How to change my Git username in terminal?

Learn how to change my git username in terminal? with practical examples, diagrams, and best practices. Covers git, github, git-config development techniques with visual explanations.
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How to Change Your Git Username in the Terminal

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Learn how to update your Git username globally or for a specific repository using command-line instructions, ensuring your commits are attributed correctly.

Your Git username is crucial for identifying who made a commit. It's part of the commit metadata and appears in commit logs, GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and other Git hosting services. Whether you've changed your name, joined a new team, or simply made a typo during initial setup, knowing how to update your Git username is a fundamental skill for any developer. This article will guide you through the process of changing your Git username, both globally and for individual repositories, directly from your terminal.

Understanding Git Configuration Scopes

Git allows you to set configuration values at different levels, which determines their precedence. When you change your username, you can apply it globally to all your repositories or specifically to a single repository. Understanding these scopes is key to managing your Git identity effectively.

There are three main configuration levels:

  1. System-level: Applies to all users on the system and all their repositories. This is typically found in /etc/gitconfig.
  2. Global-level: Applies to all repositories for your current user. This is the most common setting for personal use and is stored in ~/.gitconfig or ~/.config/git/config.
  3. Local-level: Applies only to the current repository you are working in. This configuration is stored in the .git/config file within the repository's directory.
flowchart TD
    A[Start Git Command] --> B{"Check for Local Config?"}
    B -->|Yes| C[Use Local Config (.git/config)]
    B -->|No| D{"Check for Global Config?"}
    D -->|Yes| E[Use Global Config (~/.gitconfig)]
    D -->|No| F{"Check for System Config?"}
    F -->|Yes| G[Use System Config (/etc/gitconfig)]
    F -->|No| H[No User Config Found]
    C --> I[Apply Config]
    E --> I
    G --> I
    H --> I
    I --> J[End]

Git Configuration Precedence Flow

Changing Your Git Username Globally

The global configuration is the most common place to set your Git username. This setting will apply to all new and existing repositories on your system that don't have a specific local override. It's ideal for personal machines where you use the same identity across all your projects.

1. Check your current global username

Before making changes, it's good practice to verify your current global Git username. This command will display the name Git currently uses for your commits.

2. Set your new global username

Use the git config --global user.name command followed by your desired new username in double quotes. This command writes the new value to your global Git configuration file.

3. Verify the change

After setting the new username, run the check command again to confirm that the change has been applied successfully. The output should now reflect your new username.

# 1. Check current global username
git config --global user.name

# 2. Set new global username
git config --global user.name "Your New Name"

# 3. Verify the change
git config --global user.name

Commands to change your global Git username

Changing Your Git Username for a Specific Repository

Sometimes, you might need to use a different Git identity for a particular project. For example, you might have a personal GitHub account and a separate work account. In such cases, you can override the global settings by configuring the username at the local repository level.

1. Navigate to the repository directory

Open your terminal and change your current directory to the root of the Git repository where you want to change the username. This is crucial for the local configuration to take effect.

2. Check the current local username (optional)

You can check if a local username is already set for this repository. If no local username is set, Git will fall back to the global configuration.

3. Set your new local username

Use the git config user.name command (without --global) followed by your desired username. This will update the .git/config file within the current repository.

4. Verify the local change

Confirm that the local username has been updated by running the check command again. This will show the username specific to this repository.

# 1. Navigate to your repository
cd /path/to/your/repository

# 2. Check current local username (optional)
git config user.name

# 3. Set new local username
git config user.name "Repository Specific Name"

# 4. Verify the change
git config user.name

Commands to change your Git username for a specific repository

Impact on Past Commits

It's important to understand that changing your Git username only affects future commits. Past commits are immutable; their author information is permanently recorded when the commit is made. If you need to change the author information for past commits, it's a more complex process involving rewriting Git history, which can have significant implications, especially in shared repositories. It's generally not recommended unless absolutely necessary and should be done with extreme caution.