01-02-installing-git.qmd

# Installing Git and GitHub Desktop

```{r setup, include=FALSE}
knitr::opts_chunk$set(echo = FALSE, fig.align = "center")
```

## Installing Git

(It turns out that GitHub Desktop has a version of Git within it. If you only ever intend to use Git through GitHub Desktop you don't need to install Git and can skip to the GitHub Desktop section.)

- Windows
  - Download and install from [here](https://git-scm.com/download/win)
- macOS comes with an out-dated version of Git
  - I recommend installing the Homebrew version 
  - First install Homebrew, see instructions [here](https://brew.sh/)
  - Then run in your Terminal app  
    ```bash
    brew upgrade
    brew install git
    ```  
  - Additionally on a Mac it is helpful to install Xcode command line tools (i.e., avoid installing the whole of Xcode.)    
    ```bash
    xcode-select --install
    ```  
    - You must reinstall these tools everytime you upgrade macOS major versions, e.g., when you've upgraded from Big Sur to Monterey etc.
- Once Git is installed its executable (called `git` on macOS and Linux and `git.exe` on Windows) should be available at your command line
  - Check which version you have with (you want something recent-ish)  
    ```bash
    git --version
    ```  
  - On my Mac currently I have  
    ```
    git version 2.39.1
    ```  

## Installing GitHub Desktop

- You could use Git through its command syntax however I recommend you use a graphical Git client
- For Windows and macOS download and install GitHub Desktop from [here](https://desktop.github.com/)
- A Linux version of GitHub Desktop is available from [here](https://github.com/shiftkey/desktop/)
- I recommend installing the free VSCode text editor, from [here](https://code.visualstudio.com/), and setting that as the "External editor" in GitHub Desktop options (Click: File | Options...)  
  ```{r, out.width = "100%"}
  knitr::include_graphics("img/ghd-options-vscode.png")
  ```  
- On Windows I also recommend installing Windows Terminal from [here](https://www.microsoft.com/store/productId/9N0DX20HK701)