Setting Up Git
Author: Alex Chou

A. Windows

Below are some instructions for installing Git for Windows which will come with Git Bash (a Unix-like shell for Windows bundled with some common Linux Tools) and Git GUI (a GUI for Git on Windows). You will want to install at least one of these tools in order to use Git this semester.

  1. Head over to git-scm.com/download/win to download the latest version of Git for Windows.
  2. When the Git-*.exe file has finished downloading, execute it and continue through the installation. When you reach 'Select Components', make sure 'Windows Explorer integration' is checked. Note: It is recommended to select 'Advanced context menu', which will include both Git Bash and Git GUI (this option allows you to make use of additional Git features when you right-click files). If you do not wish for this, choose 'Simple context menu'.
  3. Complete the rest of the installation (none of the remaining settings need to be changed).
  4. Now, to check that the installation has succeeded, you will be able to find Git Bash / GUI in your Start menu (Start -> All Programs -> Git -> Git Bash / GUI).

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Git Bash / GUI onto your Windows machine.

B. OSX/Mac

Homebrew

If you already have Homebrew installed, you should just have to type in the following command to get command line Git:

$ brew install git

Without Homebrew

Or you can directly install git here.

C. Linux/Ubuntu

For Linux (Ubuntu / Debian) users, Git is available via apt-get. To install Git on a non-root user, run the following command:

$ sudo apt-get install git

After installation, type

$ git

and you should see a usage message!