Chapter 2: Git, GitHub and Git Bash

2.2 Git vs GitHub vs Git Bash

By Ravindra Bagale · Last updated: 25 October 2026

Why: the problem

Many freshers say "I pushed my code to Git" when they mean a website. In interviews this confuses people. So we must clear three words: Git, GitHub and Git Bash. Git is the tool on your computer that saves versions. A Git hosting site is a website that stores a copy of your repo so your team can share it. GitHub is one famous hosting site. GitLab and Bitbucket are others. Many Indian companies like Infosys run their own GitLab inside the office, at an address like git.example.com. Git Bash is only a terminal program for Windows. It gives Windows users the same bash commands that Linux users have, plus Git. So: Git is the engine, the hosting site is the parking place, and Git Bash is the driver seat on Windows. In this lesson you will check Git on Linux, see how Git Bash looks on Windows, and push the same repo to a hosting site. In this course we use gitlab.com and git.example.com for examples.

What we will build

You will check the Git tool version, open the Git Bash terminal on Windows (or a Linux terminal), create a repo locally, and connect it to a hosting site project on gitlab.com. You will see clearly which step is Git, which is the website and which is just the terminal.

What: every term in plain English

• Git — The version control program on your machine. Commands start with git.
• Hosting site — A website that keeps a shared copy of repos, with web pages for code, reviews and CI.
• GitHub — A popular hosting site owned by Microsoft.
• GitLab — A hosting site you can use online at gitlab.com or install in your company.
• Bitbucket — A hosting site from Atlassian, often used with Jira.
• Git Bash — A Windows terminal that gives bash commands plus Git.
• Terminal — A window where you type commands.
• Remote — The address of the shared copy of your repo on a hosting site.

How: step by step

1. Check Git is installed

   git --version
   

   What it does: This is the tool. It works without the internet.

   Output

   git version 2.43.0
   

2. On Windows, open Git Bash

   Start menu, type Git Bash, press Enter
   

   What it does: A black window opens with a $ prompt. It is only a terminal.

   Output

   ravi@LAPTOP MINGW64 ~
   $
   

3. Run a bash command in Git Bash

   ls ~ && pwd
   

   What it does: Linux style commands now work on Windows.

   Output

   Desktop  Documents  Downloads
   /c/Users/ravi
   

4. Make a local repo

   mkdir -p ~/devops-lab/hello-git && cd ~/devops-lab/hello-git && git init -b main
   

   What it does: Pure Git. No website yet.

   Output

   Initialized empty Git repository in /home/ravi/devops-lab/hello-git/.git/
   

5. Create a project on the hosting site

   In the browser: gitlab.com, New project, Create blank project, name hello-git
   

   What it does: This is the website part. It gives you a remote URL.

   Output

   Project hello-git was successfully created.
   

6. Connect local repo to the site

   git remote add origin https://gitlab.com/ravi-learner/hello-git.git
   

   What it does: Tells Git where the shared copy lives.

   Output

   (no output)
   

7. Push the first commit

   echo "# hello-git" > README.md && git add . && git commit -m "First commit" && git push -u origin main
   

   What it does: Git sends history to the website.

   Output

   To https://gitlab.com/ravi-learner/hello-git.git
    * [new branch]      main -> main
   

Example 1: Prove Git works with no website at all

Stack. Git

Goal. Prove Git works with no website at all.

offline.sh

mkdir -p ~/devops-lab/offline && cd ~/devops-lab/offline
git init -q -b main
echo "menu=idli" > menu.txt
git add menu.txt && git commit -qm "Add menu"
echo "menu=dosa" > menu.txt
git commit -qam "Change menu to dosa"
git log --oneline
git remote -v

What each line does

• git init -q -b main — Make a repo. No account needed.
• git commit -qam — Add changed tracked files and commit in one step.
• git log --oneline — History is saved locally.
• git remote -v — Prints nothing, because no website is connected.

Green output

5d1e8a2 Change menu to dosa
a90c3f4 Add menu

Expected result. Git saved two versions with no internet and no account. Git is the tool; the website is optional.

Example 2: Push the same repo to gitlab

Stack. Git, gitlab.com

Goal. Push the same repo to gitlab.com and see it on the web.

push.sh

cd ~/devops-lab/offline
git remote add origin https://gitlab.com/ravi-learner/offline.git
git remote -v
git push -u origin main
git status -sb

What each line does

• git remote add origin URL — Save the website address under the short name origin.
• git remote -v — Show fetch and push addresses.
• git push -u origin main — Upload commits and remember origin/main as the upstream.
• git status -sb — Short status that shows if you are ahead or behind.

Green output

origin  https://gitlab.com/ravi-learner/offline.git (fetch)
origin  https://gitlab.com/ravi-learner/offline.git (push)
Enumerating objects: 6, done.
To https://gitlab.com/ravi-learner/offline.git
 * [new branch]      main -> main
branch 'main' set up to track 'origin/main'.
## main...origin/main

Expected result. The website now shows menu.txt and two commits. The same history lives in two places.

Example 3: Use one repo with two hosting sites: gitlab

Stack. Git, gitlab.com, self-hosted GitLab

Goal. Use one repo with two hosting sites: gitlab.com and a company server.

two-remotes.sh

cd ~/devops-lab/offline
git remote add company https://git.example.com/team/offline.git
git remote -v
git push company main
git branch -vv

What each line does

• git remote add company URL — A second remote with a second name.
• git remote -v — Now four lines: two remotes, fetch and push each.
• git push company main — Send the same commits to the company server.
• git branch -vv — Shows which remote your branch tracks.

Green output

company https://git.example.com/team/offline.git (fetch)
company https://git.example.com/team/offline.git (push)
origin  https://gitlab.com/ravi-learner/offline.git (fetch)
origin  https://gitlab.com/ravi-learner/offline.git (push)
To https://git.example.com/team/offline.git
 * [new branch]      main -> main
* main 5d1e8a2 [origin/main] Change menu to dosa

Expected result. One Git repo can talk to many hosting sites. This is common when a company moves from one site to another.

Verify: did it work?

1. Check the tool

   git --version
   

   What it does: Proves Git is the local tool.

   Output

   git version 2.43.0
   

2. Check the remotes

   git -C ~/devops-lab/offline remote -v
   

   What it does: Shows the websites this repo knows.

   Output

   origin  https://gitlab.com/ravi-learner/offline.git (fetch)
   

3. Check you are in sync

   git -C ~/devops-lab/offline status -sb
   

   What it does: No ahead or behind means the website has your commits.

   Output

   ## main...origin/main
   

When it is red 1

git: command not found

Cause. Git is not installed. On Windows you opened cmd, not Git Bash.

Fix, step by step

1. Ubuntu: sudo apt update && sudo apt install -y git
2. Windows: install Git for Windows, then open Git Bash.
3. Run git --version again.

When it is red 2

remote: HTTP Basic: Access denied
fatal: Authentication failed for 'https://gitlab.com/ravi-learner/offline.git/'

Cause. The hosting site does not accept your password. Sites need a token for HTTPS.

Fix, step by step

1. On gitlab.com create a personal access token with write_repository scope.
2. Push again and paste the token as the password.
3. Or switch to SSH in lesson 2.12.

When it is red 3

error: remote origin already exists.

Cause. You ran git remote add origin twice.

Fix, step by step

1. git remote -v to see it.
2. git remote set-url origin NEW_URL to change it.

Cleanup

1. Remove the extra remote

   git -C ~/devops-lab/offline remote remove company
   

   What it does: Only removes the name on your laptop. The server is not touched.

   Output

   (no output)
   

2. Remove the lab folder

   rm -rf ~/devops-lab/offline
   

   What it does: Deletes the local copy only.

   Output

   (no output)
   

Practice tasks

Homework: try at home

Recap

• Git is the tool on your machine.
• GitHub, GitLab and Bitbucket are websites that host repos.
• Git Bash is only a terminal for Windows.
• A remote is the address of the shared copy.
• One repo can have many remotes.

FAQ

Which should I learn first, Git or GitLab?

Git first. The website is easy once Git commands make sense.

Do I need Git Bash on Linux or Mac?

No. Use the normal terminal. Git Bash is for Windows.

Can I use PowerShell instead of Git Bash?

Yes, Git works there too. But this course uses bash commands, so Git Bash is easier.

Why does my company use git.example.com and not a public site?

Many companies host GitLab themselves to keep code inside their network.

Is WSL better than Git Bash?

WSL gives a full Ubuntu inside Windows. It is great for DevOps work. Git Bash is lighter.

Interview questions

1. Explain the difference between Git and GitHub.

   Git is a distributed version control tool that runs locally. GitHub is a hosting service for Git repos with reviews, issues and CI.

2. What is a remote?

   A named URL of another copy of the repo, usually on a hosting site. origin is the default name.

3. Why would a company self-host GitLab?

   To keep code inside their network, for security rules, and to control users and runners.

4. Can you use Git without a hosting site?

   Yes. All commits, branches and history work offline.

5. What is Git Bash used for?

   It gives Windows users a bash shell and Git, so scripts and commands match Linux servers.

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