Git and GitHub for Beginners: A Friendly Guide

Source: Dev.to

Installing Git Bash

• Google Git Bash
• Download the Windows installer
• Run the installer with these recommended settings:
  • Select “Use Git from Git Bash only”

Connecting Git to Your GitHub Account

Check Git version

git --version

Configure Your Identity

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"

Generate an SSH Key

# Generate a new SSH key
ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "you@example.com"

The public key will be saved to:

C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\.ssh\id_ed25519.pub

Add SSH Key to GitHub

1. Go to your GitHub account → Settings → SSH and GPG keys.
2. Click “New SSH key”, paste the contents of id_ed25519.pub, and save.

Test Your Connection

ssh -T git@github.com

You should see a success message confirming authentication.

What Is Git and Why Is Version Control Important?

Git is a free, open‑source distributed version control system (DVCS) used by developers to track changes in source code and other files during software development. It enables multiple people to collaborate on the same project without overwriting each other’s work and allows users to revert to previous versions when needed.

Importance of Version Control

• Keeps a complete history of changes.
• Facilitates collaboration among team members.
• Enables branching and merging for feature development.
• Provides a safety net for recovering lost work.

How to Push Code to GitHub

# Initialize a new repository (if you haven’t already)
git init

# Add your files to Git’s staging area
git add .

# Commit your changes with a message
git commit -m "Initial commit"

# Connect your project to GitHub
git remote add origin https://github.com/username/repository.git

# Push your code to the remote repository
git push -u origin main

How to Pull Code from GitHub

Pulling downloads the latest changes from GitHub to your local machine:

git pull origin main

How to Track Changes Using Git

• Status: Shows which files are new, modified, or staged.

  git status

• Log: View commit history with messages, authors, and timestamps.

  git log

• Diff: Compare changes before committing; displays the exact lines added or removed.

  git diff