Week 15/52: Deepening my expertise in Cloud Computing (Getting My Hands Dirty with Git and Version Control)

What to expect in this article

• So…What Even Is Version Control?
• In short (Version Control)
• Fun Git Facts
• Getting Comfortable with Git Lingo
• Git vs GitHub
• The Command Line Magic
• Where I got my hands dirty
• Big lesson
• Wrapping Up Week 15

Now let's get into it...

So…What Even Is Version Control?

Imagine this:

You've just landed your first gig at a marketing agency building websites for big brands. Every day, designers and developers are flooding your inbox with updated files. New logos. Updated banners. Tweaked color schemes.

Without a proper system, it's only a matter of time for you to drown in 'chaotic confusion'. Lost files, confusing email threads, and a desktop full of files named "final_v2_FIXED_ACTUALLY_FINAL.psd".

Now, imagine you introduce Git.

With Git, you can track every single change, experiment with wild new ideas without breaking the live site, and if something goes horribly wrong? No sweat, you just roll back to when everything was working perfectly.

That's the vibe I've been embracing while learning Git this week. Learn it for real first, then apply it to my actual projects.

A fact about Git: It can feel super intimidating at first. All those commands, weird error messages, and technical jargon. But once it clicks, you realize Git isn't just for hardcore developers coding in dark rooms. It's for anyone who works with files that change over time. Writers, designers, content creators, DevOps and software Engineers or basically anyone who wants to keep everything in check. You could even refer to Version Control as SCM (Software Configuration Management).

In short

• A Version Control System keeps track of your project's changes.
• You can see exactly what changed, when, and by whom.
• You can roll back to previous versions if things break.
• You can experiment on separate branches without touching your main project.

Without version control, teamwork would be pure chaos.

Fun Git Facts

• Git was created by Linus Torvalds (the same mastermind behind Linux).
• Git is distributed: You don't need to be online all the time. Everyone on the team has a copy of the full project.
• Even if the main server crashes, you still have the full history of the project.
• Before Git, systems like CVS (Concurrent Versions System) and SVN (Subversion) were the go-to, but they had one big flaw, everything depended on a central server. Git flipped that on its head.

Getting Comfortable with Git Lingo

Git has a bunch of jargon, but here's how I broke it down:

• Repository (repo): Your project's home, where Git tracks everything.
• Working Tree: Your project's files on your computer (nested directories and files).
• Commit: A snapshot of your project at a specific moment.
• Branch: A side journey you can take without messing with your main project (a series of linked commit).
• Remote: The shared version of your project online (like GitHub).
• Push and Pull: Sending your changes up to the remote or pulling others' changes down.

At first, all this sounded like some kind of code. But after practicing, it started clicking.

Git vs GitHub

Git and GitHub are two different things, but I used to mix them up.

Here's the difference:

• Git is the tool that lives on your computer, keeping track of your versions.
• GitHub is the platform that hosts your Git repositories online, where you can collaborate with others.

GitHub adds cool features like:

• Pull requests to suggest changes.
• Issues for tracking bugs or features.
• Actions for automation.
• Discussions to brainstorm ideas.

But behind all that, it's Git that keeps everything running smoothly...

The Command Line Magic

Yes, you can use Git with fancy graphical interfaces like GitHub Desktop, and even VS Code has a nice Git panel. But if you really want to unlock Git's power, you've got to use the command line. That's where it all makes the most sense (try out and see for your self).

For this, I've been using Azure Cloud Shell, so I did not have any worries about installing anything or dealing with version conflicts.

So first, I checked if Git was installed:

Then, I set up my identity:

Where I got my hands dirty

Creating a project from scratch with Git which was a huge milestone this week!

I made a new project folder:

Then I initialized a Git repo inside it:

Seeing "On branch main" was so satisfying. Like, "Yeah, I'm doing this."

Big lesson

Before Git can track your work, you have to tell it where your project lives by initializing the repository. From there, Git starts paying attention to all changes you make.

Wrapping Up Week 15

This week was all about getting my hands dirty with Git. I didn't just learn Git, I set it up, used Git. I created real repositories, configured my identity, explored the command line, and really started to get it.

Git might seem small now, but it's a skill that will be crucial as I move forward in cloud engineering.

More exciting hands-on updates coming your way. Tools, projects, real-world lessons, and some mini wins along the journey.

Stay tuned. Week 16 is already looking spicy! 🔥

You can share with someone trying to wrap their head around Version Control and Git...