Install Git on Linux, macOS and Windows

Which option to pick

Git is in every Linux distribution’s repositories and that is the normal way to install it. On macOS the quickest route is Apple’s command line tools, which include Git; Homebrew gives a newer version. On Windows, Git for Windows from git-scm.com is the standard package and also provides Git Bash, a Unix-style shell, which most tutorials assume. Any version from the last few years is fine for everyday work.

Step: Linux

sudo apt update
sudo apt install git

Fedora and RHEL use sudo dnf install git, Arch sudo pacman -S git, openSUSE sudo zypper install git. On Ubuntu, if you need the very latest release, the Git maintainers publish a PPA: sudo add-apt-repository ppa:git-core/ppa, then sudo apt update && sudo apt install git.

Step: macOS

xcode-select --install

A dialog asks to install the command line developer tools; this includes Git. Simply typing git in a terminal on a fresh Mac triggers the same prompt. For a current version maintained independently of macOS updates:

brew install git

Homebrew’s Git comes first in PATH on Apple Silicon Macs by default; check with which git.

Step: Windows

winget install Git.Git

Or download the installer from git-scm.com/downloads/win. The defaults are sensible: keep Git from the command line and also from 3rd-party software so git works in PowerShell, and keep Checkout Windows-style, commit Unix-style line endings unless your team says otherwise. After installing, open a new terminal window.

Check it works

git --version

Then tell Git who you are and which name new repositories should use for their first branch. These settings are stored in ~/.gitconfig and apply to all your repositories:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "[email protected]"
git config --global init.defaultBranch main
git config --global --list

Use the email address associated with your GitHub or GitLab account so commits are linked to you.

Common problems

• macOS: xcrun: error: invalid active developer path after a macOS upgrade. The command line tools need reinstalling; run xcode-select --install again.
• Windows: git is not recognised in PowerShell after installing: open a new window, or re-run the installer and choose the PATH option described above.
• Windows: files show as modified immediately after cloning: a line-ending mismatch. Set git config --global core.autocrlf true on Windows, or let the project control it with a .gitattributes file.
• Every push asks for a password: GitHub and GitLab no longer accept account passwords over HTTPS. Use SSH keys, or a credential helper with a personal access token (git config --global credential.helper manager on Windows, osxkeychain on macOS, libsecret or store on Linux).

Official documentation

• Pro Git: Installing Git
• Pro Git: First-Time Git Setup
• Git downloads