Git Quick Start Learning Path

What this guide helps with

Many people first meet Git as a pile of commands to memorize. A better approach is to build one minimum closed loop first:

1. Get the repository
2. Change files
3. Stage changes
4. Create a commit
5. Sync with the remote

Once that loop feels natural, topics like rebase, reflog, references, and the object model become much easier to learn.

The first commands to learn

1. git clone

Use it to copy a remote repository locally and record the default remote as origin.

git clone <repository-url>

2. git add

Use it to move changes from the working tree into the staging area.

git add .

3. git commit

Use it to turn the staged snapshot into a new commit.

git commit -m "feat: add login form"

4. git fetch

Use it to download new remote refs and objects without modifying your current branch directly.

git fetch origin

5. git pull

Use it to fetch first and then integrate remote changes into your current branch.

git pull --ff-only

6. git push

Use it to publish your local commits to the remote.

git push origin main

What to learn next

After this guide, the next three topics should usually be:

1. The difference between fetch and pull
2. The boundaries of git rebase
3. Recovery with git reflog