Use Git

Git is included in Ubuntu Terminal, so git works as soon as the app is installed. This page takes you from a first clone to a first push.

Git is a tool that records the history of a project's files. If it is new to you, the commands below are enough to get a copy of a project and save changes to it.

Check that Git is there

git --version

It prints a version number. No separate Git for Windows installation is needed.

Tell Git who you are

Git puts a name and an email address on every commit. Set them once:

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

Clone a project

Cloning downloads a project and its history into a new folder.

1. Go to the folder where you keep projects, for example:

   cd ~/Documents

2. Clone with the HTTPS address shown on the project's page:

   git clone https://github.com/example/repo.git

3. Go into the new folder:

   cd repo

Public projects clone without signing in.

Save a change

1. Edit a file, for example with vi README.md.

2. See what changed:

   git status
   git diff

3. Choose the files to include, then commit with a message:

   git add README.md
   git commit -m "Fix a typo in the README"

If you leave out -m, Git opens vi for the message. Type it, press Esc, then type :wq and press Enter. See Edit files with vi.

Get and send changes

git pull
git push

Both need a network connection. git push, and git pull on a private project, also need you to sign in to the server.

Sign in

There are two common ways to prove who you are to a Git server.

• HTTPS: Git asks for your user name and a password or access token when you push. Most hosting services expect a personal access token in place of your account password. Create one in your account settings on the service.
• SSH: you use a key pair in place of a password. Ubuntu Terminal uses the OpenSSH that comes with Windows, and the keys in the .ssh folder of your user folder. If you already use SSH keys on this PC, addresses such as git@github.com:example/repo.git work.

To create an SSH key, if Windows OpenSSH is installed:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519

Then add the contents of the .pub file to your account on the Git service. Never share the file without .pub: that is your private key.

Commands that work

Command	What it does
git clone	Downloads a project
git status	Shows changed files
git add	Chooses changes for the next commit
git commit	Records the chosen changes
git pull / git fetch	Gets changes from the server
git push	Sends your commits to the server
git branch / git checkout	Lists, creates and switches branches
git log	Shows history. Press q to leave
git diff	Shows what changed

Next steps

• Run Windows programs and agent tools
• Troubleshooting and FAQ