Git in 30 Minutes: A Beginner's Guide for Technical Writers

Welcome to Git in 30 Minutes: A Beginner’s Guide for Technical Writers. Within about 30 minutes, you'll learn the basics of Git, the distributed version control system that has become an indispensable tool for countless developers, writers, and others. In this eBook, you'll create and use a simple project to help you get up and running.

Here's the process you'll follow to learn Git fast:

1. Set up and initialize a project
2. Make a 'commit'
3. Check your project's status
4. Create and use a project 'branch'
5. Connect with a remote Git repository on Github
6. Learn about next steps for growing your skills

When you're done, you'll be able to:

1. Install Git and use it to apply version control to your project
2. Use branching and remote repositories (like Github) to collaborate with others
3. Know where to go to learn more and grow your skills

A few assumptions

• You can use a terminal on your computer to enter basic commands. If you don't yet know how to use a terminal, see the Command Line Crash Course section at the end of the book.
• You're new to version control, and perhaps technical software tools in general.

What about visual Git tools?

There are several visual Git tools (desktop applications) that don't require using the command line, and development environments that come with Git features already integrated. These are great!

But for your first steps with Git, I strongly recommend learning basic operations on the command line first; starting this way helps you better understand how Git works as you encounter different environments and projects.