Git Made Simple: The Minimal Setup Every Developer Needs

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If you’re like me, sometimes you open your project after a month and think:

“Wait… did I set up Git for this? Did I mess up my code? How do I even check?”

Don’t worry — you’re not alone. Git is powerful, but you don’t need to know all of it to be safe and productive. Here’s the minimal Git workflow that keeps your code safe, easy to track, and easy to roll back.

1. Why you need Git

Even if your app “just works,” Git gives you:

  • ✅ A snapshot of your working code

  • ✅ The ability to see what changed

  • ✅ A safety net if something breaks

  • ✅ Confidence to experiment

Think of Git as a time machine for your code.

2. The minimal commands you actually need

You really only need a few commands to stay safe:

CommandPurpose
git statusCheck what has changed since last commit
git diffSee line-by-line changes before committing
git add .Stage all changes for commit
git commit -m "message"Save a snapshot of your code
git log --onelineSee a history of all commits
git restore .Undo uncommitted changes safely

That’s it — nothing more is required to stay safe.

3. Step 0: Check if Git is initialized

Go to your project folder and run:

git status

  • If it says fatal: not a git repository, run:

git init

  • If you see branch info, you’re good — Git is tracking your project.

4. Step 1: Check your last commit

git log --oneline

  • The top line is the most recent commit.

  • This tells you what code was last saved safely.

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5. Step 2: Compare your desktop code with the last commit

git status

  • If it says nothing to commit, working tree clean → your code matches the last commit.

  • If it lists files → those files are different from the last commit.

For details:

git diff

  • Shows exactly what changed line by line.

  • Safe to just look — doesn’t alter anything.

6. Step 3: Save a safe snapshot

Whenever you’re about to do something risky (like adding a new feature):

git add .
git commit -m "Describe what you changed"

Example:

git commit -m "Add feature-flagged paywall screen"

Now you have a restore point if anything goes wrong.

7. Step 4: Undo changes safely (if needed)

If you want to discard uncommitted changes:

git restore .

Your code goes back to exactly how it was at the last commit.

Optional older method:

git checkout -- .

8. Step 5: Use a feature flag for new code

Before touching risky code:

  • Keep your old code untouched

  • Add the new feature behind a flag:

bool useNewFeature = false;

  • Flip it only when ready

  • This avoids breaking your working app

9. The simple Git workflow to memorize

  1. Check status → git status

  2. See what changed → git diff

  3. Stage changes → git add .

  4. Commit changes → git commit -m "message"

  5. See history → git log --oneline

✅ That’s it. Repeat every time before major changes.

10. Bonus tip: Internal testing for apps

  • For mobile apps (Flutter, Android, iOS), never test risky changes in production.

  • Use internal test channels (Google Play Internal Testing / TestFlight).

  • Combine this with Git snapshots for a completely safe workflow.

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Conclusion

Git doesn’t have to be complicated. With just 6 commands and a simple workflow, you can:

  • Track your code

  • Safely try new features

  • Roll back if something breaks

  • Sleep at night knowing your code is safe

TL;DR:

git status → git diff → git add . → git commit -m "message" → git log --oneline → git restore .

That’s all you need to survive, thrive, and ship safely.

This post may contains affiliate links. As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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