Implementing a version control system with Git/Github

25 minutes

Version control creates a history of all changes made to your files. You can easily revert to previous versions if something goes wrong or you decide you prefer an older iteration. This is like having a safety net for your work.

Table of Contents

1. Installing Git (One-time setup)
2. Clone the main repository
3. Make changes and add files
4. Renaming your branch
5. Configuring a remote repository
6. Push changes
7. Conclusion

Install Git (One-time setup)

• Windows/macOS: Download and install Git from the official website https://git-scm.com/downloads.
• Linux: Git is usually pre-installed on most Linux distributions. You can check by opening the terminal and typing git --version. If not installed, use your package manager (e.g., sudo apt install git on Ubuntu).

Clone the main repository

git clone <URL of Jane's repository>

This downloads a copy of the entire repository, including all branches and history, to the Devs' local machines.

Make changes and add files

The Devs can use standard Git commands like:

git add <filename> # to stage specific files for commit.
git commit -m "Meaningful commit message" # to create a snapshot of their changes with a descriptive message

Renaming your branch

git branch -M main

By default, Git creates a branch named master when you initialize a repository. This command renames the current branch (which points to the first commit) from master to main.

Configuring a remote repository

This step is necessary to push code to the main repository of the company.

git remote add origin <repo URL> # This command configures a remote repository.

Push changes

git push origin <branch_name>

This command pushes the employee's local commits directly to the remote repository. Here: origin is the default shortcut for the remote repository. <branch_name> specifies the branch they want to push their changes to (usually master for the main branch).

[!Note] Pull with Rebase (git pull --rebase): Sometimes when pushing changes you can get an error. Usually means that the remote branch is ahead of yours. So you need to pull changes first before push your new changes.

git pull --rebase fetches the latest changes from the remote repository and then attempts to replay your local commits on top of the updated remote branch head.

git pull origin <branch_name> --rebase

Checking Remote Repositories

This will display a list of all remote repositories associated with your project, along with their URL and fetch/push specifications.

git remote -v

Erasing a Remote Repository

This will completely remove the specified remote repository from your local project configuration.

git remote rm <remote_name>

Conclusion

This Git tutorial has equipped you with the essential tools to manage your code effectively. By mastering these core Git concepts, you've unlocked a powerful way to manage projects, track progress, and collaborate efficiently. This foundation will serve you well as you explore more advanced Git features and delve deeper into the world of version control.

Next

We will see how to deploy Infrastructure with Terraform.