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.txt to get started, then see
Documentation/giteveryday.txt for a useful minimum set of commands, and
Documentation/git-<commandname>.txt 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.txt
(man gitcvs-migration or git help cvs-migration if git is
installed).
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).
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
