Introduction to version control with Git

Welcome to the Git & Unix workshop! for Wageningen University of Technology, on 22-23 June 2026. This repository contains instructions for the two-day hands-on workshop focused on how to interact with the Unix terminal, version control with Git, collaborative best practices, and getting to know 4TU.ResearchData.

Links:

• Collaborative notes- https://hackmd.io/zk0YPkvKRTOU4tPj2ZckzQ

🚀 Workshop Overview

This workshop is designed to introduce participants to Git and version control, helping them to:

• Set up and manage a local and remote Git repository.
• Track changes, collaborate, and resolve conflicts effectively.
• Use 4TU.ResearchData repository for their research outputs.

📅 Schedule

Day	Time	Session
Day 1	09:30–09:45	Welcome, installation check & housekeeping
	09:45–10:30	Introducing the Unix Shell
	10:30–11:15	Working with Files and Directories
	11:15–11:30	Break
	11:30–12:00	Pipes, Loops and Shell scripts
	12:00–13:00	Lunch
	13:00–14:45	Version Control with Git (Local Repositories)
	14:45–15:00	Break
	15:00–16:30	Tracking Changes & Commit History
	16:30–End	Wrap-up and End
Day 2	09:30–09:45	Recap of local Git
	09:45–10:15	Remotes in Git
	10:15–10:45	Push/Pull to GitHub
	10:45–11:00	Break
	11:00–12:00	Collaboration practices
	12:00–13:00	Lunch
	13:00–16:00	Getting to know 4TU.ResearchData: The repository for Natural Sciences and Engineering in NL
	16:00–16:30	Post workshop survey
	16:30–End	Wrap-up and End

🛠 Prerequisites

Before attending the workshop, please ensure you have:

• Installed Git on your system (installation guide)
• A terminal or Git Bash (Windows users should install Git for Windows)

Why teach Git on the command-line (Unix shell) rather than with a GUI (Graphical User Interface)?:

• Deep conceptual understanding (the CLI forces you to perform each Git operation explicitly, so you see exactly how things work, whereas GUIs often bundle actions behind buttons, obscuring the underlying mechanics.)

• Environment-agnostic skills (the Unix-shell CLI is consistent across Linux, macOS, Windows (via WSL) and remote/headless systems(HPC servers), while each GUI client has its own interface and may not be available in all environments.)

• Scriptability for reproducibility and automation: (CLI commands can be composed into scripts or integrated into automated pipelines—key for reproducible research)

📖 Workshop Materials

• Unix Lesson : Introduction to Unix to navigate your file system , create documents , visualize data, make loops and scripts.

• Git Lesson Day One: Introduction to Git , tracking changes and exploring the history.

• Git Lesson Day Two: Introduction to Git remotes collaborating on research projects.

• Collaborative document

🔗 Resources

• Software Carpentry Unix lesson
• Software Carpentry Git lesson
• Git Documentation
• 4TU.ResearchData

💡 License

This workshop material is licensed under GNU AFFERO GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE Version 3. Feel free to share and modify the lesson according your needs.

🙌 Acknowledgments

This workshop is based on the Software Carpentry Git curriculum.