Best Free Git Resources & Tutorials

What is Git?

Git is an open-source programming tool that allows users to effortlessly track the changes made during the early stages of software development. It allows individual programmers to keep a record of the changes they have made to easily restore or back up earlier versions of their code, and it allows teams of developers to record the changes that individual members make to a file or program. Designed to support distributed non-linear workflow, Git allows programmers to create non-linear histories and branched records of how a program has developed over time in Git.

Developed in 2005 for Linux, Git has since become one of the most commonly used distributed version control systems. In 2022, nearly 94% of computer programmers reported using Git as a vital part of their regular programming activities. This means that learning Git is an important skill for anyone hoping to undertake collaborative development projects, particularly in open-source communities where it is expected that many development histories will be documented using Git.

Read more about what Git is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Git?

Git can be used to ensure that you have a detailed record of all the changes being made to a file of code. Individual users can take advantage of this documentation to quickly restore or reconstruct prior versions of code or to see where specific changes were made if those changes came with unintended consequences. Groups of developers can use Git to collaborate more effectively on a shared file, as the system will keep track of all the changes made independently, providing a stable record of how each developer impacted the file over time.

In addition, thanks to the prevalence of GitHub, learning Git will significantly expand a developer's ability to store and share their software. Since each instance of Git on a computer stores its own directory and history, the documentation for your programs is not dependent on an external source or mainframe, making the histories far more stable. In addition, GitHub lets users publish and share code effortlessly, making community-driven collaboration all the more productive. Git and GitHub help fuel community-driven software development, and learning how to use these tools will ensure that you, too, can participate in these projects.

Free Resources

In a professional training environment, Git is rarely learned on its own. Rather, students taking web development or programming courses will learn the basic principles of Git during their lessons. Students looking to learn more about Git without committing to a development course will want to consider the free options available. Noble Desktop offers a brief tutorial in their "What is Git and What is GitHub" seminar shown on their official YouTube page. This course will give students an overview of the basic features and functions of Git, making it an ideal place to start learning how to use the software application.

Students will also want to explore the free learning options available through sources like GitLab and GitHub, which collect community resources for new users to learn and experiment with Git. Beyond this, because Git is open source, a large community of users comes together to build training resources, guides, and other tools for new users.

Students may also want to explore the free introductory options available through other service providers such as Udemy and Coursera. These providers offer asynchronous, on-demand learning options for students who want to learn Git without investing in a full web development or software engineering course.

Git Training or Web Development Training

How effectively a student can utilize free Git training resources will largely depend on whether or not they plan on learning web development or computer science alongside their Git training. Students who plan on learning other skills will want to take advantage of free resources to aid those particular skills. Taking advantage of free training seminars such as Noble’s Introduction to Web Development class can give students the training they need to be prepared for their more formal web development training. It is in these training courses that most amateur programmers will learn to use Git, meaning that students must be ready when they arrive.

To learn more about the options available for free web development resources, head over to the Learn Web Development page on Noble’s website.

Learn Git with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Since Git is an open-source efficiency tool, you’ll rarely find a course that strictly teaches students how to use it. Instead, students will learn Git as an essential complementary skill in more formal web development or programming courses. This means that students looking to learn are aspiring to be programmers or developers, and web development training will likely be a part of their future. To assist with this, Noble offers a wide variety of web development courses designed to fit your needs as a student.

At Noble, students can learn Git as part of their front-end development training curriculum. In these training courses, students will learn the techniques required to program the client-facing, interactive web application elements such as a webpage. In these classes, students will primarily focus on learning how to program using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, though advanced courses will also teach languages like React. In Noble’s Front-end Web Development Certificate program, students will receive hands-on training in several important web development skills, including tracking and managing file changes using Git. With this training, students will be able to see how their programs develop over time, documenting a history of their work, and they will be able to see how Git is used to assist them in collaborative development projects. Since this is a career-focused course, the class assumes no prior coding experience, making this a good place to start for students hoping to enter the field of web development.

Noble also offers a more immersive Full Stack Web Development Certificate program that will teach students all the skills needed to work as Full Stack Web Developers (developers who handle both the client- and server-side elements of a webpage). While a part of this will be learning how to use Git to track and document changes to code, the vast majority of the course is composed of intensive web development training courses in which students will learn HTML and CSS, JavaScript, Node, Express, MongoDB, React, and SQL. This course is perfect for anyone who wants to learn all the essential aspects of web development. Since this is a career-focused course, students will receive professional development assistance, including one-on-one career mentorship and portfolio-building seminars.