Troubleshooting · Git & Codespaces
Git & Codespaces¶
You only need Git if you keep a project on GitHub — like this site. Here's the minimum that keeps you safe, in plain words.
Git in one paragraph¶
Git tracks versions of a folder. A commit is a snapshot with a note. Push sends your snapshots to GitHub. A Codespace is a computer in your browser already connected to your project — the easiest way to work on a GitHub project without installing anything.
The daily loop¶
git status ← what changed?
git add -A ← include everything changed
git commit -m "what I did" ← snapshot with a note
git push ← send it to GitHub
Run git status before and after. It's Git's "where am I?" command.
The messages that scare people¶
- "nothing to commit" — you haven't changed anything (or already committed it). Not an error.
- "rejected … fetch first" — GitHub has changes you don't. Run
git pull, then push again. - "merge conflict" — the same lines changed in two places, and Git wants a human to pick. Open the file, look for
<<<<<<<markers, keep the version you want, delete the markers, then add/commit/push. Or paste the conflicted file into AI and say "help me resolve this conflict — I want to keep X."
The safety rule¶
Commit before you experiment. A commit is a save point; anything can be undone after one. If you're about to let an agent loose on the project, commit first, always.
Undo, the safe way¶
Made a mess since your last commit?
That's the beginner-safe undo. For anything scarier (undoing pushed commits), ask AI to walk you through it one step at a time rather than pasting internet commands.