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Setting Up Git & VS Code on Windows 11 – A Guide for Planetary Science Tech Enthusiasts 🚀

#git #planetaryscience #vscode #microsoft

Awesome idea! Here's a DEV.to-ready blog post tailored for a Planetary Science Tech Enthusiast who’s setting up Git and VS Code on a Windows 11 system. The article is written in a friendly, technically informative tone that would fit well on DEV.to.

🪐 Setting Up Git & VS Code on Windows 11 – A Guide for Planetary Science Tech Enthusiasts 🚀

Whether you're simulating Martian dust storms or tracking comet data with Python, version control is your mission control. Here's how to set up Git + VS Code on a Windows 11 machine as a planetary science dev or space-data wrangler.

🧑‍🚀 System Specs I Used for This Setup

I recently started fresh with a laptop that has:

  • 💻 Windows 11
  • 🧠 Intel Core i5 (13th Gen)
  • ⚡ 16 GB RAM
  • 💾 512 GB SSD

It’s a perfect mid-range setup for both data science workflows and code versioning.

🚀 Step 1: Install Git on Windows 11

🔗 Download Git:

Go to the official site:
👉 https://git-scm.com

Download the latest Windows version and run the installer.

🧭 Installation Guide:

You can go with most of the default options, but here are some key picks:

Option Recommended
Editor VS Code or Notepad++
PATH ✔️ “Git from the command line and also from 3rd-party software”
HTTPS Backend OpenSSL (default)
Line endings Checkout Windows-style, commit Unix-style
Terminal Use MinTTY (default)

Once installed, launch Git Bash.

👨‍💻 Step 2: Git First-Time Setup

Now, configure Git with your name and email:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your@email.com"
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Check your config with:

git config --list
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🔐 Step 3: Setup SSH Key for GitHub

For secure repo access, generate an SSH key:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your@email.com"
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Accept default file location. You can set a passphrase if you want (optional).

Start the SSH agent and add your key:

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519
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Copy the public key to your clipboard:

clip < ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
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🛰 Add to GitHub:

Go to:
👉 https://github.com/settings/keys
→ New SSH key → Paste → Save

🌌 Step 4: Clone Your First GitHub Repo

Let’s test it by cloning your project (e.g., a todo_app):

git clone git@github.com:your-username/todo_app.git
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You’ll get a one-time prompt about GitHub’s SSH fingerprint. Type yes to continue.

✅ You’ll see something like:

Cloning into 'todo_app'...
Receiving objects: 100% ...
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🧠 Step 5: Install Visual Studio Code (VS Code)

Download from:
👉 https://code.visualstudio.com/

During install, check these options:

  • ✅ Add to PATH
  • ✅ “Open with Code” in Explorer
  • ✅ Register as default editor

🛸 Step 6: Open Your Git Project in VS Code

  1. Launch VS Code
  2. Go to File > Open Folder
  3. Navigate to your todo_app folder
  4. Open it

The built-in Source Control (Git) tab should activate!

🔄 Step 7: Use Git Inside VS Code

  • 💬 Commit messages
  • 🔁 Push/pull from GitHub
  • 🌿 Switch branches

VS Code Git UI Quick Actions:

Action How
Stage file Click + next to filename
Commit Type message → Click ✔️
Push Click … > Push
Pull Click … > Pull
Terminal Ctrl + backtick () to open terminal

🛠 Optional: Power Up VS Code

Install these extensions:

  • 🚀 GitLens: Git superpowers!
  • 🌳 Git Graph: Visualize your branches
  • 🛰 Python, Jupyter, Docker (if you use them)

Set VS Code as your default Git editor:

git config --global core.editor "code --wait"
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🪐 Why This Matters for Space Tech + Planetary Science

As a planetary science developer, you're probably:

  • Versioning simulation scripts
  • Collaborating with researchers
  • Managing data pipelines
  • Publishing notebooks and findings

Git + VS Code = your mission control center 🚀

Whether you're working with SPICE kernels, NASA APIs, or planetary data pipelines, having this setup streamlines your workflow and future-proofs your codebase.

📡 Final Thoughts

That’s it! You’re now fully equipped with Git and VS Code, ready to commit your way across the cosmos.

Feel free to fork, clone, and push like a pro.

Stay curious, stay cosmic. 💫
– Masoom, Planetary Science Tech Enthusiast

👇 Comments?

Are you using Git in planetary data pipelines, remote sensing apps, or Martian map generation? Let’s connect and share setups!

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