Git Essentials
Keep a history you can trust, work on several things at once, and undo almost anything — including the mistakes that feel unrecoverable.
For anyone who writes or edits files for a living and has never used version control properly, or has been copying commands without knowing what they do. No prior Git experience needed. This course assumes only a working Unix-like shell — nothing else. If you do not have one yet — or have never opened a terminal — the Setting Up course installs and verifies that first, and nothing here repeats that material.
Course preview
What you will be able to do
- Explain what a commit actually is, and read a history rather than guessing at it
- Work on several things at once with branches, and merge them without fear
- Recover from mistakes — including a deleted branch or a commit you thought was gone
- Collaborate through remotes and pull requests the way real teams do
- Keep secrets and generated files out of a repository permanently
- Run work in parallel with worktrees, and keep a history an AI agent can work in
- Have a test suite run automatically on every change you propose
Before you join
Course roadmap
English is available for every learning step.
This is the full learning route. Lessons build on earlier work; required checkpoints are the points where the route asks you to demonstrate it.
- 01
Why version control exists
Lesson · 12 min
- 02
Your first repository and commit
Lesson · 16 min
Builds on: Why version control exists
- 03
Reading state: status, diff, and log
Lesson · 16 min
Builds on: Your first repository and commit
- 04
What must never enter a repository
Lesson · 12 min
Builds on: Your first repository and commit
- 05
Undoing things safely
Lesson · 18 min
Builds on: Reading state: status, diff, and log
- 06
Branches: working on several things at once
Lesson · 16 min
Builds on: Undoing things safely
- 07
Bringing work back together
Lesson · 18 min
Builds on: Branches: working on several things at once
- 08
Resolving conflicts without panic
Required checkpoint · 20 min
Builds on: Bringing work back together
- 09
Rebase, and when not to use it
Lesson · 20 min
Builds on: Resolving conflicts without panic
- 10
Getting back what you thought you lost
Lesson · 16 min
Builds on: Rebase, and when not to use it
- 11
Remotes: the shared copy
Lesson · 16 min
Builds on: Getting back what you thought you lost
- 12
Exchanging commits: push, fetch, pull
Lesson · 18 min
Builds on: Remotes: the shared copy
- 13
The pull request workflow
Lesson · 18 min
Builds on: Exchanging commits: push, fetch, pull
- 14
Reviewing someone else's change
Lesson · 18 min
Builds on: The pull request workflow
- 15
Tags: naming a version you can return to
Lesson · 16 min
Builds on: Exchanging commits: push, fetch, pull
- 16
Worktrees: several branches checked out at once
Lesson · 16 min
Builds on: Reviewing someone else's change
- 17
Atomic commits: one commit, one change
Required checkpoint · 20 min
Builds on: Worktrees: several branches checked out at once
- 18
Keeping a history an AI assistant can work in
Lesson · 18 min
Builds on: Atomic commits: one commit, one change
- 19
Hooks: running checks automatically
Lesson · 16 min
Builds on: Keeping a history an AI assistant can work in
- 20
Running your tests on every proposed change
Required checkpoint · 20 min
Builds on: Hooks: running checks automatically
Learn with an account when access opens
Your CYBERSKILLS account will keep progress and checkpoint results together. Until then, this syllabus is here to help you choose the route that fits your goal.
Browse course previews