git-and-github-training/1-how-to-setup-git.qmd at main · ICON-in-R/git-and-github-training · GitHub

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---
title: "Installing and Setting Up Git on Windows"
author: "N Green"
date: "2025-09-29"
format:
  pdf:
    pdf-engine: xelatex
    header-includes: |
      \usepackage{fontawesome5}
  revealjs: default
---

## Introduction

Git is an essential version control system for software development and data science projects. This guide will walk you through the process of installing and configuring Git on a Windows machine. 🧐

---

## 1. Installation

First, you need to download and install Git for Windows.

1.  **Download the Installer**: Navigate to the official Git website at [git-scm.com](https://git-scm.com/download/win). The download for the latest 64-bit version should start automatically.

2.  **Run the Installer**: Once the download is complete, open the installer `.exe` file. You'll be prompted to allow the app to make changes to your device; click **Yes**.

3.  **Follow the Setup Wizard**: The installer offers many customization options. For most users, the default settings are perfect. Here are a few key screens:
    * **Select Components**: The default selections are fine. You can optionally add a Git icon to the Desktop.
    * **Choosing the default editor for Git**: The installer will default to Vim. If you're not comfortable with Vim and almost everyone isn't so I would seriously recommending not using this at least for now, you can select a different editor like Visual Studio Code, Notepad++, or Sublime Text from the dropdown menu.
    * **Adjusting the name of the initial branch in new repositories**: The default is `main`. It's recommended to stick with this modern standard.
    * **Adjusting your PATH environment**: The recommended option, "**Git from the command line and also from 3rd-party software**," is the best choice. This allows you to use Git from both Git Bash and the Windows Command Prompt/PowerShell.
    * **All other steps**: For the remaining steps (choosing SSH executable, server certificates, line ending conversions, terminal emulator, etc.), the default options are sensible and work well. Click **Next** through these screens and finally click **Install**.

---

## 2. Configuration

After the installation is complete, you need to configure your user information. Git uses this information to label your commits.

You can run these commands from **any** terminal on your system, including **Windows Terminal (PowerShell)**, the classic **Command Prompt**, or **Git Bash** (which was installed with Git).

Open your preferred terminal.

1.  **Set Your Username**: This name will appear on your commits. Type the following command, replacing "Your Name" with your actual name.

    ```bash
    git config --global user.name "Your Name"
    ```

2.  **Set Your Email Address**: This email will be associated with your commits. It's crucial to use the same email address that you use for services like GitHub or GitLab.

    ```bash
    git config --global user.email "youremail@example.com"
    ```

---

## 3. Verify Your Configuration

To check that your configuration was set correctly, you can run the following commands.

1.  **Check Your Settings**: To see your global configuration settings, use this command:

    ```bash
    git config --list
    ```

    You should see the `user.name` and `user.email` you just set in the output.

2.  **Check Git Version**: To ensure Git was installed properly, you can check its version.

    ```bash
    git --version
    ```

    This will output the installed version of Git, for example, `git version 2.45.1.windows.1`.

3. **Show All Commands**

  ```bash
  git
  ```

---

## Next Steps

Congratulations! \faIcon{trophy} 🎉 You have successfully installed and configured Git on your Windows machine. You are now ready to start using it for version control.

You can begin by:

* Create a new folder with `mkdir git-practice`
* Move to folder with `cd git-practice`
* Creating a new repository with `git init`.
* Cloning an existing repository from a service like GitHub with `git clone <repository-url>`.