Git for Windows ¶

Git is a powerful distributed Source Code Management tool.

If you just want to use Git to do your version control in Windows, you will need to download Git for Windows, run the installer, and you are ready to start. Note: Git for Windows is a project run by volunteers, so if you want it to improve, volunteer!

There's a desktop and a portable version for Git for Windows.

Please use the download links in the right sidebar, the link starting with "Git" is for the desktop version, the link starting with "PortableGit" is for the portable version.

If you want to download and install the complete source code of Git for Windows (including C compiler) to start hacking, you will need to install the full development system which is called msysGit. Please read install msysGit to get detailed information.

More information:

• How to install msysGit or update msysGit
• Future plans
• Git-Cheetah
• The archives of the msysGit Herald

How to get help¶

First, install msysGit. No worry, this is easier than you think. Downloading and executing it will give you a working development environment and compile Git automatically!

Please note that there are not enough contributors to the msysGit project to offer commercial-grade support; if you do not have the means to fix your problems (possibly with valuable advice from the msysGit mailing list), or to entice people who can fix them, it is unlikely that your problem gets solved.

See also the GetHelp page on our Wiki.

How to participate¶

First, install msysGit. No worry, this is easier than you think. Downloading and executing it will give you a working development environment and compile Git automatically!

Testing and reporting bugs is a big help however you MUST do your research. Check the issues database and make sure you search closed bugs as well. When you raise a bug you are expected to be available to provide further information and to followup with testing. If you simply raise a bug and then vanish, your issue will be most likely closed as invalid. If you really want to ensure something is fixed then provide a patch or push to the 'mob' branch as below.

If you made some changes to msysGit, you can contribute them back by pushing into the 'mob' branch on repo.or.cz:

• git push mob HEAD:mob

If instead, you made changes to Git (in /git/), you can contribute them back by pushing into the 'mob' branch of 4msysgit.git on repo.or.cz:

• git push ssh://mob@repo.or.cz/srv/git/git/mingw/4msysgit.git HEAD:mob

Where to discuss issues¶

If you want to report a bug in Git itself, git-svn or git-gui (non-Windows-specific), please send a mail to git@vger.kernel.org.

If you want to report a bug in Git for Windows (Windows-specific), or in msysGit (also Windows-specific), you can add an issue in our issue tracker. Be prepared to work a lot on the problem yourself, though: the msysGit project is driven forward by enthusiasts, not by people paid for helping you!

If you are not reporting a bug, but want to enhance Git, or have some usability question, please send a message to our mailing list, but be aware that posts by non-members, as well as the first post of new members, are moderated. If your question is not Windows-specific, you might want to send it to the Git mailing list instead (or at least in addition to the msysGit mailing list).