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Caleb Kilemba
Caleb Kilemba

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Understanding Git and GitHub for beginners

Before diving into modern software development, it’s important to understand the tools that make collaboration, version control, and code management possible. Whether you are just starting your programming journey or looking to understand how developers work together on real-world projects, Git and GitHub are foundational skills you cannot ignore. This article breaks down these concepts in a simple, practical, and beginner-friendly way, helping you build a strong base before moving into hands-on usage.

What is Git

Git is a version control system/software on your computer that tracks every change that is used to track changes. This tool is used mostly by software developers, its helps them trace easily any changes made or errors on projects. It also makes it possible for multiple people to work on the same project simultaneously using branches thus avoiding code overlapping. It can be used as a backup where historical projects can be locally saved.

What is GitHub?

Github is a web -based platform designed to help developers, collaborate and manage projects with ease. It also helps to store code. Github serves as a portfolio for coding projects. It also allows developers from all around the world to contribute to your project.

Hope we are still together, lets continue with the learning

GitHub Git
Cloud-based hosting platform for Git repositories Version control system
Requires an internet connection to access repositories Operates locally on your machine
Provides collaboration and project management tools Tracks changes in code

Prerequisites for Using Git

Before you can start using Git on your machine, you need to ensure it is properly installed based on your operating system:

  • Windows: Download and install Git Bash. This provides a Unix-style command-line experience which is the standard for Git operations.
  • macOS / Linux: Open your Terminal. Git is often pre-installed, but if it isn't, you can install it using your system's package manager (e.g., brew install git for Mac or sudo apt install git for Linux).

git --version

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