Git Configuration

How do I configure my full name?

$ git config --global user.name "Full Name"

How do I configure my email?

$ git config --global user.email "full.name@company.com"

How do I configure my text editor?

$ git config --global core.editor "vim"

Git Repositories

Cloning

How do I clone a repository?

$ git clone <URL>

How do I clone using SSH?

Make sure you have uploaded an SSH key to your GitHub account and then run:

$ git clone git@github.com:path/to/repo.git

For example, to clone the jdk repository over SSH:

$ git clone git@github.com:openjdk/jdk.git

How should I structure my local clones of repositories?

A common way of structuring local repositories is by following the domain name and path convention. For an example, see below:

$ tree
.
├── git
│   └── github.com
│       ├── edvbld
│       │   ├── jdk
│       │   └── loom
│       └── openjdk
│           ├── jdk
│           ├── loom
│           └── valhalla
└── hg
    └── hg.openjdk.java.net
        ├── code-tools
        │   └── jtreg
        └── jdk
            └── jdk

Can I have multiple local clones of a repository?

Yes, this is supported, supply a second argument to git clone stating the directory name of the local repository:

$ git clone <URL> <DIRECTORY>

Branches

How do I create a local branch?

$ git checkout -b <NAME-OF-BRANCH>

If you are using Git version 2.24 or newer you can also use the command: git switch --create <NAME-OF-BRANCH>

What should I name my local branches?

A common way of structuring your local branches is to name them after the issue they correspond to, for example JDK-8237566.

How do I list local branches?

$ git branch
  JDK-8237566
* JDK-8149128
  JDK-8077146
  master

The currently checked out branch has an asterisk ("*") next to it.

How do I visualize branches in a graph?

$ git log --format=oneline --graph --all

How do I switch to another branch?

$ git checkout <NAME-OF-OTHER-BRANCH>

If you are using Git version 2.24 or newer you can also use the command: git switch <NAME-OF-OTHER-BRANCH>

GitHub

How do I setup two-factor authentication (2FA)?

https://help.github.com/en/github/authenticating-to-github/securing-your-account-with-two-factor-authentication-2fa

How do I generate a personal access token (PAT)?

Go to https://github.com/settings/tokens and and click on "Generate new token"

How do I upload an SSH key to my GitHub account?

https://help.github.com/en/github/authenticating-to-github/adding-a-new-ssh-key-to-your-github-account