Git & GitHub Explained — Complete Beginner to Advanced Guide (50+ Commands + Real-World Examples)

git config --global user.name

Sets your identity name for all Git commits on this machine.

Syntax

git config --global user.name "Your Name"

When to use

Once, right after installing Git. Required before your first commit.

git config --global user.email

Sets your email address for all Git commits. This links your commits to your GitHub account.

Syntax

git config --global user.email "you@example.com"

git config --list

Displays all Git configuration settings currently active on your machine.

Example Output

user.name=Chaitanya
user.email=you@example.com
core.autocrlf=true

git config --global core.autocrlf

Configures how Git handles line endings between Windows (CRLF) and Linux/macOS (LF).

Syntax

# On Windows
git config --global core.autocrlf true

# On macOS/Linux
git config --global core.autocrlf input

git init

Initializes a new Git repository in the current folder by creating a .git directory.

Syntax

git init

Output

Initialized empty Git repository in /your-project/.git/

git clone

Downloads a full copy of a remote repository, including all history and branches.

Syntax

git clone https://github.com/username/project.git

Best Practice

Always clone using HTTPS for public repos and SSH for private repos on your main development machine.

git remote add origin

Connects your local repository to a remote GitHub repository.

Syntax

git remote add origin https://github.com/username/project.git

When to use

After git init, to link your local repo to GitHub for the first time.

git remote -v

Lists all remote connections and their URLs. Essential for verifying you're connected to the right repository.

Output

origin  https://github.com/username/project.git (fetch)
origin  https://github.com/username/project.git (push)

git status

Shows the current state of your working directory and staging area. Use it before every commit.

Output (clean)

On branch main
nothing to commit, working tree clean

Output (with untracked files)

On branch main
Untracked files:
  (use "git add <file>..." to include in what will be committed)
        index.html
        styles.css

nothing added to commit but untracked files present

git diff

Shows the exact line-by-line differences between your working directory and the last commit. Run this before staging to review your changes.

Syntax

git diff

git log

Shows the full commit history of the current branch.

Output

commit a1b2c3d4e5f6...
Author: Chaitanya <you@example.com>
Date:   Sat Jul 19 2026

    Initial commit

git log --oneline

Compact view of commit history — one line per commit. Use --graph --decorate for a visual branch map.

Syntax

git log --oneline --graph --decorate

Output

* a1b2c3d (HEAD -> main, origin/main) Add homepage layout
* f4e5d6c Fix navigation styles
* 9b8a7c6 Initial commit

git show

Shows the details of a specific commit — who made it, when, and what changed.

Syntax

git show a1b2c3d

git add .

Stages all changes (new files, modifications, deletions) in the current directory for the next commit.

Syntax

git add .

Common Mistake

Running git commit without git add first results in nothing being committed.

git add filename

Stages only a specific file. Useful for creating focused, atomic commits.

Syntax

git add index.html
git add styles.css

git restore

Discards changes in the working directory — reverting a file to its last committed state. Cannot be undone.

Syntax

git restore index.html

git reset

Unstages a file — removes it from the staging area but keeps the changes in your working directory.

Syntax

git reset index.html

git commit

Creates a snapshot of the staged changes. Opens your default text editor for the commit message.

Syntax

git commit

git commit -m

Creates a commit with a message inline — the most common form.

Syntax

git commit -m "Add homepage layout and navigation"

Best Practice

Write commit messages in the imperative tense: "Add feature" not "Added feature". Keep them under 72 characters.

git commit --amend

Modifies the most recent commit — either its message, or its content. Use this to fix typos in commit messages or add a forgotten file.

Fix message only

git commit --amend -m "Correct commit message"

Add a forgotten file

git add forgotten-file.html
git commit --amend

git branch

Lists all local branches. The current branch is marked with an asterisk.

Output

* main
  feature/homepage
  bugfix/nav-links

git checkout -b

Creates and immediately switches to a new branch.

Syntax

git checkout -b feature/new-page

git switch

The modern alternative to git checkout for switching branches. Cleaner and more explicit.

Syntax

git switch main
git switch -c new-branch

git branch -d

Deletes a local branch. Use -D (uppercase) to force delete an unmerged branch.

Syntax

git branch -d feature/old-page

git branch -M

Renames the current branch. Commonly used to rename master to main.

Syntax

git branch -M main

git merge

Combines another branch into the current branch. Preserves full history with a merge commit.

Syntax

git switch main
git merge feature/new-page

When to use

When integrating completed feature branches into main. Ideal for shared/collaborative branches.

git rebase

Replays your commits on top of another branch, creating a cleaner linear history.

Syntax

git switch feature/my-work
git rebase main

Merge vs Rebase — Quick Rule

Use merge for shared branches (main, develop). Use rebase for local cleanup before opening a pull request.

git cherry-pick

Applies a specific commit from one branch onto your current branch — without merging the entire branch.

Syntax

git cherry-pick a1b2c3d

When to use

When you need one specific fix from another branch but are not ready to merge everything.

git push

Uploads your local commits to the remote repository on GitHub.

Syntax

git push origin main

First push of a new branch

git push -u origin main

The -u flag sets the upstream, so future pushes only need git push.

git pull

Downloads changes from the remote and merges them into your current branch. Equivalent to git fetch + git merge.

Syntax

git pull origin main

git pull --rebase

Downloads remote changes and replays your local commits on top, avoiding a merge commit. Preferred for keeping a clean history.

Syntax

git pull --rebase origin main

When to use

When your push is rejected because the remote has newer commits you don't have locally.

git fetch

Downloads changes from the remote but does not merge them. Lets you inspect changes before integrating.

Syntax

git fetch origin

Fetch vs Pull

fetch is safe — it never touches your working files. pull automatically merges, which can create conflicts.

git stash

Temporarily saves your uncommitted changes so you can switch contexts without losing work.

Stash your work

git stash

Restore stashed work

git stash pop

View all stashes

git stash list

git tag

Marks a specific commit as a release version. Tags are used in production deployments.

Create a tag

git tag v1.0.0
git push origin v1.0.0

git bisect

Uses binary search to find the exact commit that introduced a bug.

Syntax

git bisect start
git bisect bad         # current commit is broken
git bisect good v1.0   # this version was working

Git will automatically check out commits between the good and bad points for you to test.

git reset --soft HEAD~1

Undoes the last commit but keeps all changes staged. Use this to redo a commit with a better message or additional files.

Syntax

git reset --soft HEAD~1

git reflog

Your safety net. Shows a log of every action HEAD has pointed to — including commits that were deleted, reset, or lost. Use this to recover from almost any mistake.

Syntax

git reflog

Output

a1b2c3d (HEAD -> main) HEAD@{0}: commit: Add footer
f4e5d6c HEAD@{1}: commit: Add nav
9b8a7c6 HEAD@{2}: reset: moving to HEAD~1

git reset --hard

Moves HEAD to a specific commit and permanently discards all changes after that point. Use with extreme caution.

Syntax

git reset --hard HEAD~1        # go back one commit
git reset --hard a1b2c3d       # go back to specific commit

git clean

Removes untracked files from the working directory. Useful for cleaning build artifacts or test files.

Syntax

git clean -fd    # remove untracked files and directories

git fsck

Checks the integrity of your Git repository. Useful for diagnosing corruption issues.

Syntax

git fsck --full