Git Fundamentals and Remotes

Git Fundamentals

Git is a distributed version control system that tracks changes to files over time. Unlike centralized version control systems, Git gives every developer a complete copy of the repository, including its full history.

Key Concepts

Repository (Repo): A collection of files and their complete history.

# Initialize a new repository
git init

# Clone an existing repository
git clone https://github.com/username/repository.git

Commit: A snapshot of your files at a specific point in time.

# Stage changes for commit
git add filename.txt

# Stage all changes
git add .

# Commit staged changes
git commit -m "Descriptive message about changes"

Staging Area: A middle ground between your working directory and the repository.

# Check status of working directory and staging area
git status

# See differences between working directory and staging area
git diff

# See differences between staging area and last commit
git diff --staged

Working with Remotes

Remotes are versions of your repository hosted on a server, enabling collaboration with other developers.

GitHub vs GitLab

Both GitHub and GitLab are platforms for hosting Git repositories, but they have some differences:

GitHub:

• World’s largest code hosting platform
• Strong open-source community
• Acquired by Microsoft in 2018
• Features: Actions (CI/CD), Codespaces, Copilot

GitLab:

• Complete DevOps platform
• Available as self-hosted or cloud-hosted
• Integrated CI/CD pipeline
• Features: Built-in issue tracking, wiki, container registry

Managing Remotes

# List all remote repositories
git remote -v

# Add a new remote
git remote add origin https://github.com/username/repository.git

# Change remote URL
git remote set-url origin https://github.com/username/new-repository.git

# Add multiple remotes (e.g., GitHub and GitLab)
git remote add github https://github.com/username/repository.git
git remote add gitlab https://gitlab.com/username/repository.git

Syncing with Remotes

# Download changes from remote without integrating them
git fetch origin

# Download and integrate changes from remote
git pull origin main

# Upload local changes to remote
git push origin main

Best Practices for Remotes

1. Use SSH keys for secure authentication:

   # Generate SSH key
   ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "[email protected]"
   
   # Add to GitHub/GitLab account
   cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub
   

2. Set up multiple remotes for backup and flexibility:

   # Push to multiple remotes
   git push github main
   git push gitlab main
   

3. Use remote tracking branches to simplify commands:

   # Set up tracking
   git branch --set-upstream-to=origin/main main
   
   # Now you can use simplified commands
   git pull
   git push
   

4. Keep remote references clean:

   # Prune deleted remote branches
   git fetch --prune