How to Install Git on Ubuntu 22.04

Version control systems like Git are indispensable for modern software development. They allow you to keep track of changes, revert to previous versions, and create branches for alternate versions of files and directories. This guide will walk you through the process of installing and configuring Git on an Ubuntu 22.04 server using two methods: the built-in package manager and compiling from source. Each method has its own advantages, depending on your specific needs.

Step 1: Deploying a Cloud Instance on Shape.host

Log in to Shape.host Dashboard:

Navigate to the Shape.host website and log in to your account.

Create a New Instance:

Click on the “Create” button located at the top right corner of the dashboard.
From the dropdown menu, select “Instances”.

Shape.host Resources dashboard showing the Create menu and instance rebuild controls.

Select Instance Location:

Choose the desired location for your server. For this tutorial, we’ll select “New York, USA”.

Shape.host Create New Instance form with the available data center locations.

Choose a Plan:

Select a plan that fits your requirements. For example, you might choose a plan with 2 cores CPU, 2 GB Memory, and 50 GB SSD disk space.

Select an Operating System:

Scroll down to the “Choose an image” section and select “Ubuntu 22.04”.

Shape.host instance form with a server plan and Ubuntu image selected.

Configure Additional Options:

(Optional) You can configure additional options like User Data Configuration and IPv6 Networking.
Enter a hostname for your instance, e.g., “Tutorial Ubuntu”.
Click on the “Create instance” button to deploy the instance.

Shape.host instance form showing hostname, instance count and the Create Instance button.

Step 2: Connecting to Your Instance

Retrieve SSH Credentials:

Note the IP address of your newly created instance from the Shape.host dashboard.

Connect via SSH:

Open a terminal on your local machine.
Use the following command to connect to your instance:
sh ssh root@your_instance_ip
Replace your_instance_ip with the actual IP address of your instance.

Prerequisites

You will need an Ubuntu 22.04 server with a non-root superuser account. To set this up, you can follow an Initial Server Setup Guide for Ubuntu 22.04. Once your server and user are set up, you are ready to begin.

Method 1: Installing Git Using the Default Package Manager

Step 1: Update Package Index

First, update your local package index to ensure you have the latest information about available packages:

apt update

Step 2: Install Git

With the update complete, install Git:

apt install git

Step 3: Verify Installation

To confirm that Git has been installed correctly, run the following command:

git --version

You should see output similar to:

git version 2.34.1

If you see this, Git is successfully installed. You can now proceed to configure Git.

Method 2: Installing Git from Source

If you require the latest features or wish to customize your Git installation, you may prefer to compile Git from source.

Step 1: Install Dependencies

First, install the software that Git depends on. This is available in the default repositories:

apt update
apt install libz-dev libssl-dev libcurl4-gnutls-dev libexpat1-dev gettext cmake gcc

Terminal showing APT package management commands and output.

Terminal showing gcc commands or output during Install Dependencies.

Step 2: Download and Extract Git Source

Create a temporary directory and navigate to it:

mkdir -p /tmp/git
cd /tmp/git

Terminal showing file and directory setup commands.

Download the latest version of Git from the official site. At the time of writing, the latest version is 2.38.1:

curl -o git.tar.gz https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/git-2.38.1.tar.gz
tar -xf git.tar.gz
cd git-2.38.1

Step 3: Compile and Install Git

Compile the source code:

make prefix=/usr/local all

Install Git:

make prefix=/usr/local install

Step 4: Verify Installation

To ensure your installation was successful, check the Git version:

git --version

You should see:

git version 2.38.1

Configuring Git

After installing Git, it’s important to configure it with your user information. This ensures that your commits will be associated with the correct details.

Step 1: Set User Information

Use the git config command to set your name and email address:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "youremail@domain.com"

Terminal showing git commands or output during Set User Information.

Step 2: Verify Configuration

To display all the configuration items that have been set, type:

git config --list

Terminal showing git commands or output during Verify Configuration.

You should see output similar to:

user.name=Your Name
user.email=youremail@domain.com
...

Optional: Edit Configuration File

You can edit the Git configuration file directly using a text editor like nano:

nano ~/.gitconfig

Terminal showing git commands or output during Optional: Edit Configuration File.

Here is an example of what the configuration might look like:

[user]
    name = Your Name
    email = youremail@domain.com

Terminal showing the GNU nano editor and configuration text.

Press CTRL + X, then Y, and ENTER to save and exit the editor.

You should now have Git installed and configured on your Ubuntu 22.04 server. With Git ready to use, you can start managing your software projects more effectively by tracking changes, branching, and collaborating with others.

Shape.host offers a range of features that make their Linux SSD VPS services ideal for hosting your Git repositories and other software development needs:

Easy Deployment: Shape.host simplifies the process of deploying your cloud instances, allowing you to go LIVE in a matter of seconds.
Flexible OS Options: Offers cloud products for every stage of your business journey and allows you to take advantage of any distribution.
Multi-region Deployment: Choose from 13 different server locations for optimal performance.
Advanced Security: Uses industry-leading DDoS mitigation and firewall solutions to ensure your networks are safe and running at all times.