Git Config Essentials

Git Config Essentials

Trigger: Use when setting up git on a new machine, configuring aliases, or optimizing git behavior.

Configuration Levels

Essential Global Settings

# Identity
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"

# Default branch name
git config --global init.defaultBranch main

# Editor
git config --global core.editor "code --wait"        # VS Code
git config --global core.editor "nvim"               # Neovim
git config --global core.editor "nano"               # Nano

# Line endings
git config --global core.autocrlf input              # macOS/Linux
git config --global core.autocrlf true               # Windows
git config --global core.safecrlf warn

# Pull behavior — rebase instead of merge
git config --global pull.rebase true
git config --global rebase.autoStash true

# Color output
git config --global color.ui auto

# Diff and merge
git config --global diff.algorithm histogram
git config --global merge.conflictStyle zdiff3       # Better conflict markers

Time-Saving Aliases

# Status
git config --global alias.st "status -sb"
git config --global alias.ll "log --oneline --graph --decorate --all"
git config --global alias.tree "log --graph --oneline --all --format='%C(auto)%h %C(bold)%d %C(cyan)%an %Cgreen%ar%Creset %s'"

# Committing
git config --global alias.ci "commit"
git config --global alias.amend "commit --amend --no-edit"
git config --global alias.undo "reset --soft HEAD~1"

# Branching
git config --global alias.br "branch"
git config --global alias.co "checkout"
git config --global alias.cb "checkout -b"
git config --global alias.cleanup "branch --merged | grep -v '\*\|main\|master\|develop' | xargs -r git branch -d"

# Diff
git config --global alias.df "diff"
git config --global alias.dfc "diff --cached"

# Log
git config --global alias.last "log -1 HEAD --stat"
git config --global alias.contributors "shortlog -sn --no-merges"

# Housekeeping
git config --global alias.prune "remote prune origin"
git config --global alias.sweep "!git branch --merged | grep -v 'main\|master\|develop' | xargs git branch -d"

Repository-Specific Settings

# Per-repo identity (for work vs personal)
git config user.name "Work Name"
git config user.email "work@company.com"

# Large repo tuning
git config core.preloadindex true
git config core.fscache true          # Windows only
git config core.untrackedcache true

Useful Features to Enable

# Reuse recorded resolution (remembers conflict resolutions)
git config --global rerere.enabled true

# Better merge defaults
git config --global merge.tool vimdiff
git config --global mergetool.prompt false

# Safe force-push
git config --global alias.force-push "push --force-with-lease"

# Auto-correct typos (10ms delay)
git config --global help.autocorrect 10

View Current Config

git config --list                       # All settings
git config --list --show-origin         # With file location
git config --global --list              # User-level only
git config user.name                    # Single value

Pitfalls

• CRLF vs LF: Mismatched line endings cause noise diffs — set autocrlf per platform
• Global vs local identity: Use work email in --local, not --global, when you have multiple accounts
• Alias conflicts: Don't alias to existing git commands (e.g., git push as alias fails)
• Editor path on Windows: Use forward slashes or code --wait — paths with spaces need quotes

Verification

git config --list --show-origin | grep -E "user\.(name|email)|core\.(editor|autocrlf)"