git

A fork of Git containing Windows-specific patches.

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gitextensions

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Git Extensions is a standalone UI tool for managing git repositories. It also integrates with Windows Explorer and Microsoft Visual Studio (2015/2017/2019).

desktop

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Focus on what matters instead of fighting with Git.

libgit2

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A cross-platform, linkable library implementation of Git that you can use in your application.

Git-Credential-Manager-for-Windows

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Secure Git credential storage for Windows with support for Visual Studio Team Services, GitHub, and Bitbucket multi-factor authentication.

TortoiseGit

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Windows Explorer Extension to Operate Git; Mirror of official repository https://tortoisegit.org/sourcecode

Quick Overview

Git for Windows is a project that provides a native port of Git to the Windows operating system. It includes both command-line tools and a graphical user interface, allowing Windows users to use Git for version control in a familiar environment.

Pros

Seamless integration with Windows file system and command prompt
Includes Git Bash, providing a Unix-like command-line experience on Windows
Regular updates and maintenance, keeping it in sync with the main Git project
Offers both GUI and CLI options for different user preferences

Cons

Some features may lag behind the main Git project due to porting complexities
Occasional compatibility issues with certain Windows environments or configurations
Learning curve for Windows users unfamiliar with Unix-like command-line interfaces
Large installation size compared to the core Git package

Getting Started

Download the latest Git for Windows installer from the official website: https://gitforwindows.org/
Run the installer and follow the setup wizard. You can choose default options for most settings.
Open Git Bash or Command Prompt and verify the installation:
```
git --version
```

Configure your Git username and email:

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

You're now ready to use Git on Windows. To clone a repository, use:
```
git clone https://github.com/username/repository.git
```

Competitor Comparisons

gitextensions

7,852

Git Extensions is a standalone UI tool for managing git repositories. It also integrates with Windows Explorer and Microsoft Visual Studio (2015/2017/2019).

Pros of GitExtensions

User-friendly GUI for Git operations, making it easier for beginners
Integrated visual diff and merge tools
Extensive plugin system for customization and additional features

Cons of GitExtensions

Requires .NET Framework, limiting cross-platform compatibility
May have a steeper learning curve for users familiar with command-line Git
Less frequent updates compared to Git for Windows

Code Comparison

Git for Windows (command-line):

git clone https://github.com/example/repo.git
git checkout -b new-feature
git add .
git commit -m "Add new feature"
git push origin new-feature

GitExtensions (GUI-based):

# No direct code comparison available
# GitExtensions uses a graphical interface for these operations
# Users interact with buttons, menus, and dialogs instead of typing commands

GitExtensions provides a visual interface for Git operations, while Git for Windows is primarily command-line based. GitExtensions offers a more intuitive experience for those who prefer graphical interfaces, but may be less flexible for advanced users who rely on command-line scripting and automation. Git for Windows is more lightweight and has broader platform support, making it a better choice for developers who need cross-platform consistency or prefer working in the terminal.

desktop

20,114

Focus on what matters instead of fighting with Git.

Pros of Desktop

User-friendly GUI for Git operations, making it easier for beginners
Integrated GitHub features like pull requests and issue tracking
Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux)

Cons of Desktop

Limited to GitHub repositories, not as flexible for other Git hosts
Fewer advanced Git features compared to command-line tools
Potential performance overhead due to Electron-based application

Code Comparison

Git for Windows (PowerShell):

git clone https://github.com/example/repo.git
cd repo
git checkout -b new-feature
git add .
git commit -m "Add new feature"

GitHub Desktop:

// No direct code equivalent, as Desktop uses GUI interactions
// However, the underlying operations are similar:
// 1. Clone repository
// 2. Create new branch
// 3. Stage changes
// 4. Commit changes

Git for Windows provides a command-line interface for Git operations, while GitHub Desktop offers a graphical user interface. The core Git functionality remains similar, but the interaction method differs significantly between the two projects.

libgit2

9,898

A cross-platform, linkable library implementation of Git that you can use in your application.

Pros of libgit2

Cross-platform library for Git operations, easily integrable into other applications
Provides a high-level API for Git functionality, simplifying complex operations
Supports multiple programming languages through bindings

Cons of libgit2

Not a complete Git implementation, lacking some advanced features
Requires additional setup and integration compared to standalone Git
May have performance overhead for certain operations

Code Comparison

git:

git clone https://github.com/example/repo.git
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"
git push origin main

libgit2 (using Python bindings):

import pygit2

repo = pygit2.clone_repository("https://github.com/example/repo.git", "repo")
index = repo.index
index.add_all()
tree = index.write_tree()
author = pygit2.Signature("Author Name", "author@example.com")
repo.create_commit("HEAD", author, author, "Initial commit", tree, [repo.head.target])
remote = repo.remotes["origin"]
remote.push(["refs/heads/main"])

The git example shows command-line usage, while the libgit2 example demonstrates programmatic Git operations using Python bindings. libgit2 provides more granular control but requires more code for basic operations compared to git's simpler command-line interface.

Git-Credential-Manager-for-Windows

2,890

Secure Git credential storage for Windows with support for Visual Studio Team Services, GitHub, and Bitbucket multi-factor authentication.

Pros of Git-Credential-Manager-for-Windows

Specialized credential management for Windows environments
Supports multiple authentication protocols (OAuth, personal access tokens)
Integrates well with Azure DevOps and other Microsoft services

Cons of Git-Credential-Manager-for-Windows

Limited to Windows platforms, less versatile than Git for Windows
May require additional setup and configuration
Focused solely on credential management, not a full Git implementation

Code Comparison

Git for Windows (config example):

[credential]
    helper = manager

Git-Credential-Manager-for-Windows (PowerShell usage):

git credential-manager install
git config --global credential.helper manager

While Git for Windows provides a complete Git environment, Git-Credential-Manager-for-Windows focuses on enhancing credential management specifically for Windows users. The former offers a broader set of features and cross-platform compatibility, while the latter excels in providing secure and efficient credential handling for Windows-specific scenarios, especially in Microsoft-centric development environments.

gitahead

1,864

Understand your Git history!

Pros of GitAhead

User-friendly graphical interface for Git operations
Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Built-in diff and merge tools

Cons of GitAhead

Less frequently updated compared to Git for Windows
Smaller community and fewer resources available
Limited to GUI interactions, may not suit command-line enthusiasts

Code Comparison

GitAhead (C++):

void Repository::fetch(const Remote* remote, const QString& refspec)
{
  git_fetch_options opts = GIT_FETCH_OPTIONS_INIT;
  opts.callbacks.credentials = credentialCallback;
  opts.callbacks.payload = this;
  // ... (additional fetch logic)
}

Git for Windows (C):

int cmd_fetch(int argc, const char **argv, const char *prefix)
{
    struct fetch_options options;
    memset(&options, 0, sizeof(options));
    options.verbosity = 1;
    options.update_head_ok = 1;
    // ... (additional fetch logic)
}

Both repositories implement Git functionality, but GitAhead focuses on providing a graphical interface, while Git for Windows is primarily a command-line tool with some GUI components. GitAhead's code is in C++, utilizing Qt for its interface, whereas Git for Windows is written in C, maintaining compatibility with the core Git project.

TortoiseGit

1,518

Windows Explorer Extension to Operate Git; Mirror of official repository https://tortoisegit.org/sourcecode

Pros of TortoiseGit

User-friendly GUI for Git operations, making it easier for non-technical users
Seamless integration with Windows Explorer for quick access to Git commands
Visual representation of branch history and file changes

Cons of TortoiseGit

Limited to Windows operating system, unlike Git for Windows which is cross-platform
May not support all advanced Git features available in the command-line interface
Requires separate installation and updates from the core Git software

Code Comparison

TortoiseGit (Shell Extension):

STDMETHODIMP CShellExt::Initialize(LPCITEMIDLIST pIDFolder, LPDATAOBJECT pDataObj, HKEY hRegKey)
{
    // Shell extension initialization code
}

Git for Windows (Git Bash):

#!/bin/sh
. /etc/profile.d/git-prompt.sh
PS1='\[\033]0;$TITLEPREFIX:$PWD\007\]' # set window title
PS1="$PS1"'\n'                 # new line
PS1="$PS1"'\[\033[32m\]'       # change to green

The code snippets show the different approaches: TortoiseGit focuses on Windows shell integration, while Git for Windows provides a Unix-like command-line environment.

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README

Git for Windows

This is Git for Windows, the Windows port of Git.

The Git for Windows project is run using a governance model. If you encounter problems, you can report them as GitHub issues, discuss them in Git for Windows' Discussions or on the Git mailing list, and contribute bug fixes.

To build Git for Windows, please either install Git for Windows' SDK, start its git-bash.exe, cd to your Git worktree and run make, or open the Git worktree as a folder in Visual Studio.

To verify that your build works, use one of the following methods:

If you want to test the built executables within Git for Windows' SDK, prepend <worktree>/bin-wrappers to the PATH.
Alternatively, run make install in the Git worktree.
If you need to test this in a full installer, run sdk build git-and-installer.
You can also "install" Git into an existing portable Git via make install DESTDIR=<dir> where <dir> refers to the top-level directory of the portable Git. In this instance, you will want to prepend that portable Git's /cmd directory to the PATH, or test by running that portable Git's git-bash.exe or git-cmd.exe.
If you built using a recent Visual Studio, you can use the menu item Build>Install git (you will want to click on Project>CMake Settings for Git first, then click on Edit JSON and then point installRoot to the mingw64 directory of an already-unpacked portable Git).

As in the previous bullet point, you will then prepend /cmd to the PATH or run using the portable Git's git-bash.exe or git-cmd.exe.
If you want to run the built executables in-place, but in a CMD instead of inside a Bash, you can run a snippet like this in the git-bash.exe window where Git was built (ensure that the EOF line has no leading spaces), and then paste into the CMD window what was put in the clipboard:
```
clip.exe <<EOF
set GIT_EXEC_PATH=$(cygpath -aw .)
set PATH=$(cygpath -awp ".:contrib/scalar:/mingw64/bin:/usr/bin:$PATH")
set GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR=$(cygpath -aw templates/blt)
set GITPERLLIB=$(cygpath -aw perl/build/lib)
EOF
```
If you want to run the built executables in-place, but outside of Git for Windows' SDK, and without an option to set/override any environment variables (e.g. in Visual Studio's debugger), you can call the Git executable by its absolute path and use the --exec-path option, like so:
```
C:\git-sdk-64\usr\src\git\git.exe --exec-path=C:\git-sdk-64\usr\src\git help
```
Note: for this to work, you have to hard-link (or copy) the .dll files from the /mingw64/bin directory to the Git worktree, or add the /mingw64/bin directory to the PATH somehow or other.

To make sure that you are testing the correct binary, call ./git.exe version in the Git worktree, and then call git version in a directory/window where you want to test Git, and verify that they refer to the same version (you may even want to pass the command-line option --build-options to look at the exact commit from which the Git version was built).

Git - fast, scalable, distributed revision control system

Git is a fast, scalable, distributed revision control system with an unusually rich command set that provides both high-level operations and full access to internals.

Git is an Open Source project covered by the GNU General Public License version 2 (some parts of it are under different licenses, compatible with the GPLv2). It was originally written by Linus Torvalds with help of a group of hackers around the net.

Please read the file INSTALL for installation instructions.

Many Git online resources are accessible from https://git-scm.com/ including full documentation and Git related tools.

See Documentation/gittutorial.adoc to get started, then see Documentation/giteveryday.adoc for a useful minimum set of commands, and Documentation/git-<commandname>.adoc for documentation of each command. If git has been correctly installed, then the tutorial can also be read with man gittutorial or git help tutorial, and the documentation of each command with man git-<commandname> or git help <commandname>.

CVS users may also want to read Documentation/gitcvs-migration.adoc (man gitcvs-migration or git help cvs-migration if git is installed).

The user discussion and development of core Git take place on the Git mailing list -- everyone is welcome to post bug reports, feature requests, comments and patches to git@vger.kernel.org (read Documentation/SubmittingPatches for instructions on patch submission and Documentation/CodingGuidelines).

Those wishing to help with error message, usage and informational message string translations (localization l10) should see po/README.md (a po file is a Portable Object file that holds the translations).

To subscribe to the list, send an email to git+subscribe@vger.kernel.org (see https://subspace.kernel.org/subscribing.html for details). The mailing list archives are available at https://lore.kernel.org/git/, https://marc.info/?l=git and other archival sites. The core git mailing list is plain text (no HTML!).

Issues which are security relevant should be disclosed privately to the Git Security mailing list git-security@googlegroups.com.

The maintainer frequently sends the "What's cooking" reports that list the current status of various development topics to the mailing list. The discussion following them give a good reference for project status, development direction and remaining tasks.

The name "git" was given by Linus Torvalds when he wrote the very first version. He described the tool as "the stupid content tracker" and the name as (depending on your mood):

random three-letter combination that is pronounceable, and not actually used by any common UNIX command. The fact that it is a mispronunciation of "get" may or may not be relevant.
stupid. contemptible and despicable. simple. Take your pick from the dictionary of slang.
"global information tracker": you're in a good mood, and it actually works for you. Angels sing, and a light suddenly fills the room.
"goddamn idiotic truckload of sh*t": when it breaks

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