Git & GitHub: A Beginner’s Guide to Version Control for Data Professionals

Source: Dev.to

Installing Git

Windows Users

1. Visit the Git for Windows download page.
2. Download the Windows installer.
3. Run the installer with these recommended settings:
   • Select “Use Git from Git Bash only”.
   • Choose “Checkout Windows‑style, commit Unix‑style line endings”.
   • Use MinTTY as the terminal emulator.
   • Enable file system caching.

macOS Users

brew install git

Linux Users

# Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt-get install git

# CentOS/Fedora
sudo yum install git

Verify Installation

git --version

Configure Git

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

Generate SSH Key

ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C "your.email@example.com"

• Press Enter to accept the default file location.
• Create a passphrase when prompted.

View your public key:

cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

Copy the entire output.

Add SSH Key to GitHub

1. Go to GitHub → Settings → SSH and GPG keys → New SSH key.
2. Paste your key and save.

Test Connection

ssh -T git@github.com

You should see a message like:
Hi username! You've successfully authenticated...

Understanding Version Control: The What & Why

What is Version Control?

Think of it as a time machine for your code. Every change is saved, so you can:

• Track who made what changes.
• Revert to previous versions.
• Work on features without breaking your main code.
• Collaborate without overwriting others’ work.

Why Data Professionals Need Git

• Reproducibility: Track exactly which version of code produced which results.
• Collaboration: Multiple team members can work on the same project simultaneously.
• Experimentation: Try new approaches without fear of breaking working code.
• Documentation: Commit messages explain why changes were made.