Configure Git
Now let Git know who you are.
This is important for version control systems, as each Git commit uses this information:
Tip: for Beginners: Configuring Git is safe. You can change these settings at any time, they only affect how your name and email appear in your commits.
User Name
Your name will be attached to your commits. Set it with:
Example
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
Note: If you make a typo or mistake, just run the command again with the correct value. The new setting will overwrite the old one.
Email Address
Your email is also attached to your commits. Set it with:
Example
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"
Change the user name and email to your own.
You will probably also want to use this when registering to GitHub later on.
Note: If you forget to set your name or email, Git will prompt you the first time you try to commit. You can always change these settings later, and previous commits will keep the old info.
Use --global to set the value for every repository on your computer.
Use --local (the default) to set it only for the current repository.
Why Configure Git?
Git uses your name and email to label your commits.
If you do not set these, Git will prompt you the first time you try to commit.
Now you have added the minimum of configuration needed to start using Git.
So feel free to continue with the next chapter.
For more information about configuration, or if you want to change anything, keep reading this page.
Viewing Your Configuration
You can see all your Git settings with:
Example: List All Settings
git config --list
user.name=Your Name
user.email=you@example.com
core.editor=code --wait
alias.st=status
init.defaultbranch=main
...
To view a specific value, use:
Example: View a Specific Setting
git config user.name
Your Name
Changing or Unsetting Config Values
To change a value, just run the git config command again with the new value.
To remove a setting, use --unset:
Example: Unset an Alias
git config --global --unset code.editor
Default Branch Name
Set the default branch name for new repositories (for example, main instead of master):
Example: Set Default Branch Name
git config --global init.defaultBranch main
Configuration Levels
There are three levels of configuration:
- System (all users):
git config --system - Global (current user):
git config --global - Local (current repo):
git config --local
The order of precedence is:
- Local (current repo)
- Global (current user)
- System (all users)
The reason to use the different levels is that you can set different values for different users or repositories.
This can be used for example to set different default branches for different repositories and users.
Example: Set a Local Config
git config user.name "Project Name"
Example: Set a Global Config
git config --global user.name "Global Name"
Example: Set a System Config
git config --system user.name "System Name"
