Master Git in 5 Minutes: Install and Make Your First Commit

Install Git

Verify installation with git --version. On Windows download from https://git-scm.com/ and follow the installer. On macOS run the same command; the system will prompt installation if missing.

Configure Identity

Set the global user name and email that will appear in commit records:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "[email protected]"

Create a Repository

Create a project directory, enter it, and initialize an empty Git repository:

mkdir git-demo
cd git-demo
git init

The command prints Initialized empty Git repository, indicating the folder is now under version control.

Add a File

Create a file, for example hello.txt, with any content:

echo "Hello Git" > hello.txt

Stage the File

Prepare the file for commit: git add hello.txt Git tracks three states:

Working directory : files you are editing.

Staging area : files ready to be committed.

Repository : committed versions.

Make the First Commit

Commit the staged file with a message describing the change: git commit -m "First commit" Successful output includes 1 file changed, confirming the commit.

Minimal Git Workflow

Typical daily commands:

git add .
git commit -m "Your message"

Workflow diagram:

modify file
   ↓
 git add
   ↓
 git commit

View Commit History

Show the log of commits, including author, date, and message:

git log

Common Beginner Pitfalls

1. Commit without staging

Running git commit without a prior git add yields nothing to commit because no changes are staged.

2. Non‑ASCII paths

Use English‑only directory names (e.g., D:/project/git-demo) to avoid path‑related issues.

3. Not knowing what changed

Use git status to list modified, staged, and untracked files.

Summary of Completed Steps

Installed Git.

Configured user name and email.

Initialized a repository.

Added a file.

Made the first commit.

These actions establish the core Git workflow and enable reliable version tracking, safe experimentation, and collaborative development.