Phase 0Beginner1 of 9 in Git

The Git Mindset

Why version control exists, the three-tree model that everything else builds on, and your first real repository.

Almost every engineer types git add, git commit, git push from memory within their first week — and then spends years being quietly confused about what those commands actually DO, because nobody explained the model underneath them. This phase fixes that: the three-tree model, the commit graph, and a properly configured setup, before a single line of 'daily workflow' commands.

The same loop as every other course here: Learn → Close the tutorial → Explain without notes → Try it in a real terminal → Break it → Fix it → Explain the trade-off.

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5 topics ~69 min 7 code blocks & diagrams

Start with the first topic

0.1

Why Version Control (and Why Git Specifically)

Version control is a complete, searchable history of every change ever made to a project, with the ability to go back to any point — Git specifically won because it's distributed, fast, and free.

13 min 1 code practice

0.2

The Three Trees: Working Directory, Staging Area, Repository

Every Git operation moves changes between exactly three places — the working directory, the staging area, and the repository — and this one model explains almost every confusing Git command you'll ever run.

14 min 1 diagram 1 code practice

0.3

Your First Repo: init, status, and Your First Commit

git init creates a brand-new repository from any folder, and add + commit is the two-step ritual that turns a pile of files into permanent, recorded history — everything else in Git builds on this loop.

14 min 1 code practice

0.4

Configuring Git Properly

git config sets your identity, default editor, and useful shortcuts at three possible scopes — getting this right once, up front, prevents a surprisingly large share of early Git confusion.