How to Update Git Version on Linux, Windows, Mac?

Introduction

Git serves as a version control system. It enables multiple developers to operate, work, and run on the same project. The developers can track modifications and revisions simultaneously. It is significant to keep Git installation up to date as then it can provide you with the latest features, bug fixes, usability enhancements, and much more. Thus, we have come up with an article that provides an insightful guide on how to update Git to its latest version on Linux, Windows, and macOS. Dive into the sections below to get all the details. 

Before you Begin

Here are some of the prerequisites you must fulfill to update to the Git latest version –

• You must have a system that runs Linux, Windows, or macOS.
• You need to have an installed version of Git.
• You must have access to the terminal window for Linux/macOS or the command prompt for Windows.
• You need to have an account that has administrator-level privileges. 

First Check Git Current Version

Before moving to the steps needed to update Git version, you first need to check Git’s current version running on your system. To do so, you can enter the command –

git --version

After entering this command, your screen displays the current version of Git utilized on your system. 

You must note here that this command functions on all operating systems.

Update Git from Command Line

We have listed the different ways how to update Git based on the three different operating systems. So, you can skip to the section below that is relevant or applicable to your system.

Learn to Update Git on Linux

For updating Git to its latest version on the Linux system, you must ensure to employ a suitable package manager. If you work with Git on CentOS, you should utilize a package manager like yum or pacman.

You have to enter the following command to initiate updating the system packages –

sudo apt-get update

Then, you need to update Git by entering the command as –

sudo apt-get install git

After doing this, the system will prompt you to confirm the installation process. Then, you need to type Y and press Enter.

Afterward, you can verify whether the Git updated version is installed or not by entering the command –

git --version

The other way of updating Git on a Linux system is to install it by employing the original source code. This will lead to installing and updating the Git version from scratch. 

Learn to Update Git on Windows

In the Windows system, you might have to utilize different ways to update Git based on the version you run currently. 

If your system has a version prior to 2.14.1, you need to uninstall Git from your system and then, install a copy of its latest version from the beginning. 

On the other side, if your system has any version from 2.14.2 to 2.16.1, you can enter the command in your command prompt as –

git update

And, for the versions above 2.16.1, you can update Git by entering the command –

git update-git-for-windows

Learn to Upgrade Git on Mac

The simplest way to update the Git current version on Mac is to make use of the official installer. You can easily download the installation file from the official Git website. Then, you need to run the installation. Further, you can follow the install wizard in order to update Git to its latest version. The install wizard will overwrite the current installation of Git with the updates. 

The other way to update Git on Mac is by employing Homebrew. In case your system does not have Homebrew, you can install it by utilizing – 

/usr/bin/ruby -e "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install)"

With this, you will have to first update the Homebrew to ensure that you get the latest installation packages. To do so, enter the command –

brew update

Next, you can install the Git latest version with Homebrew by entering the command as – 

brew install git

In the case where Git has been already installed employing Homebrew, you can enter the following command to update to its latest version of Linux –

brew upgrade git

Further, you can confirm whether the Git latest version is installed on your Mac system or not by using the command –

git --version

Also Read: Steps to Unzip / Extract tar.gz Files in Linux Using Command Line

Summing Up

If you follow this guide aptly, you can easily update the current version of Git to its latest one on your system. Moreover, if you have any difficulty while updating Git on Windows, Linux, or Mac systems, you can communicate with our Serverwala technical experts anytime. They are always on their toes to provide immediate and accessible solutions through different modes.