mintlify__docs/git/config.mdx

---
title: git config
description: Get and set repository or global options
---

Configure Git settings for your user, repository, or system.

## Syntax

```bash
git config [options] <name> [<value>]
```

## Description

`git config` manages Git configuration variables that control how Git looks and operates. Configuration can be set at three levels: system, global (user), and local (repository).

## Common usage

Set your name:

```bash
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
```

Set your email:

```bash
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"
```

View a setting:

```bash
git config user.name
```

## Configuration levels

<ParamField path="--system" type="flag">
  System-wide settings for all users
  
  ```bash
  git config --system <setting>
  ```
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--global" type="flag">
  User-specific settings
  
  ```bash
  git config --global <setting>
  ```
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--local" type="flag">
  Repository-specific settings (default)
  
  ```bash
  git config --local <setting>
  ```
</ParamField>

## Essential configuration

### Identity

Set your name and email (required for commits):

```bash
git config --global user.name "Jane Doe"
git config --global user.email "jane@example.com"
```

### Default branch

Set default branch name for new repositories:

```bash
git config --global init.defaultBranch main
```

### Default editor

Set your preferred text editor:

```bash
git config --global core.editor "code --wait"  # VS Code
git config --global core.editor "vim"          # Vim
git config --global core.editor "nano"         # Nano
```

## Options

<ParamField path="--list" type="flag">
  List all configuration settings
  
  ```bash
  git config --list
  ```
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--unset" type="flag">
  Remove a configuration setting
  
  ```bash
  git config --unset user.email
  ```
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="--get" type="flag">
  Get value of a setting
  
  ```bash
  git config --get user.name
  ```
</ParamField>

## Examples

### View all settings

```bash
git config --list
```

### View global settings

```bash
git config --global --list
```

### View specific setting

```bash
git config user.email
```

### Set credential helper

```bash
# macOS
git config --global credential.helper osxkeychain

# Windows
git config --global credential.helper wincred

# Linux
git config --global credential.helper cache
```

### Configure line endings

```bash
# Windows
git config --global core.autocrlf true

# macOS/Linux
git config --global core.autocrlf input
```

### Set default pull behavior

```bash
git config --global pull.rebase false  # Merge (default)
git config --global pull.rebase true   # Rebase
```

## Common configurations

### User information

```bash
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "email@example.com"
```

### Aliases

Create shortcuts for common commands:

```bash
git config --global alias.co checkout
git config --global alias.br branch
git config --global alias.ci commit
git config --global alias.st status
git config --global alias.unstage 'reset HEAD --'
git config --global alias.last 'log -1 HEAD'
git config --global alias.lg 'log --graph --oneline --all'
```

Use aliases:

```bash
git co main        # git checkout main
git st             # git status
git lg             # git log --graph --oneline --all
```

### Colors

Enable colored output:

```bash
git config --global color.ui auto
```

### Diff and merge tools

```bash
git config --global diff.tool vscode
git config --global merge.tool vscode
```

## Configuration file locations

### Global config

- Linux/macOS: `~/.gitconfig`
- Windows: `C:\Users\<username>\.gitconfig`

### Repository config

- `.git/config` in repository root

### System config

- Linux: `/etc/gitconfig`
- Windows: `C:\ProgramData\Git\config`

## Viewing configuration

### All settings with origins

```bash
git config --list --show-origin
```

Shows where each setting is defined.

### Edit config file directly

```bash
# Edit global config
git config --global --edit

# Edit repository config
git config --edit
```

## Removing settings

### Remove specific setting

```bash
git config --global --unset user.email
```

### Remove section

```bash
git config --global --remove-section user
```

## Advanced configuration

### Ignore file permissions

```bash
git config core.fileMode false
```

### Set push default

```bash
git config --global push.default current
```

### Configure rerere

Reuse recorded resolution of conflicts:

```bash
git config --global rerere.enabled true
```

### Set fetch prune

Automatically prune on fetch:

```bash
git config --global fetch.prune true
```

## Useful aliases

```bash
# Status shortcut
git config --global alias.s 'status -s'

# Pretty log
git config --global alias.lg "log --color --graph --pretty=format:'%Cred%h%Creset -%C(yellow)%d%Creset %s %Cgreen(%cr) %C(bold blue)<%an>%Creset' --abbrev-commit"

# Undo last commit
git config --global alias.undo 'reset HEAD~1 --mixed'

# Amend without editing message
git config --global alias.amend 'commit --amend --no-edit'
```

## Best practices

- Always configure `user.name` and `user.email`
- Use global config for personal preferences
- Use local config for project-specific settings
- Create aliases for frequently used commands
- Enable credential caching for convenience
- Configure line endings based on your OS
- Set default branch name to `main`

## Troubleshooting

### Check effective configuration

```bash
git config --list --show-origin
```

### Reset to defaults

```bash
# Remove global config
rm ~/.gitconfig

# Or remove specific settings
git config --global --unset-all user.name
```

### Verify settings

```bash
git config --get user.name
git config --get user.email
```

## Related commands

- [git init](/git/init) - Initialize repository
- [git clone](/git/clone) - Clone repository
- [git help](/git/help) - Get help with Git