Push and Pull Errors

• Rejected – Happens when you try to push without pulling first. Pull before you push.
• Authentication failed – Git can’t verify your identity.
• Nothing to push – Occurs when you haven’t committed any changes.

Correct Push–Pull Order

For beginners, master this sequence:

1. Pull
2. Change
3. Add
4. Commit
5. Push

Following this order keeps your code in sync, prevents rejected pushes, and minimizes conflicts.

Conclusion

Understanding Git might seem hard at first, but it gets easier with practice. You don’t become proficient by memorizing commands; you improve by running them repeatedly on real repositories, making mistakes, and reading the errors. Once you start moving, Git Bash becomes predictable.