Lesson 3 · GitHub track 3 min readBeginner🪟 Windows

Setup your Git on Windows

GitHub provides two ways of installation: GitHub Desktop, and the command line by installing the Git software on your system. Personally, from a developer perspective, I would suggest you use the command line, as it comes in handy and gives more flexibility in solving bugs and doing more with version control, especially when conflicts happen with Git. This tutorial is focused on the command line version.

Git Setup✕

Installing

Please wait while Setup installs Git

Git BashGit GUIGit CMD

✓ Git installed

🖱️GitHub DesktopPoint and click app

Recommended$_Command line (Git)This tutorial

You are here18 lessons in the GitHub track

Your install checklist

Tick each step as you finish it.

0 of 5 done

Step 1: Let’s download Git

Go to the Git Website and click on the Download for Windows button.

https://git-scm.com/

IN THE SCREENSHOT

• 11Marker 11: Install: Download for Windows

Step 2: Select the version you want to install

Get your installer: Based on your version of Windows, you can choose the standalone installer or the Windows installer to get started. As my system is 64-bit, I will choose 64-bit here. You can find out which system you are using by right-clicking the This PC icon, choosing Properties and checking the System type.

WHICH INSTALLER DO I NEED?Check it on your PC, then pick it here

• 🖥️ This PC
• → right click
• Properties
• → look for
• System type

⬇️ Git for Windows/x64 Setupunder Standalone Installer on the download page

Installer: Get the Installer

https://git-scm.com/downloads/win

IN THE SCREENSHOT

• 12Marker 12: This one: Git for Windows/x64 Setup

Start Installation: Open the installer once it has downloaded.

https://git-scm.com/

IN THE SCREENSHOT

• 13Marker 13: Click on Next

1. On the next screen, click Next on the Public Licence.
2. Choose the default location and click Next.

Step 3: Understanding the Interface

Next, Git will ask you to install a couple of components. You can check Additional icons to add them on the Desktop, leave the rest as default and click Next.

1. On the next screen, click Next, and make sure the Start Menu folder name is Git.
2. Next, choose the default editor. You can use your own editor (I am using Visual Studio Code) or keep Vim as the default editor.

https://git-scm.com/

IN THE SCREENSHOT

• 14Marker 14: Additional icons, if required

Step 4: Adjusting the name of the repo setting in Git

At this stage, it will ask you to choose the initial branch name for new repositories. The ideal approach is to pick the second option, as it gives us the flexibility to change the initial branch name, like main, master or trunk.

Let Git decide

Override the default branch namemainPick this one

https://git-scm.com/

IN THE SCREENSHOT

• 14Marker 14: Give main

Step 5: Adjusting your PATH environment

This is where we specify the PATH environment for Git. Just go with the recommended option, which is option 2.

https://git-scm.com/

IN THE SCREENSHOT

• 15Marker 15: Select path: Git from the command line and also from 3rd-party software

THE NEXT 7 INSTALLER SCREENSScreen 1 of 7

Git Setup✕

Choosing the SSH executable

Recommended option: Use bundled OpenSSH.

Use bundled OpenSSHChoose this

Use external OpenSSH

Simplified view of each installer screen. Option names follow the Git for Windows installer and may be worded slightly differently in your version.

https://git-scm.com/

IN THE SCREENSHOT

• Launch Git Bash
• Finish

Congratulations

Congratulations! The Git setup is finished and you can now launch Git Bash.

After setup, you will see a few new apps in your PC’s application list: Git Bash, Git GUI and Git CMD. However, we will mostly use Git Bash for uploading our projects.

• We use this$_Git BashCommand line, used most in this course
• 🪟Git GUIGraphical interface
• >_Git CMDGit in the Windows command prompt

Check your Git version

Run the command below in Git CMD or the Windows Command Prompt to see your current version of Git. Git installation on Windows is complete.

Git Code

Check your Git version

git --version

Output on browser

Command Prompt

IN THE SCREENSHOT

• Prints current version

Conclusion

In conclusion, I hope you enjoyed reading this article on “Setting up your Git environment”. In the next post, we will discuss using Git to create a repository and clone a project from GitHub.

Signing off, Sanjay Viswanathan.

UP NEXT · LESSON 4Setup Git on Mac