Installing Git

Git is a program that allows you to keep track of changes to your coding projects (giving you the confidence you need to update and experiment without fear of losing your existing working code) and to share your code with others (allowing you to collaborate on projects). It is a powerful tool for any programmer, whether working alone or with others.

Though it may look overwhelming (and at times even magical), Git works like any other program you use in your day-to-day. This means you must first install Git on your system in order to take advantage of its powerful tools.

Many Linux and MacOS systems come with Git pre-installed, while Windows does not. We recommend you check to see if you have Git installed already!

How to Tell If You Have Git

To know if you have Git installed, you can look at the list of installed programs or try running a Git command in your terminal, according to your operating system.

Windows

Checking Your Programs List

Windows does not include Git by default, which means that unless you installed it in the past, it’s unlikely to be installed on your computer. You can check by going to your Start Menu, then Apps (Programs), and looking for Git. If it isn’t in your apps list, see Installing Git for instructions.

Checking with Powershell

If you’re familiar with the command line, you can also check by opening PowerShell and running:

git version

git version 2.28.0

MacOS

Git often comes pre-installed on MacOS or with other development tools, like Xcode. To check for Git, open your terminal and run:

git version

git version 2.28.0

Linux

Git often comes pre-installed on Linux distros. To check for Git, open your terminal and run:

git version

git version 2.28.0

The output of this command will be different according to whether Git is installed on your machine.

Git’s Recommended Version: FujoGuide Edition

The lowest recommended version to follow along FujoGuide is 2.28.0. If the version number printed by the above command is lower, you should upgrade Git or re-install a more recent version.

If Git Is Not Installed

If Git is not already installed, you will receive an error message telling you that the git command is not recognized and that it needs to be installed.

If Git Is Installed

If you already have Git installed, your terminal will respond with your current version of Git. For example:

git version

git version 2.28.0

Compare the output to the lowest recommended version noted above! If your version is lower, follow the Installing Git instructions to update your installed version.

Review your settings

Even if Git is installed, make sure to review your settings by following our guide on [Git’s Default Settings]/git/git-settings).

Installing Git

How you install Git will depend on your operating system:

Windows

Help! My installer looks different!

Git is updated frequently, so your installer may not match the one we’re using. That’s okay! If your screens do not exactly align with the ones below, most Git options can be left at the default value and all Git options can be set in the configuration settings at a later date!

Don’t worry and don’t think too hard about these options!

If you find you need to re-visit your defaults, review Setting up Git’s Defaults for guidance.

1. Go to Git’s website for Windows.

2. Choose the link under Standalone Installer for your system.

   Tip

   Most pre-installed current versions of Windows are 64-bit. If you’re unsure which one you’re running, follow this Windows FAQ to find out!

3. Once the installer downloads, navigate to where you saved it and double-click the icon to open the installer.

4. Select Destination Location: Install Git in the default location.

5. Select Components: You can proceed with the default selections.

   Tip

   If you have Windows Terminal installed (you’ll know if you do!), it will be useful to click the “Add Git Profile to Windows Terminal” option.

6. Select Start Menu Folder: Keep the default.

7. Choosing the default editor used by Git: This setting allows you to chose what program Git uses for editing text (like commit messages). You can leave the default setting (Vim) or update to your favorite text editor from the dropdown.

   What is Vim?

   Vim is an open-source, screen-based text editor program designed for use from both a command line and a graphical user interface. It’s very powerful, but has a learning curve that makes it difficult for beginners to use without guidance. We provide the important commands for Vim in FujoGuide and recommend that everyone gets a little experience with using it.

   

8. Adjusting the name of the initial branch in new repositories: The default option is to name the initial branch “master”. Recently, there’s been an effort to move away from this terminology. We recommend you select the bottom option to override this default and type “main” into the box that opens.

   

9. Adjusting your PATH environment: If it isn’t already selected, choose the recommended setting (Git from the command line and also from 3rd-party software). This will allow you to integrate Git into your coding editors and other tools, which will be very useful as your coding journey progresses.

   

10. Choosing the SSH executable: Keep the default.

    

11. Configuring the line ending conversions: Windows marks line breaks in a text file differently than Unix-based operating systems (MacOS, Linux). Because of that, this setting can impact how “nice” your commits play in cross-platform projects. Keep the default setting for now.

    

12. Configuring the terminal emulator to use with Git Bash: Keep the default option.

    

13. Choose the default behavior of git pull: Update this to Only ever fast-forward.

    

14. Continue through any remaining screens with the default options.

Review your settings (optional)

Once Git is installed, we recommend you review your settings to ensure they’re correct. Check out our guide on Setting up Git’s Defaults.

MacOS

To install or update Git on MacOS, visit Git’s website for MacOS and choose your favorite method of installation. We recommend using homebrew to install on MacOS.

Uninstalling to Reinstall

If you run into issues with installation (for example, if the installer is failing, you’re receiving other errors, your system is holding onto the older version, etc.), you may need to uninstall Git using your terminal (command line).

1. Open your terminal.

2. Run which git in your terminal.

   which git

   # the terminal returns the path where Git is installed. The default is listed below.
   /usr/local/bin/git

3. Run the command below to delete the folder at the path returned by which git and uninstall Git.

   Make sure you run which git first!

   sudo rm -rf [file-path] is a dangerous command! Once you run it, it will permanently delete the file or folder at [file-path], with no recourse!

   You should look carefully at the output of which git before running the next command: if the path is empty or seems suspicious, ask someone for help!

   sudo rm -rf $(which git)

   Tip

   sudo automatically runs a command at the administrator level, so you may be asked to enter your password when you use sudo during a terminal session.

4. Follow the instructions above to reinstall a newer version of Git.

Review your settings

Once Git is installed, we recommend you review your settings to ensure they’re correct. Check out our guide on Setting up Git’s Defaults.

Linux

To install or update Git on Debian/Ubuntu, open your terminal and run:

sudo apt-get install git

You can find a list of commands for different distributions on Git’s website for Linux.

Tip

sudo automatically runs a command at the administrator level, so you may be asked to enter your password when you use sudo during a terminal session.

Review your settings

Once Git is installed, we recommend you review your settings to ensure they’re correct. Check out our guide on [Git’s Default Settings]/git/git-settings).

🎉 Congratulations! You’ve installed Git! 🎉