.Net Stuff from My Desktop: Install Git for Windows : A step-by-step

What is GitHub?

In April-2008, GitHub was launched. GitHub is nothing but Web Based Hosting Service, which provides you to create your own repositories of softwares etc. GitHub is offering both Free and Paid accounts for 'Open Sources' projects In 2010 it named as 'GitHub Inc.' GitHub which is running on the software has written in 'Ruby On Rails' To start with GitHub repositories you just need to install GitHub software :

Git for Windows
Git for Windows7
Git for Linux
Git for Mac

I am going to explain 'How to configure Git for Windows' as rest of above flavore are beyond the scope of this article.

Install Git

For any software its mandatory that you have proper environment and pre-requisite to meet the initial setup of the software.
First of all, I prefer you get registered your self here : GitHub.

In case of our first install to Git for Windows, we need to download the setup.

Browse to link : msysgit
Here you can get more help as this is the project which is maintained by number of developers say volunteers and you can also work as a volunteer, if you see any modifcations.
Go to Download page
Download the latest stable release, I prefer Git netinstall - refer to image
Run above install and setup Git in folder say d:/msysgit this is the folder I used to install git and refer through-out this article.
Create shortcut of Git for your future use
After install you will be notified on the console Git windows to your next task,
here I prefer to create a shortcut to your desktop of Pin to your Startup so, you can use later.

Pining shortcut to TaskBar/Starup - Jusr right click over your desktop Git shirtcut created in above step, now pin to whereever you want.
Configuring Git settings :
Next step to configure Git to use with your Windows
- git config --global user.name "your username"
- git config --global user.email "your email"

In above, you are saying Git configuration that just work for the guy with above email and username
Now, its time to verify the above config :)
Go to your user a/c - here you can check the above setting using Notepad or notepadd++

Here, you just need to open '.gitconfig' file by right-clicking either in notepad or in notepad++
I prefer you to install notepad++ refer to my earlier post 'How to setup notepad++'
In above, it is done, if you just want to use Git for your versioning of files. You can leave here,
and go for my another post How to configure Git Repository?
But, if you want to use Git much more as above, do follow these steps :
MergeTool - a tool merge your changes within branches and files and many more as showing differences between two versions etc.
I prefer, you to install WinMerge as an external merge tool - refer to my other post How to setup 'WinMerge' for Windows'
Follow above step to open config file with notepad++
Now, type following code in your opened document :

[merge] tool = winmerge [mergetool "winmerge"] cmd winmerge.sh "$BASE" "$LOCAL" keepBackup = false trustExitCode = false

Above, [merge] - defines a name of external tool i.e winmerge
$BASE $LOCAL are the macros saying files need to merge, for more detail refer to my earlier post 'How to setup 'WinMerge' for Windows''.
In above step, we have written winmerge.sh now, we need to add this external command
Go to your Git installed path, remember we have installed Git at D:/msysgit/

now, right click on winmerge.sh file with notepad++

Add following lines in the blank opened document :

echo Launching Winmerger $1 $2 "C:\Program Files (x86)\WinMerge\WinMergeU.exe" -e -u -dl "Original" -dr "Modified" "$1" "$2"

I am not going in deep explanation of above lines as this is beyond the scope of this article.
close and save above document.
Next step, to tell Git about the external Merge Tool
Go back and click the Git shortcut to open Git Console Window
shoot following command there :

set GIT_EXTERNAL_DIFF = winmerge.sh
Its all setup here now, you can start you Git repository with the tool Git.
To quit from Git Console window just type exit and press enter.