Revision Control is the most critical part of any project involving files. Otherwise you end up with tons of directories, and naming schemes like “report_final2_june.docx” along with 20 other copies.

This is best described in this 20-min clip. Sorry it’s a little long, but there is a fair amount to cover:

You can download the slide set:
Slide Set
For your reading pleasure, here are the highlights. I’ve linked to the exact moments of interest in the video rather than retype stuff I describe in the video.

What is GIT

Git is a revision control manager. Briefly, it lets you see how things changed and track those changes. Even better, it lets you do tasks like create a “branch” of the source code. You can switch back and forth between branches to deal with issues like wanting to rewrite sections of the code, while still being able to get back to the last good ‘release’ copy.
Show Me Branching

Getting stated on Your Computer

You can use GIT on any folder! It’s dead simple to do, and handy even if you will never commit things to the web. Doing so requires a few steps:

1. Create a repository locally Show Me
2. Commit initial fileShow Me
3. Commit changes Show Me
4. Do other stuff (branching, merging, etc) Show Me

Using Real Repositories

To use real remote repositories, you need a server to host them. I recommend assembla.com or bitbucket.org . bitbucket.org provides more storage, more users for free, and unlimited project sizes for university-based projects. Both are pretty cheap for commercial projects.

You want to configure a SSH key. Doing so requires four steps:

1. Generate the key Show Me
2. Set the key up on assembla/bitbucket Show Me
3. Set the key up on git Show Me
4. Set the key up to always be loaded Show Me