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Goal: save an original greeting, change it, and see both versions. AI calls: none. Start in the tutorial folder containing .venv, as described in lesson 1. Use a fresh folder name practice-project; if it already contains earlier work, use that existing exercise or choose a separate tutorial folder. Do not run this over an unrelated project.

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1. Create the practice project

Run this on either operating system:
This creates a folder and tells Git to track its history. It does not upload anything or create a GitHub repository. Git is the local history tool; GitHub is an online service where repositories can be shared.

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2. Put a greeting in a file

Windows PowerShell:
Linux:
You should see Hello from PeopleBot. The greeting has no final line break, so your next terminal prompt may appear immediately after it. That is expected.

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3. Save the first snapshot

Run these commands on either operating system:
add selects the file for the next snapshot. commit saves that snapshot. The example name and email label this local tutorial commit only; they do not change your global Git identity or send email. -C practice-project tells Git which folder to use, so you can stay in the tutorial’s outer folder throughout the exercise.

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4. Change the file without saving another snapshot yet

Windows PowerShell:
Linux:
Now compare the saved version with your edited file:
The first command still shows Hello from PeopleBot. Here, HEAD means the currently selected commit. The second command shows the change: a minus line for the old text and a plus line for the new text. Those signs are part of the comparison, not part of your file. The important idea: editing a file and saving a Git snapshot are two different actions.

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5. Save the second snapshot

You should see two entries, newest first. Each begins with a short identifying code. Your codes will differ from anyone else’s, which is normal. To read each version:
The first prints the updated greeting. The second prints the original greeting; HEAD~1 selects the previous commit. Neither command changes your files.

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If you get stuck

  • “Nothing to commit”: the file may already be saved. Use the two show commands to inspect the versions you have.
  • “Not a git repository”: check you are still in the outer tutorial folder and practice-project exists there.
  • HEAD~1 does not exist: you have not yet completed both commits.
You now have a small history to inspect. Next: let PeopleBot identify your file.