Commit to Code: Setting Up Git and GitHub

April 20, 2025

This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Shane Dsouza

Git & GitHub Series

You’re reading Part 2

Part 1: Why Git & GitHub Matter

Installation and Setup

In this part of the series, we’ll walk through installing Git on your system, setting up your identity, and creating a GitHub account, everything you need to start tracking and sharing your code.

1. Installing Git

Windows

Go to git-scm.com and download the Windows installer.
Run the installer and click Next through the setup wizard (default settings are fine).
Choose Git Bash as your default terminal.
Finish the installation and verify Git was installed:

git --version

macOS

Option 1 – Install via Xcode CLI:

xcode-select --install

Option 2 – Using Homebrew:

brew install git

Verify installation:

git --version

2. Configuring Git with Your Identity

Once Git is installed, you should set your username and email. This information will be attached to your commits.

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"

To verify your settings:

git config --list

This ensures that every commit you make is properly attributed to you, which is especially important when collaborating.

3. Creating a GitHub Account

If you don’t already have a GitHub account:

Visit https://github.com/join
Choose a username, enter your email address, and create a password
Follow the prompts to verify your email and complete your profile Once you’re signed in, you’ll be ready to start creating repositories and pushing code to GitHub.

You’re All Set!
You now have:
Git installed
Your identity configured
A GitHub account ready to go

In the next part of the series, we’ll create your first local repository, make changes, and commit your code.