Installing Git on Ubuntu A Quick Guide

28 January 2014 - less than 1 min read time
Tags: Github

GitHub is a powerful distributed version control system that enables efficient collaboration on software development projects. To get started with Git on Ubuntu, follow these simple steps:

1. Updating Package Lists:

Before proceeding, ensure your package lists and repositories are up to date. Execute the following command:

sudo apt-get update

2. Installing Git:

Git is one of the most widely used version control systems. Install it using the following command:

sudo apt-get install git

3. Git GUI Front-End:

If you prefer a graphical user interface (GUI) for Git, you can install Git GUI, a cross-platform and portable Tcl/Tk based front-end. Run the command:

sudo apt-get install git-g

Bonus Tips:

Adding Git Branch to Bash Prompt: Edit the .bashrc file using a text editor such as Gedit:

$ gedit ~/.bashrc

Add the following lines to display the current Git branch in your prompt:

#Git branch in prompt.
parse_git_branch() {
git branch 2> /dev/null | sed -e '/^[^*]/d' -e 's/* \(.*\)/ (\1)/'
}
export PS1="\u@\h \W\[\033[32m\]\$(parse_git_branch)\[\033[00m\] $"

Configuring User Name and Email: Check your Git configuration using:

git config --list

Set your global user name and email for Git with the following commands:

git config --list
git config --global user.name "firstname lastname"
git config --global user.email "example@gmail.com"

This guide provides a comprehensive overview of installing and configuring Git, the distributed version control system, on Ubuntu. With Git, you can enhance your software development workflow and collaborate effectively with teammates.