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Git

Git is a version control system that saves checkpoints of your work so you can always go back. Think of it like an undo history for your entire project.

Quick download: Mac: built-in (run xcode-select --install) · Windows: git-scm.com

Mac

Step 1: Install via Xcode Command Line Tools

Open Terminal (search for "Terminal" in Spotlight, or find it in Applications → Utilities) and run:

xcode-select --install

A dialog will pop up asking if you want to install developer tools. Click Install and wait for it to finish (this may take a few minutes).

Step 2: Verify the installation

git --version

You should see something like git version 2.x.x.

Step 3: Configure your identity

Tell Git who you are. Use the same email you'll use for your GitHub account:

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

Windows

Step 1: Download the installer

Go to git-scm.com and click the Download for Windows button. This downloads a .exe file.

Step 2: Run the installer

  1. Open the downloaded .exe file
  2. Click Next through the prompts — the defaults are fine for everything
  3. On the "Choosing the default editor" screen, you can leave it as Vim or change it to something friendlier (Notepad is fine — you won't need it much since Claude Code handles editing)
  4. On the "Adjusting your PATH" screen, make sure Git from the command line and also from 3rd-party software is selected (this is the default)
  5. Click Install, then Finish

Step 3: Restart your terminal

Close and reopen Windows Terminal or PowerShell.

Step 4: Verify the installation

git --version

You should see something like git version 2.x.x.

Step 5: Configure your identity

Tell Git who you are. Use the same email you'll use for your GitHub account:

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

Troubleshooting

Problem Fix
git: command not found Restart your terminal. On Windows, make sure the PATH option was selected during install.
"xcode-select: error: command line tools are already installed" (Mac) You already have Git — run git --version to confirm.
Git asks for name/email on every commit Run the git config --global commands above to set them once.

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