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This isGit for Windows, the Windows portofGit.

The Git for Windows project is run using agovernancemodel. If youencounter problems, you can report them asGitHubissues, discuss them in Gitfor Windows'Discussionsor on theGit mailing list, andcontribute bugfixes.

To build Git for Windows, please either installGit for Windows'SDK, start itsgit-bash.exe,cdto your Git worktree and runmake, or open the Git worktree as a folder inVisual 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 thePATH.

• Alternatively, runmake install in the Git worktree.

• If you need to test this in a full installer, runsdk build git-and-installer.

• You can also "install" Git into an existing portable Git viamake install DESTDIR=<dir> where<dir> refers to the top-level directory of theportable Git. In this instance, you will want to prepend that portable Git's/cmd directory to thePATH, or test by running that portable Git'sgit-bash.exe orgit-cmd.exe.

• If you built using a recent Visual Studio, you can use the menu itemBuild>Install git (you will want to click onProject>CMake Settings for Git first, then click onEdit JSON and then pointinstallRoot to themingw64 directory of an already-unpacked portable Git).

  As in the previous bullet point, you will then prepend/cmd to thePATHor run using the portable Git'sgit-bash.exe orgit-cmd.exe.

• If you want to run the built executables in-place, but in a CMD instead ofinside a Bash, you can run a snippet like this in thegit-bash.exe windowwhere Git was built (ensure that theEOF line has no leading spaces), andthen paste into the CMD window what was put in the clipboard:

  clip.exe<<EOFset 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 forWindows' SDK, and without an option to set/override any environmentvariables (e.g. in Visual Studio's debugger), you can call the Git executableby 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 fromthe/mingw64/bin directory to the Git worktree, or add the/mingw64/bindirectory to thePATH somehow or other.

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

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

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

Please read the fileINSTALL for installation instructions.

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

SeeDocumentation/gittutorial.adoc to get started, then seeDocumentation/giteveryday.adoc for a useful minimum set of commands, andDocumentation/git-<commandname>.adoc for documentation of each command.If git has been correctly installed, then the tutorial can also beread withman gittutorial orgit help tutorial, and thedocumentation of each command withman git-<commandname> orgit help <commandname>.

CVS users may also want to readDocumentation/gitcvs-migration.adoc(man gitcvs-migration orgit help cvs-migration if git isinstalled).

The user discussion and development of core Git take place on the Gitmailing list -- everyone is welcome to post bug reports, featurerequests, comments and patches togit@vger.kernel.org (readDocumentation/SubmittingPatches for instructions on patch submissionandDocumentation/CodingGuidelines).

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

To subscribe to the list, send an email togit+subscribe@vger.kernel.org(seehttps://subspace.kernel.org/subscribing.html for details). The mailinglist archives are available athttps://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 tothe Git Security mailing listgit-security@googlegroups.com.

The maintainer frequently sends the "What's cooking" reports thatlist the current status of various development topics to the mailinglist. The discussion following them give a good reference forproject status, development direction and remaining tasks.

The name "git" was given by Linus Torvalds when he wrote the veryfirst 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 notactually used by any common UNIX command. The fact that it is amispronunciation of "get" may or may not be relevant.
• stupid. contemptible and despicable. simple. Take your pick from thedictionary of slang.
• "global information tracker": you're in a good mood, and it actuallyworks for you. Angels sing, and a light suddenly fills the room.
• "goddamn idiotic truckload of sh*t": when it breaks