Git

Setup & Config

Git · 9 entries

Initialize a Repository

Syntax

git init [directory]

Example

git init my-project
cd my-project

Output

Initialized empty Git repository in /home/user/my-project/.git/

Note Creates a hidden .git folder. Running this in an existing repo is safe and will not overwrite anything.

create reponew repositorystart projectinitialize git

Clone a Repository

Syntax

git clone <url> [directory]

Example

git clone https://github.com/user/project.git
git clone git@github.com:user/project.git my-local-name

Output

Cloning into 'project'...

Note HTTPS asks for credentials each time unless you configure a credential helper. SSH uses your key pair and is generally preferred for frequent pushes.

clone repodownload repositorycopy repogit clone

Set User Name & Email

Syntax

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

Example

git config --global user.name "Samira Khan"
git config --global user.email "[email protected]"

# Per-repo override:
git config user.email "[email protected]"

Note Without --global, the setting only applies to the current repository. Your commits will be attributed to whatever name/email is configured, so double-check with git config user.email before committing to a work repo.

set usernameset emailconfigure identitywho am i in gitchange git author

Set Default Editor

Syntax

git config --global core.editor "<editor>"

Example

git config --global core.editor "code --wait"
# Or for vim:
git config --global core.editor "vim"

Note The --wait flag for VS Code is essential. Without it, Git thinks the editor closed immediately and aborts the commit message.

change editorset vimset vscodedefault editorcommit editor

Create Aliases

Syntax

git config --global alias.<shortcut> '<command>'

Example

git config --global alias.co 'checkout'
git config --global alias.br 'branch'
git config --global alias.lg 'log --oneline --graph --all'

# Now use:
git co main
git lg

Note Aliases are stored in ~/.gitconfig. You can also edit that file directly under the [alias] section for complex aliases.

git shortcutcreate aliasshorter commandsgit abbreviation

Ignoring Files with .gitignore

Syntax

# .gitignore file patterns:
pattern
dir/
*.ext
!exception

Example

# .gitignore
node_modules/
*.log
.env
.DS_Store
build/

# Track this specific log despite the wildcard:
!important.log

Note If a file is already tracked, adding it to .gitignore will NOT stop tracking it. You must first run: git rm --cached <file> to untrack it.

ignore filesgitignoreexclude filesstop trackinghide files from git

View All Configuration

Syntax

git config --list [--global|--local|--system]

Example

git config --list --global
git config --list --local

Output

user.name=Samira Khan
[email protected]
core.editor=code --wait
alias.co=checkout

Note Local config overrides global, which overrides system. Use --show-origin to see which file each setting comes from.

view configlist settingsshow configurationcheck git settings

Credential Storage

Syntax

git config --global credential.helper <store|cache|osxkeychain>

Example

# macOS - use the system keychain:
git config --global credential.helper osxkeychain

# Linux - cache for 1 hour:
git config --global credential.helper 'cache --timeout=3600'

Note The 'store' helper saves passwords in plain text on disk. Prefer 'osxkeychain' on Mac or a credential manager on Windows. For SSH repos, credentials are handled by your SSH key instead.

save passwordstop asking passwordcredential helperremember loginauthentication

Global .gitignore

Syntax

git config --global core.excludesFile <path>

Example

git config --global core.excludesFile ~/.gitignore_global

# Then in ~/.gitignore_global:
.DS_Store
Thumbs.db
*.swp
.idea/
.vscode/

Note Use this for OS and editor-specific files. Project-specific ignores still belong in the repo's own .gitignore so all contributors benefit.

global ignoreignore everywheresystem gitignoreignore IDE files