Setting Up Git on Windows

There are a couple ways to set up Git on Windows:

1. Recommended Option: Installing Git within a Linux environment using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and Ubuntu.
2. Alternative Option: Installing Git directly on Windows.

Familiarity with Linux is really useful, because a lot of software companies run their code on Linux-based infrastructure. Getting experience with Linux can enhance your development skills and improve your employability.

Familiarity with Git is basically essential. Everybody uses it.

Note that there's a difference between Git (which is a tool used for version control) and GitHub (which is a place you push code to and pull from). It allows version control, and creates a new point in the history of the code every time you make a commit and push. You can walk back through this history and rebuild the code from that point, if you need, or create branches to try out new ideas without breaking the master branch.

1. Installing Git Using WSL and Ubuntu

By enabling WSL, you can run a Linux distribution alongside your Windows system. This is what I do, and what I recommend.

Step 1: Enable WSL and Install Ubuntu

1. Enable WSL:

   • Open PowerShell with administrator privileges: Right-click on the Start button and right-click on Windows PowerShell, then select "Run as administrator."
   • Run the following command to enable WSL and install the default Ubuntu distribution:

     wsl --install

   • Restart your computer when prompted.

   For detailed instructions, look at Microsoft's official documentation: Install WSL

Step 2: Install Set Up Ubuntu

1. Install Ubuntu and Windows Terminal:

   • Install Ubuntu from the Microsoft Store
   • Install Windows Terminal from the Microsoft Store

2. Initialize Ubuntu:

   • You may be prompted to reboot your PC. Do so if needed.
   • Start > Ubuntu on Windows
   • Follow any prompts for username and password. A home directory will be created for your user.

3. Update Package Lists:

   • In the Ubuntu terminal, run:

     sudo apt update

Step 3: Install Git

1. Install Git:
   • In the Ubuntu terminal, execute:

     sudo apt install git

   • Verify the installation by checking the Git version:

     git --version

Step 4: Configure Git

1. Set Up User Information:
   • Configure your name:

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

   • Configure your email:

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

Step 5: Create a Directory for Repositories

1. Create and Navigate to Repos Directory:
   • In your home directory, create a Repos folder:

     mkdir ~/Repos

   • Navigate into the Repos directory:

     cd ~/Repos

Step 6: Clone a Repository

1. Clone the Repository:

• Enter the credentials you just made when prompted

  git clone https://github.com/gooselord-0/project.git

Step 7: Copy Existing Project Files

We'll copy over your existing hobby project here, then change into the directory, then add the new files to git, then push it out to GitHub. You may run into issues here if your .flac files are greater than 100MB in size. Let me know if that happens, or ask an LLM, "How do I enable git LFS?"

1. Copy Files into the Repository Directory:
   • Replace #username# and #project-location# with your Windows username and the project's path:

     cp -r /mnt/c/Users/#username#/#project-location#/* ~/Repos/project/
     
     // e.g., cp -r /mnt/c/Users/#username#/Documents/Code/HobbyProject ~/Repos/project/

If you use whitespaces in your project path (e.g., "/mnt/c/Users/#username#/Hobby Project", the space after "Hobby" and before "Project"), get in the habit of enclosing the path in double quotes. Commands will otherwise fail.

Step 8: Stage, Commit, and Push Changes

1. Stage All Files:

   • Navigate to your project directory:

     cd ~/Repos/project

   • Stage all changes:

     git add .

2. Commit Changes:

   • Provide a meaningful commit message describing the changes:

     git commit -m "#Describe the changes made#"

3. Push Changes to Remote Repository:

   • Push the committed changes:

     git push origin master

   • Replace main with the appropriate branch name if different.

2. Installing Git Directly on Windows

If you prefer not to use WSL, you can install Git directly on Windows.

Step 1: Download and Install Git

1. Download Git for Windows:

   • Visit the official Git website: Git for Windows
   • Download the latest version of Git for Windows.

2. Run the Installer:

   • Locate the downloaded .exe file and double-click to run it.
   • Follow the installation prompts, selecting default options unless you have specific preferences.

   For a detailed walkthrough, refer to this guide: How to Install Git on Windows

Step 2: Configure Git

1. Set Up User Information:
   • Open Git Bash (installed alongside Git).
   • Configure your name:

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

   • Configure your email:

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

Step 3: Create a Directory for Repositories

1. Create and Navigate to Repos Directory:
   • In Git Bash, create a Repos folder in your home directory:

     mkdir ~/Repos

   • Navigate into the Repos directory:

     cd ~/Repos

Step 4: Clone a Repository

1. Clone the Repository:
   • Replace #project-url# with the actual repository URL:

     git clone #project-url#

Step 5: Copy Existing Project Files

1. Copy Files into the Repository Directory:
   • Use Windows File Explorer to copy ::contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}