git

Summary: A short review of Mac Git GUI clients.

Git shortcuts FAQ: Can I create Git shortcuts (aliases) so I don't have to type out full Git commands like "git commit..."?

I've been reading the Pro Git book a lot lately, and the short answer is yes, you can create Git shortcuts so you don't have to type out the long Git commands. Here are several Git shortcut commands (referred to as "git aliases") from the Pro Git book:

Git empty directories FAQ: How do I add an empty directory to a Git repository?

Short answer - you can't. (See below for the workaround.) The design of the Git staging area only accounts for files, as described in the Git FAQ, and other books like Pro Git.

Git empty directories FAQ

Here's the text from the Git FAQ section, "Can I add empty directories to a Git repository":

Private Git hosting services FAQ: What companies offer Git hosting, in particular private Git hosting services?

I recently started looking for a private Git hosting service, and the obvious first place to look is GitHub. They provide free Git hosting for open source projects, and their service has been excellent. But when I looked at their private Git hosting service, I was really surprised by the cost of their plans. Their lowest price private Git hosting plan is $7/month, and that allows only five Git projects, and relatively little disk space. Since I want a private Git hosting service to store all my projects, I'd immediately need to go to one of their paid Git hosting plans, and their Git hosting prices go up quickly from there.

Update: Github has changed their policies significantly since I first wrote this article.

Mac Git installation FAQ: How do I install Git on Mac OS X?

There are at least two different ways to install Git on Mac OS X systems, and I've used both of these methods. The first approach is to use a Mac GUI installer, and the second is to use the command-line MacPorts project to install Git on Mac OS X.

Git help FAQ: How do I Git help?

Sorry for that title, but I used to live in several southern states in the United States, and people there often pronounce "get" like "git". (I hope they'll take this joke well, lol.)

The Git help command

If you need to see the Git help text, you can start by using the "git help" command, like this:

git help

This command displays the following output:

Git user FAQ: How do I show or change my Git username (or email address)?

How to show your Git username

There are several ways to show your Git username. One way is with the "git config" command, like this:

git config user.name

which in my case returns:

Alvin Alexander

Another way to show your Git username is with this git config command:

git config --list

which returns this output: