GitHow-ToBeginner · 3 min read

How to Install Git on Linux: Simple Steps for Beginners

To install git on Linux, use your distribution's package manager. For Debian/Ubuntu, run sudo apt update && sudo apt install git. For Red Hat/CentOS, use sudo yum install git.

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Syntax

Use your Linux distribution's package manager to install git. The common commands are:

Debian/Ubuntu: sudo apt update updates package info, and sudo apt install git installs Git.
Red Hat/CentOS: sudo yum install git installs Git directly.

bash

sudo apt update
sudo apt install git

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Example

This example shows how to install Git on Ubuntu Linux. It updates the package list and installs Git.

bash

sudo apt update
sudo apt install git

git --version

Output

Reading package lists... Done Building dependency tree Reading state information... Done The following NEW packages will be installed: git 0 upgraded, 1 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded. Need to get 21.1 MB of archives. After this operation, 80.3 MB of additional disk space will be used. Get:1 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal/main amd64 git amd64 1:2.25.1-1ubuntu3.10 [21.1 MB] Fetched 21.1 MB in 2s (10.5 MB/s) Selecting previously unselected package git. (Reading database ... 123456 files and directories currently installed.) Preparing to unpack .../git_1%3a2.25.1-1ubuntu3.10_amd64.deb ... Unpacking git (1:2.25.1-1ubuntu3.10) ... Setting up git (1:2.25.1-1ubuntu3.10) ... Processing triggers for man-db (2.9.1-1) ... git version 2.25.1

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Common Pitfalls

Common mistakes when installing Git on Linux include:

Not running sudo apt update before installing, which can cause package not found errors.
Using the wrong package manager for your Linux distribution.
Trying to install Git without sufficient permissions (missing sudo).

bash

Wrong (missing update):
apt install git

Right:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install git

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Quick Reference

Linux Distribution	Install Command
Debian/Ubuntu	sudo apt update && sudo apt install git
Red Hat/CentOS	sudo yum install git
Fedora	sudo dnf install git
Arch Linux	sudo pacman -S git

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Key Takeaways

Use your Linux distribution's package manager to install Git with sudo permissions.

Always run the update command before installing packages to get the latest info.

Choose the correct package manager command for your Linux version.

Verify installation by running git --version after installing.