Configuring Git¶

After installing Git, you need to configure it with your personal information. This configuration is essential because Git tracks who made each change in a repository.

Why Configuration Matters¶

Every time you make a commit (save changes) to a repository, Git records: - Your name - to identify who made the change - Your email - for contact and GitHub integration - Timestamp - when the change was made

Important

Without proper configuration, you might encounter errors when trying to make commits, or your contributions might not be properly attributed to you.

Essential Configuration¶

1. Set Your Name¶

Configure your name globally (for all repositories):

git config --global user.name "Your Full Name"

Example:

git config --global user.name "John Doe"

Name Guidelines

Use your real name for professional projects
Be consistent across all your repositories
Use the same name you use on GitHub/GitLab

2. Set Your Email¶

Configure your email address:

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

Example:

git config --global user.email "john.doe@example.com"

GitHub Integration

Use the same email address that you use for your GitHub account to ensure your commits are properly linked to your GitHub profile.

3. Set Your Default Editor¶

Configure a default text editor for Git operations:

For VS Code:¶

git config --global core.editor "code --wait"

For Other Editors:¶

# Vim
git config --global core.editor "vim"

# Nano
git config --global core.editor "nano"

# Notepad (Windows)
git config --global core.editor "notepad"

Editor Usage

Git will open your default editor when you need to write commit messages or resolve merge conflicts.

Viewing Your Configuration¶

View All Configuration¶

git config --list

View Specific Settings¶

# View your name
git config user.name

# View your email
git config user.email

# View your editor
git config core.editor

Edit Configuration File¶

Open the global configuration file in your default editor:

git config --global -e

This opens the .gitconfig file where you can make manual edits.

Configuration Levels¶

Git has three levels of configuration:

1. System Level (`--system`)¶

Applies to all users on the system
Stored in /etc/gitconfig (Linux/macOS) or C:\Program Files\Git\etc\gitconfig (Windows)
Requires admin privileges

2. Global Level (`--global`) ⭐¶

Applies to all repositories for the current user
Stored in ~/.gitconfig or ~/.config/git/config
Most commonly used

3. Local Level (`--local`)¶

Applies only to the current repository
Stored in .git/config within the repository
Overrides global and system settings

Priority Order

Local settings override global settings, which override system settings.

Additional Useful Configuration¶

Set Default Branch Name¶

git config --global init.defaultBranch main

Configure Line Endings¶

# For Windows
git config --global core.autocrlf true

# For macOS/Linux
git config --global core.autocrlf input

Enable Color Output¶

git config --global color.ui auto

Set Up Aliases (Optional)¶

Create shortcuts for common commands:

git config --global alias.st status
git config --global alias.co checkout
git config --global alias.br branch
git config --global alias.ci commit

Now you can use git st instead of git status, etc.

Verify Your Configuration¶

Let's make sure everything is configured correctly:

# Check your name and email
git config --global --list | grep user

# Test creating a simple repository
mkdir test-repo
cd test-repo
git init
echo "Hello Git!" > README.md
git add README.md
git commit -m "Initial commit"

If the commit succeeds without errors, your configuration is working correctly!

Getting Help¶

When you're stuck or need to learn more about Git commands:

General Help¶

git help

Command-Specific Help¶

git help <command>

# Examples:
git help config
git help commit
git help status

Quick Help¶

git <command> -h

# Example:
git config -h

Next Steps¶

Excellent! You now have Git properly configured. Let's move on to learning the Git basics and create your first repository!

Configuration Complete

You're now ready to start using Git! Your commits will be properly attributed to you, and you have all the essential settings configured.