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+.. _configure-git:
+
+===============
+ Configure git
+===============
+
+.. _git-config-basic:
+
+Overview
+========
+
+Your personal git_ configurations are saved in the ``.gitconfig`` file in
+your home directory.
+Here is an example ``.gitconfig`` file::
+
+  [user]
+          name = Your Name
+          email = you@yourdomain.example.com
+  
+  [alias]
+          ci = commit -a
+          co = checkout
+          st = status -a
+          stat = status -a
+          br = branch
+          wdiff = diff --color-words
+  
+  [core]
+          editor = vim
+
+  [merge]
+          summary = true
+
+You can edit this file directly or you can use the ``git config --global``
+command::
+  
+  git config --global user.name "Your Name"
+  git config --global user.email you@yourdomain.example.com
+  git config --global alias.ci "commit -a"
+  git config --global alias.co checkout
+  git config --global alias.st "status -a"
+  git config --global alias.stat "status -a"
+  git config --global alias.br branch
+  git config --global alias.wdiff "diff --color-words"
+  git config --global core.editor vim
+  git config --global merge.summary true
+
+To set up on another computer, you can copy your ``~/.gitconfig`` file,
+or run the commands above.
+
+In detail
+=========
+
+user.name and user.email
+------------------------
+
+It is good practice to tell git_ who you are, for labeling any changes
+you make to the code.  The simplest way to do this is from the command
+line::
+
+  git config --global user.name "Your Name"
+  git config --global user.email you@yourdomain.example.com
+
+This will write the settings into your git configuration file,  which
+should now contain a user section with your name and email::
+
+  [user]
+        name = Your Name
+        email = you@yourdomain.example.com
+
+Of course you'll need to replace ``Your Name`` and ``you@yourdomain.example.com``
+with your actual name and email address.
+
+Aliases
+-------
+
+You might well benefit from some aliases to common commands.
+
+For example, you might well want to be able to shorten ``git checkout``
+to ``git co``.  Or you may want to alias ``git diff --color-words``
+(which gives a nicely formatted output of the diff) to ``git wdiff``
+
+The following ``git config --global`` commands::
+
+  git config --global alias.ci "commit -a"
+  git config --global alias.co checkout
+  git config --global alias.st "status -a"
+  git config --global alias.stat "status -a"
+  git config --global alias.br branch
+  git config --global alias.wdiff "diff --color-words"
+
+will create an ``alias`` section in your ``.gitconfig`` file with contents
+like this::
+
+  [alias]
+          ci = commit -a
+          co = checkout
+          st = status -a
+          stat = status -a
+          br = branch
+          wdiff = diff --color-words
+
+Editor
+------
+
+You may also want to make sure that your editor of choice is used ::
+
+  git config --global core.editor vim
+
+Merging
+-------
+
+To enforce summaries when doing merges (``~/.gitconfig`` file again)::
+
+   [merge]
+      summary = true
+
+Or from the command line::
+
+  git config --global merge.summary true
+
+
+.. include:: git_links.inc