Git can be configured in ~/.gitconfig. Here is an overview about common configurations.

Please keep this default config simple. It should be a starting point for new developers learning Git.

Author name

To appear with your name in commits:

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[user]
  name = Your Name
  email = your.name@domain.de

Colors

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[color]
   ui = auto
   # The value for these configuration variables is a
   # list of colors (at most two) and attributes (at 
   # most one), separated by spaces.
   # The colors accepted are:
   #   normal, black, red, green, yellow, blue, magenta, cyan and white
   # The attributes are:
   #   bold, dim, ul, blink and reverse
   #
   # The first color given is the foreground; the second
   # is the background. The position of the attribute,
   # if any, doesn’t matter.
[color "branch"]
  current = yellow reverse
  local = yellow
  remote = green
[color "diff"]
  whitespace = white reverse
  meta = blue reverse
  frag = blue reverse
  old = red
  new = green
[color "status"]
  added = green
  changed = yellow
  untracked = cyan
[push]
  default = current

Handy aliases

Please only use an alias if you understand what it does.

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[alias]
  amend = commit -v --amend # Amend changes to last commit
  c = commit -v -m # Commit with message from command line, usage: git c "commit message"
  lc = show --name-status # Show last commit
  lou = log --oneline @{u}.. # List unpushed commits
  uncommit = reset HEAD~ --soft
  riu = rebase -i @{u} # Interactive rebase against upstream
  du = diff @{u} # Diff against upstream

"Upstream" is the branch on origin where your current local branch is pulling from and pushing to.