How to Install Git on Linux, Windows, and macOS

Introduction to Git

Git is a distributed version control system that tracks changes in source code during software development. It's designed for coordinating work among programmers, but it can be used to track changes in any set of files. Git was created by Linus Torvalds in 2005 for development of the Linux kernel.

In this tutorial, we'll walk through the process of installing Git on the three major operating systems: Linux, Windows, and macOS. By the end of this guide, you'll have Git installed and configured on your system.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you have:

• Administrative access to your computer
• An active internet connection
• Basic familiarity with command line interface (helpful but not required)

Installing Git on Linux

Most Linux distributions include Git in their package repositories. The installation method depends on your distribution's package manager.

Ubuntu/Debian

For Ubuntu, Debian, and other Debian-based distributions:

# Update package index
sudo apt update

# Install Git
sudo apt install git

CentOS/RHEL/Fedora

For Red Hat-based distributions:

# For CentOS/RHEL 7 and older
sudo yum install git

# For CentOS/RHEL 8+ and Fedora
sudo dnf install git

Arch Linux

For Arch Linux and Arch-based distributions:

sudo pacman -S git

Installing Git on Windows

There are several ways to install Git on Windows. The most common method is to download the official installer from the Git website.

1. Download Git for Windows

   Visit the official Git website at git-scm.com/download/winand download the latest version for your system (32-bit or 64-bit).

2. Run the Installer

   Double-click the downloaded .exe file to start the installation process. You may need to grant administrator permissions.

3. Configure Installation Options

   The installer will present several configuration options. For most users, the default settings are recommended:

   • Select components: Keep all default selections
   • Default editor: Choose your preferred text editor
   • PATH environment: Select "Git from the command line and also from 3rd-party software"
   • HTTPS transport backend: Use the OpenSSL library
   • Line ending conversions: Checkout Windows-style, commit Unix-style line endings

4. Complete Installation

   Click "Install" and wait for the process to complete. Once finished, you can optionally launch Git Bash or view the release notes.

Installing Git on macOS

There are several ways to install Git on macOS. Here are the most common methods:

Method 1: Using Homebrew (Recommended)

If you have Homebrew installed, this is the easiest method:

# Install Homebrew if you haven't already
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

# Install Git
brew install git

Method 2: Using Xcode Command Line Tools

macOS includes a version of Git with Xcode Command Line Tools:

xcode-select --install

Method 3: Download from Git Website

You can also download the official installer from git-scm.com/download/macand follow the installation wizard.

Verify Installation

After installing Git, verify that it's working correctly by checking the version:

git --version

You should see output similar to:

git version 2.39.0

Initial Configuration

Before using Git, you should configure your identity. This information will be associated with your commits:

# Set your name
git config --global user.name "Your Name"

# Set your email
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"

# Set default branch name (optional)
git config --global init.defaultBranch main

# Verify configuration
git config --list

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we've covered how to install Git on Linux, Windows, and macOS. We've also shown you how to verify the installation and perform initial configuration.

Now that you have Git installed, you can start learning about basic Git commands and workflows. Some next steps you might consider:

• Learn basic Git commands (init, add, commit, push, pull)
• Create your first Git repository
• Set up a GitHub or GitLab account
• Explore Git branching and merging