Learn Git - Pre-Requisites Skills & Environment Setup

#Introduction

Welcome to the Learn Git & GitHub series! Over the next 21 episodes, we will build your Git mastery from zero: starting from why Git was born, all the way to production-ready team collaboration workflows on GitHub — complete with branching, pull requests, and CI/CD automation.

Git is not just a tool to "save file versions". Git is the foundation of nearly all modern software development — every public or private repository is managed through Git. If you master Git professionally, you can contribute to open source, work in large teams, and understand CI/CD pipelines more deeply.

Episode 0 is all about foundations. Its single goal: make sure your environment is ready. A terminal you are comfortable with, Git installed and configured correctly, an active GitHub account, and working authentication. Serious hands-on material starts in episode 1.

#Essential Terminal Skills

Git is a CLI (Command Line Interface) tool. Using Git without being comfortable in the terminal is like driving a car without holding the steering wheel — every Git command runs from there. So before installing Git, make sure you master these four core commands.

#Navigating Folders: cd, ls, pwd

Try it out right away:

pwd
ls
cd ~
cd Documents
ls -la
cd ..

• pwd — shows your current working directory.
• ls — lists folder contents; ls -la shows full details including hidden files.
• cd — changes directory; cd ~ goes to your home directory, cd .. moves up one level to the parent folder.

The path concept is important to understand: absolute paths start from the root / (e.g. /home/arman/project), while relative paths start from the current folder (e.g. docs/). Git often shows relative paths in its output, so getting used to reading paths will help you a lot.

#Creating Folders and Clearing the Screen: mkdir, clear

mkdir belajar-git
cd belajar-git
mkdir docs src
clear

mkdir creates a folder (add -p to create nested folders at once), and clear clears the screen so output does not pile up.

#Directory Structure Across Three OSes

Do not worry about these differences — Git works identically on all systems. The key point: wherever you work, create one dedicated folder for practice projects, e.g. ~/belajar-git (~ always means your home directory).

#Installing Git

The current stable version of Git (as of 2026) is on the 2.4x release. The installation method differs by operating system, but the result is the same.

#Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)

sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y git

#macOS (Homebrew)

brew install git

#Windows (Git for Windows)

Download the official installer from the Git for Windows site and run it. During installation, choose the recommended options. This installation brings Git Bash — a Linux-style terminal that keeps the Git experience on Windows comfortable.

#Verification

Once installed, verify from the terminal:

git --version

If it prints git version 2.4x.x, Git is ready. Keep this version number as proof that the installation succeeded.

#Configuring Your Global Identity

Every commit in Git stores the author's name and email. Without an identity, Git refuses to create commits. This configuration only needs to be done once — it applies to every repository on your computer.

git config --global user.name "Nama Kalian"
git config --global user.email "email@kalian.com"
git config --global init.defaultBranch main

• user.name — the name that appears as the commit author.
• user.email — ideally use an email linked to your GitHub account so commits are tied to your profile.
• init.defaultBranch main — ensures new repositories use a main branch named main (the modern standard since 2020; previously master).

Check your configuration with git config --global --list. All of these settings are stored in the ~/.gitconfig file.

#GitHub Account and Authentication

Git runs locally, but most of your work involves remotes. GitHub is the most popular Git hosting platform in the world. Register a free account at github.com first.

#SSH Key: Passwordless Authentication

Instead of typing a password for every push, use an SSH key — a pair of cryptographic keys: the private key stays secret on your computer, and the public key is given to GitHub.

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "email@kalian.com"

Press Enter to accept the default location, then optionally add a passphrase. When done, display the public key and copy it to GitHub:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

On GitHub, go to Settings → SSH and GPG keys → New SSH key, paste the output above, then save.

#Alternative: GitHub CLI

GitHub CLI (gh) simplifies everything — authentication, creating repositories, even pull requests — directly from the terminal.

brew install gh
gh auth login

Follow the gh auth login interaction: choose the browser login option, and GitHub CLI will manage your credentials automatically.

#Text Editor: VS Code and GitLens

Most Git interactions can be done from the terminal, but visualizations help a lot early on. Install VS Code and two extensions:

• GitLens — shows history, the author of each line of code (blame), and commit navigation right in the editor.
• GitHub Pull Requests and Issues — opens PRs and issues without leaving VS Code.

cd ~/belajar-git
code .

The code . command opens the current folder in VS Code. GitLens will work automatically as soon as you open a Git repository.

#Closing

Episode 0 is done. Here is what you must bring with you:

• Master cd, ls, mkdir, and clear — the gateway to all Git commands.
• Install Git 2.4x on Linux, macOS, or Windows (Git for Windows / Git Bash).
• Configure user.name, user.email, and init.defaultBranch main globally.
• Create a GitHub account and authenticate via an ed25519 SSH key or gh auth login.
• Prepare VS Code with the GitLens and GitHub Pull Requests extensions.

Make sure everything is installed and working, because in episode 1 we dive into the most important conceptual part: the history of Version Control Systems, the problems Git solves, and why Git became the industry standard. Welcome to the world of Git!