| README.portable (Draft) |
| ======================= |
| |
| This "portable" version of Git for Windows (MSysGit) does not need to |
| be installed. It will run from any directory you place it in, even |
| onto a USB thumbdrive. It will not write permanent entries into the |
| Windows registry. It does not need administrator privileges to "install". |
| |
| |
| Installation |
| ------------ |
| |
| This package is contained in a 7-zip archive with a file name like |
| 'PortableGit-<versionstring>.7z'. It is a self-extracting archive: |
| add the file extension '.exe', and you can (double-)click it; you'll be |
| asked for the desired target directory (which defaults to C:\Program |
| Files\Git). You may change that as needed or desired. Your user account |
| needs write access to the selected directory. (You can move that |
| directory with all its contents to a different place or computer at any |
| time should you later desire so). |
| |
| |
| Functional differences to "normal" MSysGit installation package |
| --------------------------------------------------------------- |
| |
| This version does not offer you the convenient right-click context menu |
| entries "Git GUI Here" and "Git Bash Here", because these would require |
| to add entries into the Windows registry. |
| |
| |
| Warning |
| ------- |
| |
| Since this portable package does not modify any Windows %path% |
| variables, it is not possible to run the git.exe and gitk.exe files |
| directly. Start the Git Bash or Git Cmd instead, or add the cmd/ folder |
| to your %path%. |
| |
| |
| How to start using PortableGit |
| ------------------------------ |
| |
| If you are comfortable with a Unix-like shell, just launch 'git-bash.bat'. |
| |
| If not, just launch 'git-cmd.bat'. |
| |
| Alternatively, you can execute these commands to modify the %path% |
| variable temporarily: |
| |
| set gitdir=c:\portablegit |
| set path=%gitdir%\cmd;%path% |
| |
| Adjust the 'gitdir' according to your setup. As long as you do not |
| close the command window, you can now simply type "git" or "gitk" to |
| really call "c:\portablegit\cmd\git.cmd" or "c:\portablegit\cmd\gitk.cmd". |
| |
| |
| Quick start |
| ----------- |
| |
| Start configuring git with your personal settings: |
| git config --global user.name "Joe Sixpack" |
| git config --global user.email joe.sixpack@g_mail.com |
| |
| Start using git: |
| git --help |
| |
| |
| How to change %path% permanently |
| -------------------------------- |
| |
| You may also want to make the modification to the %path% variable a |
| permanent one. The %path% variable may be changed: |
| |
| * either on a System level (for all users in the lower pane), if you are |
| an Administrator |
| * or for your own user account only (in the upper pane). |
| |
| To change the %path% variable permanently: |
| |
| * right-click "My Computer", |
| * select "Properties", |
| * open "Advanced", |
| * click "Environment Variables", |
| * highlight the "Path" variable, |
| * click "Edit" (either in upper or in lower pane), |
| * add your specific path to front of "Variable value" field, separated |
| by a semicolon from the existing entry. |
| |
