Setting Up Git

Overview

Teaching: 5 min
Exercises: 0 min

Questions

• How do I get set up to use Git?

Objectives

• Configure git the first time it is used on a computer.

• Understand the difference between Git and GitHub.

When we use GitHub Desktop on a new computer for the first time, we need to configure a few things.

You’ll see a welcome screen when you open GitHub Desktop. Click “Sign in to GitHub.com” enter your GitHub username and password.

You do not need a GitHub account to use GitHub Desktop (It’s an open source program and works even if you don’t have a GitHub account - you could click on “Skip this step” on the welcome screen). However, because we’re going to be syncing repositories with GitHub later on in this lesson it makes sense to sign in now.

Next, we’ll set our name and email address for Git. A requirement of the Git version control system is that you set a name and email address. These will be included with the history of changes made to a repository.

While this name and email doesn’t need to be the same as the one in your GitHub account, it’s easier if they match. Note that the default email from GitHub is @users.noreply.github.com - this is a private address that is connected to your GitHub account. It doesn’t accept email and ensures privacy.

The weird robot image on the bottom left hand side is made up and shows how a commit history will look. This might get removed in a future release.

These configuration changes don’t have to be added next time you start GitHub Desktop, but can be modified under Preferences/Accounts and Preferences/Git.

Key Points

• GitHub Desktop is an easier way to start using version control on your local computer.