---
title: Version Control
author: Kirstie Martinka
description: A brief overview of version control, using a version control system called Git.
published: 2025-2-16
---

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# Version Control

Git is a very important tool used by developers to keep code, files, and almost anything else, 
in sync between their local development environment (local computer) to a remote server (on the internet, or on a local network server). 
Git is a type of tool called a Version Control System. 
Version Control Systems are used to keep track of each version, or change, of a file. 
This allows users to go back to a point in time with their code, 
or to manage the differences between two different versions of a file if multiple people have worked on it.

We will be covering the following 3 topics of Version Control:
1. [Install Git](#install-git)
1. [Link Local Git to GitHub](#link-local-git-to-github)
1. [Basic Commands (in VS Code)](#basic-commands-in-vs-code)

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### Install Git

Navigate to https://git-scm.com/downloads and download the version of git for your platform. Most of you will download the Windows version. Perform a “push-through” install of Git, accepting all the default options. 

Note: If you are on Linux or MacOS, you can install it from the command line. 
- *sudo dnf install git – RedHat, CentOS, AlmaLinux, and variants* 
- *sudo apt install git – Ubuntu and variants*
- *brew install git – MacOS (with Homebrew installed)*

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### Link Local Git to GitHub

1. Create GitHub Account 
1. In VS Code Terminal >  
    - *ssh-keygen -t rsa -b 4096 -C your_email@example.com* 
        - Replace email with the email associated with the GitHub Account 
    - *eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"* 
    - *ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_rsa*
        - This should be the path that the passkey was saved to from above 
    - *cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub*
        - This should be the path that the passkey was saved to from above 
    - **COPY TO CLIPBOARD** 
1. In GitHub Account > 
    - Settings > SSH & GPG Keys > New SSH Key > PASTE FROM CLIPBOARD > Add Title > Add SSH Key 
1. In VS Code Terminal > 
    - *ssh -T git@github.com* 
        - This will verify the connection with GitHub 

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### Basic Commands in VS Code

Configure Global Settings: 
- *git config –global user.name “name”*
- *git config –global user.email “email@email.com”*

Create (Make) Directory: 
- *mkdir nameOfDirectory* 

Change Directory: 
- *cd* 
- *cd ..* (go up one directory) 

Create File:
- PowerShell
    - *code -r nameOfFile* 
- SSH
    - *touch nameOfFile* 

Create Repository:
- *git init* 

Create Branch:
- *git branch nameOfBranch*

Switch to Branch:
- *git checkout nameOfBranch*
- *git switch nameOfBranch*

Merge Branch to Main/Master:
- *git merge nameOfBranch*
- Resolving Conflicts:
    - Resolve conflict as needed.
    - *git add FILE.md*
    - *git commit -m "Resolved conflict between nameofBranch and Main/Master..."*

Verify Current Branch:
- *git status*

Stage and Commit Files:
- *git add . (or git add nameOfFile)*
- *git commit -m “commit message goes here”* 

Review Commit History: 
- *git log*

Link Local Repository to GitHub Repository
- *git remote add origin https://github.com/username/name-of-repository.git*
- *git pull origin main*

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##### [Return to the Beginning](#version-control)
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