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January 2022 by Bruno Brito

Getting Started with Git Bash

Git Bash is a very popular package for Windows. As the name suggests,
it includes not only Git, a Version Control System for tracking code
changes, but also Bash, a UNIX command line shell. In this guide,
let's install Git Bash to get you up and running with Git!

Before we get started, let's understand why we need to install Git
Bash. Couldn't we just use CMD or Windows PowerShell to work with
Git?

Git is a combination of command line programs that were built to
execute on a Unix environment. Operating systems based on Unix, like
Linux or macOS, come with Bash (Bourne Again SHell), which ensures
that Git runs smoothly across these systems.

Windows is not included in this list (it's a DOS-based operating
system), so it doesn't support Git out of the box. This is solved by
-- you guessed it! -- installing Git Bash, which will provide the
necessary emulation to access all the command line tools Git needs.
You will also be able to use other useful Bash utilities, such as
ssh, cat, scp or nano.

Now that you understand why you need Git Bash, it's time to download
and install it!

How to Install Git Bash on Windows

Let's start by downloading the Git Bash executable from the official
website. You should quickly notice the "download" area on the right.

Git Bash websiteGit Bash website


Once the download is finished, run the installer (make sure you have
Windows administrator privileges). After allowing the app to make
changes to your Windows device and reading the GNU General Public
License, the Git Bash installation wizard will prompt you some
questions.

The default options should be fine for most users, but there are a
couple of questions worthy of your attention. Let's have a look at
these before clicking "Next" blindfold.

Select Components

On this screen, you can pick the components you would like to
install. For instance, you can add the "Additional Icons" component
if you want to have a Git Bash shortcut on the desktop.

Git Bash -- Select ComponentsGit Bash -- Select Components

Choosing the Default Editor used by Git

You can use any text editor with Git. For historical reasons, Vim is
the default option, but even the wizard recommends switching to a
more modern GUI editor, like VS Code or Sublime Text.

We also suggest you pick a different one, unless you're comfortable
with Vim already! Have a look at these suggestions if you haven't
settled for a particular text editor yet.

Git Bash -- Choosing the default editor used by GitGit Bash -- Choosing
the default editor used by Git

Adjusting the Name of the Initial Branch in New Repositories

When you initialize a new Git repository, you will have an initial
branch created for you. The default branch name is "master"; because
of the negative association with this word, that is bound to change
soon -- many organizations in the Git ecosystem, like GitHub or GitLab
, are replacing "master" with "main".

While this won't affect existing repositories, you may want to select
"Override the default branch name for new repositories" and type a
different default branch name for new projects.

Git Bash -- Adjusting the name of the initial branch in new
repositoriesGit Bash -- Adjusting the name of the initial branch in
new repositories


After carefully reviewing these questions, proceed until you complete
the Setup Wizard.

If you leave "Launch Git Bash" selected, the Wizard will finish by
launching the Git Bash Terminal. Otherwise, you can launch Git Bash
from the Windows Start Menu or by right-clicking any folder and
selecting the "Git Bash Here" option.

Git Bash windowGit Bash window


Once in the command line, you can confirm Git is installed by typing
git --version (this will tell you the currently installed version).
Git will now also work on CMD and Windows PowerShell.

We're almost there! There's just one more step...

Defining the Username and Email Address

Before we can start working with Git, we still need to define our
username and email address. We will only be able to add commits after
setting these options.

To set the username:
git config --global user.name "FIRST_NAME LAST_NAME"

To set the email address:
git config --global user.email "MY_NAME@example.com"

You can always review all the configuration items by typing:
git config --list

If you prefer, you can also edit these settings with a text editor.
Git Bash installed nano, so we could type nano ~/.gitconfig to make
some changes directly in the Terminal. When you're done, press CTRL +
X to exit.

We're all set. Hooray! 

Let's look into some basic Bash and Git commands next.

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Basic Bash Commands

To be productive with Bash (or any other Shell), you will need to get
comfortable with the Terminal. Practising -- and a bit of patience --
will be key.

Working with Files and Folders

Here are some essential commands you will use every day:

  * pwd -- displays the path of your current working directory;
  * cd <directory> -- navigates to specified directory;
  * cd .. -- navigates to parent directory;
  * ls -- lists directory contents;
  * mkdir <directory> -- creates a new directory;
  * touch <file> -- creates a new file.

There are many others. I recommend you have a look at this guide to
learn the most important commands to work with files and directories.
There are also some examples to make it easier to follow along.

You can also download this useful cheat sheet which summarizes the
most indispensable commands!

Command Line cheat sheetCommand Line cheat sheet

Working with Git

Let's shift gears to Git now. If you're new to Git, our online ebook
would be a good starting point -- it's aimed at beginners and it's
free!

Git can be used in the command line or with the help of a Git GUI.
Git clients can help you work faster with Git by offering a lot of
visual aid and more intuitive commands, such as Drag and Drop. You
can use both in combination.

Regardless of your Git experience, we suggest you give Tower (our Git
client) a try. Tower is available for macOS and Windows and you can
try it free for 30 days!

While we recommend Tower to become productive (and confident) with
Git, due to its many advanced features, let's have a look at the most
noteworthy Git commands you can type in the Terminal:

  * git init -- creates a new local repository;
  * git clone <repository> -- clones an existing repository;
  * git status -- lists changed files in your working directory;
  * git add . -- adds all current changes to the next commit;
  * git commit -- commits previously staged files;
  * git branch <new-branch> -- creates a new branch based on your
    current HEAD;
  * git checkout <branch> -- switches to a different HEAD branch;
  * git push <remote> <branch> -- publishes local changes on a remote
    repository;
  * git pull <remote> <branch> -- downloads changes from a remote
    repository and integrates them into HEAD;
  * git merge <branch> -- merges the specific branch into your current
    HEAD.

We also provide a handy Git cheat sheet with the most essential
actions listed.

Git cheat sheetGit cheat sheet

Congratulations! You're now ready to explore the wonderful world of
Git!

We have a lot of free documentation around Git. If you'd like to
learn more, visit our Learn section to access videos, webinars and
our online book. We share resources for both the Command Line
Interface and Tower.

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