Getting started with Git

Installing Git

If you plan to do the ​Git Immersion Tutorial, it includes links to installation downloads.

​Downloads are available for various platforms.

Windows

​TortoiseGIT, a port of TortoiseSVN, is recommended for Windows users who prefer a GUI interface or already use TortoiseSVN.

Windows hint: If you install TortoiseGIT, avoid incompatibilities by using the command line version of Git that TortoiseGIT installs. I.E. place C:\Program Files (x86)\Git\cmd in your path ahead of any other git binaries, such as cygwin.

Windows hint: To generate GitHub SSH authentication keys, as described in ​GitHub help, be sure to use "C:\Program Files (x86)\Git\Git Bash". Otherwise the .ssh directory may not get generated in your HOMEPATH directory, and GitHub authentication will fail.

Unix, Linux, etc.

Mac OS X

Learning to use Git

You need to learn how to use Git from the command line even if you plan to use Git via a graphical client or your IDE:

• Learning and other communication about Git almost invariably uses CLI commands to describe a Git operation.
• You will need use the command line to read or write scripts involving git.

Recommended learning and reference resources:

• ​Git and GitHub Videos Interesting and authoritative, as you would expect from Scott Chacon.
• ​Git Immersion Tutorial A deep dive into Git.
• ​Git Quick Reference. "... a quick reference for learning and remembering the most important and commonly used Git commands."] Recommended for those who like to cut to the chase. Examples use a POSIX style command line interpreter, but Git works identically under the Windows command line so that should not be a problem for most Boost developers.
• ​Pro Git. Scott Chacon's online book is recommended both for learning about Git and as a reference.
• ​Power Your Workflow With Git. Patrick Hogan's video introduction to Git and GitFlow-based workflow. Recommended for those who want to know what is going on under the covers, why Git is the way it is, and recommended workflows. The ​slides are also available.
• The Getting Started with Modular Boost Library Development using Git page has links related to Git Flow, the recommended workflow for Boost library developers.

Git Topics

• Why should Boost move to Git? Provides the rationale for moving to Git.

Git Links

• ​Git's official website.