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This Guide Will Show You How To Install Git On Windows

This document provides step-by-step instructions for installing and using Git on Windows. It begins by explaining prerequisites like administrator privileges and a text editor. It then details 16 steps for installing Git, including downloading, extracting, selecting components and a text editor. It concludes by explaining how to launch Git, configure credentials for GitHub, clone and push to a remote repository on GitHub.

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Harish KV
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© © All Rights Reserved
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82 views

This Guide Will Show You How To Install Git On Windows

This document provides step-by-step instructions for installing and using Git on Windows. It begins by explaining prerequisites like administrator privileges and a text editor. It then details 16 steps for installing Git, including downloading, extracting, selecting components and a text editor. It concludes by explaining how to launch Git, configure credentials for GitHub, clone and push to a remote repository on GitHub.

Uploaded by

Harish KV
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 16

How To Install And Use Git On

Windows
Posted January 8, 2020  WINDOWS GIT
1. Home
2. SysAdmin
3. How to Install and Use Git on Windows

Introduction
Git is a widely used open-source software tracking application used to track projects
across different teams and revision levels.

This guide will show you how to install Git on Windows.

Prerequisites
 Administrator privileges
 Access to a command-line
 Your favorite coding text editor
 Username and password for the Github website (optional)
Steps For Installing Git for
Windows
Installing Git prompts you to select a text editor. If you don’t have one, we strongly
advise you to install prior to installing Git. Our roundup of the 11 best text editors for
coding may help you decide.

Download Git for Windows


1. Browse to the official Git website: https://git-scm.com/downloads
2. Click the download link for Windows and allow the download to complete.

Extract and Launch Git Installer


3. Browse to the download location (or use the download shortcut in your browser).
Double-click the file to extract and launch the installer.
4. Allow the app to make changes to your device by clicking Yes on the User Account
Control dialog that opens.

5. Review the GNU General Public License, and when you’re ready to install,
click Next.
6. The installer will ask you for an installation location. Leave the default, unless you
have reason to change it, and click Next.

7. A component selection screen will appear. Leave the defaults unless you have a
specific need to change them and click Next.
8. The installer will offer to create a start menu folder. Simply click Next.

9. Select a text editor you’d like to use with Git. Use the drop-down menu to select
Notepad++ (or whichever text editor you prefer) and click Next.
10. This installation step allows you to change the PATH environment.
The PATH is the default set of directories included when you run a command from
the command line. Leave this on the middle (recommended) selection and click Next.

Server Certificates, Line Endings and Terminal


Emulators
11. The next option relates to server certificates. Most users should use the default. If
you’re working in an Active Directory environment, you may need to switch to
Windows Store certificates. Click Next.

12. The next selection converts line endings. It is recommended that you leave the
default selection. This relates to the way data is formatted and changing this option
may cause problems. Click Next.
13. Choose the terminal emulator you want to use. The default MinTTY is
recommended, for its features. Click Next.

Additional Customization Options


14. The default options are recommended, however this step allows you to decide
which extra option you would like to enable. If you use symbolic links, which are like
shortcuts for the command line, tick the box. Click Next.
15. Depending on the version of Git you’re installing, it may offer to install
experimental features. At the time this article was written, the option to include
interactive options was offered. Unless you are feeling adventurous, leave them
unchecked and click Install.

Complete Git Installation Process


16. Once the installation is complete, tick the boxes to view the Release Notes or
Launch Git Bash, then click Finish.

How to Launch Git in Windows


Git has two modes of use – a bash scripting shell (or command line) and a graphical
user interface (GUI).

Launch Git Bash Shell


To launch Git Bash open the Windows Start menu, type git bash and
press Enter (or click the application icon).
Launch Git GUI
To launch Git GUI open the Windows Start menu, type git gui and press Enter (or
click the application icon).
Connecting to a Remote
Repository
You need a GitHub username and password for this next step.

Create a Test Directory


Open a Windows PowerShell interface by pressing Windows Key + x, and
then i once the menu appears.

Create a new test directory (folder) by entering the following:

mkdir git_test

An example of the PowerShell output.


Change your location to the newly created directory:

cd git_test

Note: If you already have a GitHub repository, use the name of that project instead
of git_test.

Configure GitHub Credentials


Configure your local Git installation to use your GitHub credentials by entering the
following:

git config ––global user.name “github_username”


git config ––global user.email “email_address”

Note: Replace github_username and email_address with your GitHub credentials.

Clone a GitHub Repository


Go to your repository on GitHub. In the top right above the list of files, open
the Clone or download drop-down menu. Copy the URL for cloning over HTTPS.
Switch to your PowerShell window, and enter the following:

git clone repository_url

Important: In the example above, the command will clone the repository over
HTTPS. Another option is cloning with SSH URLs. For that option to work, you
must generate an SSH key pair on your Windows workstation and assign the public key
to your GitHub account.

List Remote Repositories


Your working directory should now have a copy of the repository from GitHub. It
should contain a directory with the name of the project. Change to the directory:

cd git_project

Note: Replace git_project with the actual name of the repository you downloaded. If


it’s not working, you can list the contents of the current directory with
the ls command. This is helpful if you don’t know the exact name or need to check
your spelling.

Once you’re in the sub-directory, list the remote repositories:


git remote –v

Pushing Local Files to the Remote Repository


Once you’ve done some work on the project, you may want to submit those changes
to the remote project on GitHub.

1. For example, create a new text file by entering the following into your PowerShell
window:

new-item text.txt

2. Confirmation that the new file is created.

3. Now check the status of your new Git branch and untracked files:

git status

4. Add your new file to the local project:

git add text.txt

5. Run git status again to make sure the text.txt file has been added. Next, commit the
changes to the local project:

git commit –m “Sample 1”

6. Finally, push the changes to the remote GitHub repository:


git push

Note: You may need to enter your username and password for GitHub.

Conclusion
You now have a working installation of Git on your Windows system. Use Git’s
features to coordinate work among programmers on a project.

For Linux and MacOS installation guides, check out our articles on installing Git on
Ubuntu,  CentOS and MacOS

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