If Linux is where your code runs, Git is how your code is tracked, shared, and shipped. Every serious software and DevOps team on the planet uses version control — and Git is the standard.

🎯 Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson you will:

• Understand what version control is and why it matters
• Know the difference between Git and GitHub
• Understand the core Git workflow
• Install and configure Git

What is Version Control?

Version control is a system that records changes to your files over time, so you can:

• Go back to any previous version
• See who changed what, and when
• Work on the same project with a whole team — without overwriting each other

Without it, teams end up with folders like project_final_v2_REALLY_final.zip. Git ends that chaos.

Git vs GitHub — What’s the Difference?

The Core Git Workflow

Almost everything in Git follows this cycle:

Working Directory   →   Staging Area   →   Repository   →   GitHub
 (edit files)         (git add)        (git commit)     (git push)

You edit files, stage the changes you want to keep, commit them as a snapshot, and push them to GitHub to share.

Install & Configure Git

sudo apt update && sudo apt install git -y   # Ubuntu / WSL
git --version                                # verify

Set your identity once — every commit you make is stamped with it:

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

git version 2.43.0
Your Name

🧪 Hands-on Lab

user.name=Ada Lovelace
user.email=ada@example.com

🧠 Knowledge Check

💼 Interview Preparation

Summary

You now understand what version control is, how Git and GitHub differ, and the edit → add → commit → push workflow. Next, you’ll run these commands for real.