GIT

Topics Discussed

• Introduction – What Git is and why it is used
• Setting up Git (installation and authentication methods)
• Core Git workflow
• Essential Git commands
• Branching and merging strategies
• Stashing for temporary context switching
• Collaboration best practices

Introduction: Why Git?

Git is a Distributed Version Control System (DVCS) used to track changes in source code
during software development. It enables multiple developers to work on the same project
simultaneously while maintaining a complete history of changes.

Unlike centralized version control systems, Git allows every developer to maintain a full copy
of the repository and its entire history locally.

Key Advantages of Git

• Data Integrity – Every change in Git is stored using a cryptographic hash.
• Powerful Branching – Git allows developers to create lightweight branches instantly for isolated environments.
• High Performance – Most Git operations are performed locally, making it significantly faster.
• Collaboration – Git is the industry standard and integrates with platforms such as GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket.

Setting Up Git

Before using Git, you must install it and configure authentication.

Install Git

Linux:

sudo apt install git

macOS:

brew install git

Windows:

Download installer from:

https://git-scm.com/downloads

Configure Git Identity

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "[email protected]"
git config --list

Authentication Methods

Modern Git platforms require secure authentication. While HTTPS with a Personal Access
Token is now the standard for many new users due to its ease of setup, SSH authentication
remains highly popular, particularly in enterprise environments.

Method 1: SSH Authentication

Generate an SSH key:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "[email protected]"

Start SSH agent:

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Copy the public key:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Test connection (GitHub example):

ssh -T [email protected]

Clone repository using SSH:

git clone [email protected]:user/repository.git

Method 2: HTTPS with PAT

Clone repository using HTTPS:

git clone https://github.com/user/repository.git

Method 3: Setting Up a PAT (Step-by-Step)

• Access Settings: Navigate to your user settings or profile menu.
• Developer Settings: Find “Developer settings” or “Access Tokens”.
• Generate Token: Click “Generate new token”.
• Set Scopes: Select required permissions (repo, write access).
• Copy Token Immediately: Store it securely.

Core Git Workflow

• Working Directory – Files currently being edited.
• Staging Area – Temporary space where changes are prepared.
• Local Repository – Stores commits inside the .git directory.
• Remote Repository – Hosted repository (GitHub, GitLab).

Workflow Overview

Essential Git Commands

Repository Setup

Development Loop

Collaboration Best Practices

• Atomic Commits: Each commit should be a single logical change.
• Pull Before Push: Always sync with the remote before uploading.
• Protect Main: Use Pull Requests for code review.