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Builder Foundations

Install Git

Get Git on your computer

Before you can make save points, you need Git on your computer. You install it once and then forget about it.

What are we installing?

Installing Git is like installing a camera app on your phone. The app does nothing until you open it and take a photo. Git also sits quietly until you ask it to take a snapshot.

  • Git runs on your own computer, not in the cloud
  • It is free and open source
  • You talk to it by typing commands in the terminal

Download Git

Git is free and works on every computer. Pick your operating system below and follow the steps. It takes about five minutes.

  1. Go to git-scm.com
  2. Click Download for Windows
  3. Run the downloaded installer
  4. The installer asks many questions. Keep the default options and click "Next" each time
  5. Click "Install", then "Finish"

When it is done, open the Git Bash app or PowerShell from the Start menu. Both work for this course.

Check that it worked

Open a new terminal window and type this command:

bash
git --version

You should see something like git version 2.x.x. The exact number does not matter. If you see a version, Git is ready.

Tell Git who you are

Every commit is signed with a name and an email. It is like writing your name on a page of a shared notebook. Run these two commands once, with your own details:

bash
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"

Let's break this down:

  • git config changes a Git setting
  • --global means "use this for every project on this computer"
  • user.name and user.email are the labels on your commits
Use the same email you will use for GitHub later. That way GitHub can link your commits to your account.

To check your settings, run:

bash
git config --global --list

Not sure? Ask AI

If a step confuses you, paste the exact message you see into ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini:

Prompt
I'm a beginner installing Git on Windows.
I typed "git --version" and got this message:
[paste the message here]
Explain what it means in simple words and tell me the next step.

Troubleshooting

Common mistakes

  • Wrong: typing git --version in the same terminal you had open before installing. Right: open a fresh terminal.
  • Wrong: skipping user.name and user.email. Right: set them now, or Git will complain at your first commit.
  • Wrong: changing lots of installer options you don't understand. Right: keep the defaults.

Practice

Try these exercises to lock in what you just learned.

Quiz
Not started
You just installed Git, but your terminal says 'git: command not found'. What should you try first?
Quiz
Not started
Why do you run git config --global user.name and user.email after installing?

What's next?

Git is installed and knows who you are. Now let's use it to save your first snapshot in Your first commit.