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Brian Muchoki
Brian Muchoki

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LET'S GIT IT—A Beginner's Guide to Version Control.

#git #github #dataengineering #datascience

KEY WORDS
-Git: It is a version control system that monitors changes in your files or code over time.
It is like a save feature that remembers every version of your work, and you can easily go back to previous versions.
Use: Developers use it to monitor changes, experiment with new features, whilst maintaining their main code, and for collaboration.

Git Bash: A command-line interface that provides GIT commands.
Use: A Tool for using GIT on Windows, since Windows does not naturally understand GIT commands.

GitHub: It is a cloud-based hosting service for Git repositories with collaboration features.
It is like a Google Drive for code.
Use:

  • Back up your online code.
  • Share code with teammates.
  • Collaborate on projects.
  • Show your work to potential employees.

SSH: Secure Shell.
It is a cryptographic network protocol for secure communication over an unsecured network.
Use: To safely connect your computer to remote servers without data or password interception.

SSH KEY: It is a secure access credential used in the SSH protocol for authentication between a client and a remote server.
Use:

  • Prove your identity to GitHub.
  • It is more secure than a password.

How do they all work?

  • Write code on your computer.
  • Git monitors all your changes locally.
  • Git Bash lets you tell Git what to do (Save changes, etc.)
  • SSH key authenticates you to GitHub.
  • GitHub stores your code online safely.

Hands-on Training with GIT

What you need!
1.Have Git Bash downloaded and a GitHub account on your computer.
Download Git Bash
Sign up to GitHub
2.Configure your identity: Open Git Bash and set your username and password(Should be similar to your GitHub username and email)

git config --global user.name "your name"
git config --global user.email "your.email"
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3.Generate SSH Key
This is more convenient and recommended.

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your-github-email@example.com"
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4.Copy Your Public Key

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
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5.Add to GitHub:

  • Go to GitHub.com
  • Click your profile picture → Settings
  • Click SSH and GPG keys (left sidebar)
  • Click New SSH key
  • Paste your key, give it a title, and click Add SSH key 6.Test Connection: 
ssh -T git@github.com
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Basic Workflow

1.Create a repository on your computer.
2.Make changes to your code: create files, edit code, save your work in your text editor.
3.Check what has changed.
4.Stage your changes(Preparation to save).
5.Save to Git(save with a message about what you did).
6.Push to GitHub(Uploading the saved changes to GitHub).
7.Pull from GitHub(Downloading changes from GitHub to your computer)

Getting Started: Cloning Your First Repository

Basic Git Workflows

Understanding Version Control

Shows all your commits(saves) with messages, dates, and who made them.

git log
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What's Next?

Now that you've set up Git and GitHub, here are your next steps:

  1. Create your first repository and push some code
  2. Practice daily: Commit your changes regularly with clear messages
  3. Explore branching: Learn how to experiment without breaking your main code
  4. Collaborate: Contribute to open-source projects or work with friends

Remember: Everyone starts somewhere. The more you use Git, the more natural it becomes. Happy coding!

Top comments (1)

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david_gatheru_816d8adb295 profile image
David Gatheru •

Be humble.Humbleness leads to continuous learning and growth. It is not being complacent with your current big achievements, but to constantly think about how you can improve yourself so that you can overcome the next challenges again and again and again, leading you to a greater understanding of your life.