Stage 1 · Lesson 7 of 8

Installing and configuring Git

Git is the tool that tracks changes to your code. Install it with your , then tell it who you are. Run git config --global user.name and git config --global user.email, using the same email you will use on .

Set init.defaultBranch to main so new repositories match GitHub's default. Choose the editor Git opens for with core.editor. On Windows, install and set up Git inside WSL too, not only on the Windows side, because each side keeps its own settings.

This lives in ~/.gitconfig and applies to every on the machine.

Common trapcommitting for weeks with the wrong email, so GitHub does not link the commits to your profile.

A question to check yourself, an AI practice session and 1 cheat sheet entry come when you add the roadmap to your account. Add it

Resources for this stage

Start with

CourseFree
The Missing Semester of Your CS Education
MIT · Beginner
The first lecture introduces the shell with exercises that work in the macOS terminal

Keep handy

Homebrew
The install command and documentation for the package manager you will use for every tool
Visual Studio Code
The editor used through this roadmap, with official set-up guides for each operating system

Also worth your time

roadmap.sh: LinuxGo deeper
A map of the whole Linux topic, to see how much there is beyond this stage