GIT · Start here · 5 min

Make your first commit

Turn an untracked practice note into a saved snapshot.

Not completed

Your task

Commit notes.txt on main. Keep its original text and leave the working tree clean.

What you’re aiming for

One commit exists on main.
notes.txt is tracked with its original content.
There are no staged or unstaged changes.

Before the commands: what are you saving?

Git records snapshots of a project. First you create a repository with git init, then choose file contents with git add, then save that snapshot with git commit. Nothing is uploaded by these commands.

Understand this exercise’s setup

git init --initial-branch=main creates local history with a branch named main.
git config --local user.name and user.email label commits in this practice repository. They are not login credentials; the example identity is intentionally fictional.
printf … > notes.txt creates the note you will commit.

git status describes what is untracked, staged, or changed. git log --oneline shows one short line per commit. git show HEAD:notes.txt reads the committed copy, rather than the file currently open in your editor.

Need Git or the right terminal? → · Staging and commits explained →

1. Prepare your practice folder

Use Git 2.28 or newer. The setup commands below use a Bash-compatible shell: Git Bash on Windows, or Bash on Linux/macOS.

Create a new, empty folder for this exercise. If that name already exists, choose another new name. Continue only after you’re inside the new folder.

NEW PRACTICE FOLDER

mkdir opsrung-git-first-commit && cd opsrung-git-first-commit

Create your repository

A repository is a folder whose history Git tracks. This creates the history locally; it does not upload anything. The branch is named main.

START GIT IN THIS FOLDER

git init --initial-branch=main

Give practice commits a label

These two settings supply the author label for this repository only. The fictional email is not an account or login.

LOCAL PRACTICE IDENTITY

git config --local user.name 'Practice Learner'
git config --local user.email 'practice@example.invalid'

Create the file you will save

printf writes one line, and > saves it in notes.txt. You are in a new practice folder, so this does not overwrite project files.

CREATE THE PRACTICE NOTE

printf 'Practice starts here.\n' > notes.txt

You now have a repository and an untracked file. The task is to stage that file and make your first commit.

Only if your personal Git settings interfere

You can normally skip this. If a commit asks for a signing key, runs a custom hook, or changes line endings unexpectedly, these repository-local overrides keep this disposable exercise independent of those settings.

OPTIONAL REPOSITORY OVERRIDES

git config --local commit.gpgsign false
git config --local core.autocrlf false
git config --local core.hooksPath .git/practice-no-hooks

Retry the failed command afterward. These settings apply only inside this practice repository.

2. Try the task

Work toward the goal above. Start by inspecting the files or resources, then use a hint if you need one.

Hint 1

Start with git status. The file exists, but Git has not recorded it yet.

Hint 2

Staging and committing are separate operations.

Hint 3

Stage notes.txt, then commit it with a short message.

3. Review your result

Use these commands to look at your result and compare it with the goals. The website does not run or verify them.

REVIEW IN YOUR TERMINAL

git status
git log --oneline
git show HEAD:notes.txt

What you should see

git status reports main and a clean working tree.
git log --oneline lists one commit.
git show HEAD:notes.txt prints: Practice starts here.

If your result differs: If notes.txt is still untracked or staged, it has not been committed yet. Commit it before marking this exercise complete.

Compare with one possible solution

ONE POSSIBLE SOLUTION

git add -- notes.txt
git commit -m "Save practice notes"

Other approaches are fine if you reach the same goal. Opening this solution does not mark the exercise complete.

Finished this exercise?

You decide when you’re done. Your choice is saved in this browser, and you can change it later.