Get Help for Specific Command

git <command> --help

Initialize a Repo

git init

• Turns your current directory into a brand-new Git repository.

Clone a Repo

git clone <url>

• Downloads an existing repository from a remote source to your computer.

Check Status of Repo

git status

• Shows which files have been modified, which are being tracked, and what is currently in your staging area.

Add Files to Staging

git add <file-name>

• Moves changes from your working directory to the staging area. Use git add . to add everything.

Commit Changes

git commit -m "Your descriptive message"

• Takes everything in your staging area and saves it as a permanent snapshot in your local history.

Manage Branches

git branch

• Lists all local branches. Adding a name after it creates a new branch.

Create New Branch

git branch <branch-name>

• Creates a new branch.

Switch Branches

git checkout <branch-name>

git switch <branch-name>

• Switches your current working environment to a different branch.

Pull Updates

git pull

• Fetches updates from the remote repository and immediately merges them into your current local branch.

View History

git log

• Displays a chronological list of all the commits made in the repository.

Initialize Local Repo

cd /path/to/your/repo

git init

• This tells Git to start tracking the folder.
• It creates a hidden .git directory to track history.

Stage the Files

git add <path-or-folder>

• This moves your files into the staging area.
• Use git add . to stage everything.

Create First Snapshot

git commit -m "Initial commit"

• This locks your files into local history with a message.

Link to the Existing Remote Repo

git remote add origin https://github.com/your-org/your-repo.git

• This tells Git where the remote repository lives (GitHub, GitLab, etc.).

Sync and Push

git pull origin main --rebase

• If the remote repo already has files (like a README), pull first to avoid clashing histories.
• If your default branch is named master instead of main, use that instead.

Push Your Work

git push -u origin main

• The -u flag creates a permanent link between your local branch and the remote one.
• In the future, you’ll only need to type git push.