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Basic Tutorial for Git/GitHub for Beginners Part-1

·3 mins
Git Github Tutorial Beginners Version-Control
Git version control logo

Okay! Let’s get started. I was thinking for a while about the next story here. I think this is a great topic for beginners.

Git is the version control system for your files—you can inspect every version locally or online. It’s totally up to you.

Basic commands #

Here are the commands this series touches on:

  • git init — Initialize a new Git repository in your folder.
  • git log — Show commit history.
  • git status — Show the status of your files.
  • git add — Stage files for the next commit.
  • git commit -m — Commit staged files with a message.
  • git revert — Undo changes by creating new commits that reverse earlier ones.
  • git reset — Move the branch pointer or adjust history (use with care).
  • git branch — List branches.
  • git checkout — Switch branches (or restore files, depending on usage).
  • git merge — Merge one branch into another.
  • git remote — List remote repositories.
  • git remote add — Add a remote repository.
  • git push — Send local commits to the remote.
  • git pull — Fetch and integrate commits from the remote.
  • .gitignore — Lists files and paths Git should not commit.

Installing Git #

Before you continue, install Git on your machine. Official resources:

Let’s get into action #

Create a sample folder on your Desktop (you can use any location). Name it SampleGit. Inside it, add a simple text file named dummy.txt. After that, you are ready to initialize Git.

Initialize the repository:

git init

Terminal: git init completed

Check status:

git status

You will see no commits yet because nothing has been added or committed. dummy.txt appears in red because it is not tracked yet.

git status with untracked dummy.txt

Open dummy.txt, add some text, save, then stage the file:

git add dummy.txt

You can also stage everything in the folder:

git add .

The . means “all files in this folder.”

git add dummy.txt

Run git status again. dummy.txt should appear in green: it is staged and ready to commit.

git status with staged file

Commit with a message:

git commit -m "This is the first version of file"

Always write a clear commit message.

git commit

Inspect history:

git log

At the top you will see a commit id such as 1d906720d8b702…—a unique identifier. Many Git commands accept the first seven characters (or the full hash). After committing, git status is clean: no red or green filenames.

git log and clean git status

List branches:

git branch

With a single branch you will see master highlighted in green. Create another branch named sample:

git branch sample

You can use any branch name instead of sample.

Two branches: master and sample

You now have master and sample. The green branch name is the one you are on.

Where we leave off #

If you followed along, you already have something real on disk: a repository with history you built yourself—not a throwaway folder inside someone else’s tutorial zip. You have felt the rhythm Git expects: change files, git add, git commit, then reach for git status and git log whenever you want an honest answer about what changed.

We skimmed the longer command list at the top on purpose. git remote, git push, git pull, branching workflows that go beyond a quick demo, and undoing mistakes without panic all deserve room to breathe. That is what Part 2 is for—starting from this foundation and walking toward GitHub and everyday workflows.

Thanks for reading. I hope the first steps feel a little less mysterious now.

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