Why GIT, and your first setup
The end of naming files "final" and "final-real". Understand what GIT actually stores, and finish the one-time identity setup.
- You can explain in your own words why version control is needed
- You know GIT stores snapshots, not just diffs
- You have GIT installed and your name and email configured
You have probably made report_final.docx, report_final2.docx, report_really_final.docx. That approach collapses as files pile up: you can't tell which is newest or why anything changed. Once two people edit at the same time it's hopeless. GIT is the tool that solves exactly this.
GIT records snapshots of the whole project in units called commits. People often assume it stores only diffs; internally it builds a snapshot of the full file state at that moment and simply reuses the previous copy of anything unchanged. That's why jumping back to any commit is instant, and comparing two points in time is fast.
Every commit carries who made it and when, so the first thing you do after installing GIT is set your name and email once. With --global it applies to every repository on this machine; if one project needs different details, run the same command inside that folder without --global. The email you enter stays in the commit history forever, so for public repositories consider the no-reply address GitHub provides.
Don't just read them — type them into a real terminal. Your hands have to remember, not your eyes.
git --version- Check that GIT is installed and which version you have.
git config --global user.name "Hong Gildong"- Set the name that will appear on your commits — your real name or the handle you always use.
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"- The email on your commits. For public repositories prefer GitHub's no-reply address.
git config --list- List every current setting. When something behaves oddly, start here.