Alin Li Git Simulator
Lvl 1
0 / 100 XP

Get Ready!

Click on Mission 1 in the sidebar to start learning Git.

Welcome!

Select a mission from the sidebar to begin your Git adventure!

📁 Working Directory (Your Files)
No files yet. Start a mission!
📋 Staging Area (Ready to Save)
Nothing staged yet.
💾 Commit History (Saved Snapshots)
No commits yet.
🌿 Branches
Initialize a repo first.
Type →
Alin Li Terminal main
Welcome to Alin Li Git Simulator!
Type git commands below. Type help for a list.
$

📖 Installing & Using Real Git

Now that you've learned Git in the simulator, here's how to use the real thing on your computer! Remember: Git works with any files — not just code!

1. Install Git

Git is free and open source. Choose your operating system:

🐧

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)

$ sudo apt update
$ sudo apt install git
🪟

Windows

Download from git-scm.com and run the installer. Keep all defaults. You'll get "Git Bash".

🍎

macOS

$ git --version
# macOS will offer to install it
Check it worked: Open your terminal and type git --version. You should see a version number!

2. Set Up Your Name

Tell Git who you are. You only do this once:

# Set your name
$ git config --global user.name "Your Name"

# Set your email
$ git config --global user.email "you@example.com"
--global means this applies to ALL your projects on this computer.

3. Start Your First Real Project

Create a folder and initialize Git — just like the simulator!

# Create a new folder
$ mkdir my-project
$ cd my-project

# Initialize Git
$ git init
Initialized empty Git repository
That's it! Now create files and use the same commands you practiced!

4. The Daily Workflow

Here's what you'll do every time you work on your project:

Step 1: Make changes to your files

Edit your story, report, recipe, code — whatever you're working on!

Step 2: See what changed

$ git status

Step 3: Stage your changes

$ git add . # stage everything

Step 4: Save a snapshot

$ git commit -m "Describe what you did"

Step 5: Repeat!

Good commit messages matter! ❌ "fix stuff" → ✅ "Fix the introduction paragraph"

5. Working with Branches

Branches let you try new ideas safely — just like the simulator:

# Create and switch to a new branch
$ git checkout -b my-new-idea

# ... make changes, add, commit ...

# Go back to main
$ git checkout main

# Merge your idea into main
$ git merge my-new-idea

# Clean up
$ git branch -d my-new-idea

6. Share on GitHub / Codeberg

Want to share your project or back it up online?

# Connect to a remote
$ git remote add origin https://github.com/you/project.git

# Upload your work
$ git push -u origin main

# Download updates
$ git pull
Open source tip: Try Codeberg.org — a free, open-source alternative to GitHub!

7. Cheat Sheet

git init
Start a new repository
git status
See what changed
git add .
Stage all changes
git commit -m "msg"
Save a snapshot
git log --oneline
Short history
git diff
See file changes
git branch
List branches
git checkout -b name
Create + switch
git merge name
Merge a branch
git branch -d name
Delete branch
git push
Upload to remote
git pull
Download from remote
git clone url
Copy a remote project
git stash
Temporarily save work

🎉 You're Ready!

You've practiced in the simulator and now you know the real commands. Go create amazing things with Git!

Git is for EVERYONE — writers, artists, scientists, teachers, and programmers alike.

🎉