11 Getting Started

Getting started with git and tools.

Goal of this lab

In this lab, you will make sure your environment is ready and make your first contribution to the course repository.

Nothing here can break your system.
Nothing here is graded for correctness.
The goal is simply to get started and feel comfortable.

By the end of this lab, you will have:

  • cloned the course repository
  • verified that required tools work
  • created and committed your first file

All hands-on work in this course happens in the course repository.

If something does not work, raise your hand early. That is expected.

Verify required tools

Run the following commands in a terminal:

Terminal window
git --version
docker --version

If both commands print a version number, you are good.

If Docker is available, you can optionally run:

Terminal window
docker run hello-world

This step is only to verify that things work.
If something fails, stop here and ask for help.

Clone the course repository

Clone the course repository to your machine.

Terminal window
git clone https://github.com/codyzu/res507-2025-2026-work.git
cd res507-2025-2026-work

Once cloned:

  • open the folder in your editor
  • take a moment to look around

You should see folders like:

  • labs/
  • app/ (or similar)
  • README.md

You do not need to understand everything yet.

Create your first file

Inside the repository, create the following file:

labs/11-welcome/hello.txt

Add the following content:

Hello from <your first name>

That is all. Keep it simple.

This file exists only to give you something safe to commit.

Check Git status

Before committing, check what Git sees:

Terminal window
git status

You should see your new file listed as untracked.

This command is important. You will use it a lot.

Commit your change

Add and commit the file:

Terminal window
git add labs/11-welcome/hello.txt
git commit -m "Add hello file"

Then check the history:

Terminal window
git log --oneline

You should see your commit.

Congratulations. You have made your first commit in this course.

Bonus

If you finish early, you can optionally:

  • add a second line to hello.txt
  • or create a small README.md inside labs/11-welcome/

This is optional and not required.

What matters in this lab

What matters:

  • you cloned the repo
  • you ran a few commands
  • you committed something

What does not matter:

  • the content of the file
  • speed
  • prior experience

This lab is about confidence and setup, not technical depth.

Before moving on

Make sure:

  • you are comfortable running commands
  • you know where the course repository is
  • you know how to make and commit changes

We will build on this repository in every future lab.