Last updated on 6th March 2026

How to install Git

Introduction

Git is the most widely used version control system in the world. Before you can start tracking changes to your code, creating repositories, or collaborating with other developers, you need to install Git on your machine.

The installation process varies by operating system. Choose your platform below:

Once installed, jump to Global Configuration to set up your identity before making your first commit.

Install Git on Windows

Option 1 - Git for Windows (Recommended)

The official Git for Windows installer is the most common way to get Git on a Windows machine. It includes Git Bash, a terminal emulator that provides a Unix-like command-line experience on Windows.

Head over to gitforwindows.org, download the latest installer, and run it. The default options work well for most users, but pay attention to these settings during installation:

  • Default editor: Choose your preferred text editor (VS Code is a popular choice).
  • PATH environment: Select "Git from the command line and also from 3rd-party software" so you can use Git in both Command Prompt and PowerShell.
  • Line ending conversions: "Checkout Windows-style, commit Unix-style line endings" is the recommended default.

msysGit Installer

Option 2 - Install with winget

If you have Windows 10 or later, you can install Git using the built-in Windows Package Manager from PowerShell or Command Prompt:

winget install --id Git.Git -e --source winget

This downloads and installs the latest version of Git for Windows automatically.

Verify installation on Windows

To verify that Git has been installed, open Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Git Bash from the Start menu.

Windows Command Prompt

Enter the following command:

git --version

You should see output showing the installed version:

git version 2.x.x

If you see a "command not found" error instead, see the Troubleshooting section below.

You are now ready to add some global configuration for Git.

Install Git on Mac

Option 1 - Homebrew (Recommended)

Homebrew is the most popular package manager for macOS, and it is the preferred way to install and keep Git up to date. If you do not have Homebrew installed, open Terminal and run:

/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

Once Homebrew is installed, install Git with:

brew install git

To update Git later, run brew upgrade git. This keeps you on the latest stable release without needing to download installers manually.

Option 2 - Xcode Command Line Tools

Open the Terminal app (found in Applications > Utilities) and type:

git --version

If Git is not already installed, macOS will prompt you to install the Xcode Command Line Tools. Click Install and wait for the download to complete. This installs a version of Git maintained by Apple, though it may lag behind the latest release.

Option 3 - Git Installer for Mac

There is also an official standalone Git installer for macOS. Download it, open the installer, and follow the wizard using the default options.

Verify installation on Mac

Open Terminal and enter:

git --version

You should see output like:

git version 2.x.x

If you installed via Homebrew and still see an older Apple version, you may need to restart your terminal or adjust your shell PATH so that /opt/homebrew/bin (Apple Silicon) or /usr/local/bin (Intel) comes before /usr/bin.

You are now ready to add some global configuration for Git.

Install Git on Linux

Git is available in the default package repositories of virtually every Linux distribution, and many distros ship with Git pre-installed. Open your preferred terminal emulator and run the command for your distribution:

# Debian / Ubuntu / Linux Mint
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install git

# Fedora
sudo dnf install git

# Arch Linux / Manjaro
sudo pacman -S git

# openSUSE
sudo zypper install git

# Alpine Linux
sudo apk add git

Verify installation on Linux

Run the following command to confirm Git is installed:

git --version

You should see output like:

git version 2.x.x

You are now ready to add some global configuration for Git.

Global configuration for Git

Before you start committing file changes, you should configure Git with your identity. This information is embedded in every commit you make and is visible to anyone with access to the repository.

Open Terminal (or Command Prompt / Git Bash on Windows) and run:

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

Set your default branch name

Recent versions of Git default to main as the initial branch name, but you can set this explicitly to avoid warnings:

git config --global init.defaultBranch main

Set your preferred editor

Git occasionally opens a text editor for commit messages and interactive operations. Set your preferred editor:

# VS Code
git config --global core.editor "code --wait"

# Nano
git config --global core.editor "nano"

# Vim (default on most systems)
git config --global core.editor "vim"

Verify your configuration

To review all of your Git settings, run:

git config --list

This reads from the .gitconfig file in your home directory, which will look similar to:

[user]
    name = Your Name
    email = you@example.com
[init]
    defaultBranch = main
[core]
    editor = code --wait

Both your name and email address will be visible to anyone who has access to your repositories, so make sure you use an email address you are comfortable sharing.

Troubleshooting common issues

Windows: "git is not recognized" error

If you see 'git' is not recognized as an internal or external command after installation, Git is not in your system PATH. Try these fixes:

  1. Restart your terminal or computer to pick up PATH changes from the installer.
  2. Re-run the installer and ensure you select the option to add Git to your PATH.
  3. Manually add Git to PATH: Open System Properties > Environment Variables, then add C:\Program Files\Git\cmd to your Path variable.

Mac: Xcode license agreement error

If you see a message about accepting the Xcode license, run:

sudo xcodebuild -license accept

Then try your Git command again.

Mac: Homebrew Git vs. Apple Git

After installing Git via Homebrew, your shell may still use the older Apple version from /usr/bin/git. Check which version is active:

which git

If it shows /usr/bin/git instead of /opt/homebrew/bin/git (Apple Silicon) or /usr/local/bin/git (Intel), add the Homebrew path to your shell profile (~/.zshrc or ~/.bash_profile):

export PATH="/opt/homebrew/bin:$PATH"

Restart your terminal and verify with git --version.

Linux: permission denied errors

If you see "permission denied" when installing packages, make sure you are using sudo with the install command. If you encounter permission errors when running Git commands on a repository, check the directory ownership:

ls -la /path/to/your/repo

You can fix ownership with:

sudo chown -R $(whoami) /path/to/your/repo

Next steps

Now that Git is installed and configured, you are ready to start using version control:

Ready to streamline your deployment workflow? DeployHQ automatically deploys your code whenever you push to your Git repository — no manual uploads needed.