Git Gud: Setting Up a Better Git Config

There's tons of little goodies you can add to your .gitconfig to make your life easier. From hidden gems in the git Man pages to aliases and shell functions, here's a few things I've found useful to reduce friction in my Git workflow.

Quality of Life Improvements

These are some of the little things I've done that I think have contributed the most to improving my experience with Git.

Verbose Commit Context

When you run git commit with no message specified, Git will open an editor with a template that looks like this:

# Please enter the commit message for your changes. Lines starting
# with '#' will be ignored, and an empty message aborts the commit.
#
# On branch main
# Your branch is up to date with 'origin/main'.
# ...

All lines starting with # will be ignored, so Git will not include them in your commit message. By default, Git will just list what files you've changed and what branch you're on, but we can make it more verbose by adding a commit.verbose setting to our .gitconfig:

[commit]
    verbose = true

Or run:

git config --global commit.verbose true

Now, when you run git commit, Git will include the file diffs as well at the end of the template so that you can see what exactly you're committing:

Example of a Git commit with verbose output

Intuitive Sorting and Listings of Branches and Tags

By default, Git comes with some not-so-sane defaults in my opinion for displaying branches and tags. But we can fix them!

Sorting Out Branches

Two flaws in the default sorting of branches:

1. Branches are sorted alphabetically

2. Branches are listed as a single column (no matter how many branches you have)

   So if we have a ton of branches, we'll get output like this on git branch:

  and-so-on
  another-branch-1
  another-branch-2
  another-branch-3
  another-branch-4
  another-branch-5
  i-think-you-get-the-point
  i-think-you-get-the-point-1
  i-think-you-get-the-point-2
  i-think-you-get-the-point-3
  list
* main
  yet-another-branch-1
  yet-another-branch-2
  yet-another-branch-3
  yet-another-branch-4
  yet-another-branch-5

To fix (1) let's set branch.sort to -committerdate so that branches are sorted by their commit date:

[branch]
    sort = -committerdate

Or run git config --global branch.sort -committerdate.

Now, when you run git branch, we'll get our branches sorted with the most recently modified at the top.

To fix (2), let's set column.ui to auto so that branches are listed as a column:

[column]
    ui = auto

Or run git config --global column.ui auto.

Now, when you run git branch, we'll get our branches listed as a column:

and-so-on                     another-branch-3              i-think-you-get-the-point     i-think-you-get-the-point-3   yet-another-branch-1          yet-another-branch-4
another-branch-1              another-branch-4              i-think-you-get-the-point-1   list                          yet-another-branch-2          yet-another-branch-5
another-branch-2              another-branch-5              i-think-you-get-the-point-2 * main                          yet-another-branch-3

Sorting Out Tags

Since tags are also sorted alphabetically by default, if you run git tag you'll get non intuitive listings for your tags:

v1.0.0
v1.1.1
v1.1.10
v1.1.2
.
.
.
v1.0.9

Instead, let's set tag.sort to version:refname so that tags are sorted by their version number:

[tag]
    sort = -version:refname

Or run git config --global tag.sort -version:refname.

Note: The - in front of version:refname is to reverse the sort order so that the most recent tags are listed first. You can omit it if you want the tags to be sorted in ascending order.

Now, when you run git tag, you'll get a nicely sorted list of tags:

v1.0.10
v1.0.9
.
.
.
v1.1.2
v1.1.1
v1.0.0

Prettier Diffs with diff-so-fancy

By default, Git will show you diffs in a very compact form chalk full of @#$%! symbols that are hard to read, especially when you have a lot of cross file changes:

Example of a Git diff with a lot of cross file changes

Instead, let's use diff-so-fancy to make your git diff look like it deserves a frame.

Here's how to set it up:

1. Install diff-so-fancy with the package manager of your choice. For example, if you're using Homebrew, run brew install diff-so-fancy. Check the GitHub repo for other installation options.

2. Update your core.pager and interactive.diffFilter settings to use diff-so-fancy instead of the default less pager:

   git config --global core.pager "diff-so-fancy | less --tabs=4 -RF"
   git config --global interactive.diffFilter "diff-so-fancy --patch"

Example of a Git diff with a lot of cross file changes using diff-so-fancy

Bonus: Change the Diff Algorithm

By default, Git uses a diff algorithm called patience diff, but it's not the only algorithm out there. Personally, I have changed my default diff algorithm to histogram, which in some cases leads to a more readable diff.

To change the diff algorithm, run:

git config --global diff.algorithm histogram

Or add the following to your .gitconfig:

[diff]
    algorithm = histogram

The difference is not huge, but it's worth it if you're looking for a more readable diff on certain edge cases.

Rebasing on Pull Conflicts

This one might be a smidge controversial, but I personally like rebasing on pull conflicts as it keeps the commit history clean without all the extra "Merge branch 'main' into 'main'" commits.

We can enable rebase on pull conflicts with:

[pull]
    rebase = true

Or run:

git config --global pull.rebase true

Now, instead of a messy merge commit, git pull rewrites your local changes on top of the updated upstream branch.

Setting Your Editor

When you run a command that opens an editor, like git commit with no message specified, it will open an editor (default is usually vi, which is fine if you're stuck in 1975).

Go ahead and set your editor to nvim (or emacs if you're a weirdo).

Automatically Setup Remote Repositories

How many times have you been pushing a new branch to a remote resository and you are hit with a wall of text telling you to run git push --set-upstream origin <branch> and then git push again? Let's make it so that you never have to see this again:

In your .gitconfig, add the following:

[push]
    autoSetupRemote = true

Or run:

git config --global push.autoSetupRemote true

Now, when you run git push, Git will automatically set up the remote repository for you.

Optimizations and Maintenance

With very little effort, we can cash in on performance boosts and disk space savings.

Maintenance Scheduling

Git’s maintenance tasks optimize repository size and performance by running tasks like garbage collection and repacking.¹,² You can enable automatic maintenance to run in the background:

[maintenance]
    auto = true
    strategy = incremental

Or run:

git config --global maintenance.auto true
git config --global maintenance.strategy incremental

This sets up a cron-like job to periodically optimize your repositories, reducing disk usage and improving performance. It’s a "set it and forget it" feature, perfect for keeping your repositories lean without manual intervention.

Compression

To reduce repository size, I set Git’s compression to the maximum level (9):

[core]
    compression = 9

Or run:

git config --global core.compression 9

Values range from -1 (default, platform-dependent) to 9 (maximum compression). Higher compression saves space but takes slightly longer. Since my worktrees are small, the tradeoff is worth it.

Git Shortcuts with Aliases

There's two types of aliases that I use: Git-defined and shell-defined. Git aliases are defined in the .gitconfig file, while shell aliases are defined in the shell's configuration file.

Git Aliases

Git aliases are defined in the .gitconfig file and are prefixed with git <alias>.

In .gitconfig:

[alias]
    graph = log --all --graph --decorate --oneline
    l = log --graph --pretty=format:'%Cred%h%Creset -%C(yellow)%d%Creset %s %Cgreen(%cr) %C(bold blue)<%an>%Creset' --abbrev-commit
    ignore = "!gi() { local IFS=','; curl -sL https://www.toptal.com/developers/gitignore/api/\"$*\"; }; gi"

• graphis a Git alias that shows a graph of your commit history with one commit per line instead of the default, which I think is very cluttered. Run withgit graph to see it in action.

• l will pretty print your commit history with a custom format. I stole this one from a coworker and never looked back. Run with git l.

• ignore is so I can quickly add a bunch of files to my .gitignore file. I already was using gitignore.io all the time to generate my .gitignore files, so I figured I'd just add a little helper function to my .gitconfig to make it easier. This one does require an internet connection since it fetches the response via curl.

  The ! at the beginning of the function tells Git to run it as a shell command rather than a Git built-in command.

  Now I can run ignore and it will fetch the response from gitignore.io:

  # In new Java project
  git ignore java > .gitignore
  
  # Append to existing .gitignore
  git ignore python node >> .gitignore
  
  # Languages can be comma-separated and/or space-separated because of the
  # `$*` expansion
  git ignore python,node >> .gitignore # same as above

gi() {
    curl -sL https://www.toptal.com/developers/gitignore/api/$@;
};

git ignore python,node

git ignore python node

Shell Aliases

Next up are all of my Git-related shell aliases. While you could define these in your .gitconfig, I prefer to define them in my shell's configuration file to make them shorter since we can forgo the git prefix and use two or three letters instead.

alias gs="git status --short"
alias gc="git commit"
alias gi="git init"
alias gcl="git clone"
alias ga="git add"
alias gap="git add --patch"
alias gd="git diff"
alias gr="git restore"
alias gp="git push"
alias gu="git pull"

And for my fellow Fish users:

function gs; git status --short $argv; end
function ga; git add $argv; end
function gap; git add --patch $argv; end
function gi; git init $argv; end
function gc; git commit $argv; end
function gl; git log $argv; end
function gcl; git clone $argv; end
function gp; git push $argv; end
function gu; git pull $argv; end
function gd; git diff $argv; end
function gr; git restore $argv; end

Everything is a mneumonic so it's easy to remember:

• ga for 'git add'
• gc for 'git commit'
• gd for 'git diff'
• gl for 'git log'
• gp for 'git push'
• gcl for 'git clone'
• ...

I'll admit, "gu" for git pull breaks this pattern since "gp" is already taken by git push, but I think of it as 'git update'.

The alias for git status --short is something I stole from the codingjerk YouTube channel³. What I like about this is that the normal git status command just gives too much information and when I just want to quickly see modified files, it fills up nearly the entire vertical space of my terminal.

Default git status output:

On branch main
Changes not staged for commit:
  (use "git add <file>..." to update what will be committed)
  (use "git restore <file>..." to discard changes in working directory)
	modified:   README.md
	modified:   sample.txt

no changes added to commit (use "git add" and/or "git commit -a")

(I think after the thousandth time I've used git status, I got the point that I can add files to the staging area with git add.)

With git status --short:

## main
 M README.md
 M sample.txt

I also recommend setting status.branch = true to show the branch name in the status output, even if you are using the --short flag:

[status]
    branch = true

Or run:

git config --global status.branch true

GPG Signing: Verifying You and Your Commits

Want that sweet little “Verified” badge on your commits? You’ll need to set up GPG signing.

GPG (GNU Privacy Guard) is an open-source implementation of the PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) standard. It lets you encrypt, decrypt, and—most relevant here—sign things to prove they came from you.

When you generate a GPG key, you get two keys:

• Public key — Share this with the world. Others use it to verify your signature or send you encrypted messages.
• Private key — Keep this secret. It proves your identity when signing things (like commits). Don’t lose it. Don’t leak it.

Signing Commits with GPG

Here’s the basic flow to get going:

1. Generate a key Run:

   gpg --full-generate-key

   Pick the defaults unless you know what you’re doing.

   Installing GPG on macOS

   If you're on macOS, you'll want to install gpg with Homebrew:

   brew install gnupg

   After installing, we'll need to let Git know which GPG binary to use. In your .gitconfig, add this:

   [gpg]
       program = /opt/homebrew/bin/gpg

   Or run:

   git config --global gpg.program /opt/homebrew/bin/gpg

2. List your GPG key ID Run:

   gpg --list-secret-keys --keyid-format=long

   Grab the long key ID (XXXXXXXXYYYYZZZZ) for the next step.

3. Tell Git to use it Add this to your Git config:

   git config --global user.signingkey <your-key-id>
   git config --global commit.gpgsign true

4. Add your public key to GitHub Export your public key:

   gpg --armor --export <your-key-id>

   Then go to https://github.com/settings/gpg/new, paste it in, and you’re set.

Now when you commit and push, GitHub will show a "Verified" badge if everything lines up.

On macOS, you might want to install GPG Suite for better integration.

Bonus: Email Signing

GPG isn’t just for Git—you can use it to sign emails too. Clients like NeoMutt or Mutt support this, though fair warning: it’ll attach your public key to every message, which might not be your vibe. I don’t use this personally, but it’s there if you want it.

Miscellaneous Goodies

Here's a collection of some small tweaks that you can brag to your coworkers about.

Rerere

I know what you're thinking, "What the hell does that even mean?"

"Rerere" stands for "reuse recorded resolution". Again this is still a little mysterious, but we can see from the git-rerere(1) man page:

DESCRIPTION
       In a workflow employing relatively long lived topic branches, the developer sometimes needs to
       resolve the same conflicts over and over again until the topic branches are done (either merged to
       the "release" branch, or sent out and accepted upstream).

       This command assists the developer in this process by recording conflicted automerge results and
       corresponding hand resolve results on the initial manual merge, and applying previously recorded
       hand resolutions to their corresponding automerge results.

In English: When you have resolved a conflict in the past, git rerere will keep track of the resolution and apply it to future conflicts.

Resolve a conflict once, and rerere saves it. Same conflict later? It’s auto-fixed, but you can still check with git diff and git add to make sure everything is okay.

Add the following to your .gitconfig:

[rerere]
    enabled = true
    autoUpdate = true

Or run:

git config --global rerere.enabled true
git config --global rerere.autoUpdate true

Whitespace

I already have whitespace highlighted in my editor, but if some were to slip through, I'd like to highlight them in diffs so I can strip them out.

In your .gitconfig, we can specify what types of whitespace we want Git to flag in diffs with a comma-separated list:

[core]
    whitespace = trailing-space

Or run:

git config --global core.whitespace trailing-space

For me, I just highlight trailing whitespace in diffs, but some other options you could try:

• space-before-tab
• space-before-tab,indent-with-non-tab
• space-before-tab,indent-with-non-tab,cr-at-eol

Help Prompts for Command Misspellings

If you are typing out a git command in full and you make a typo, by default you'll get a message like this:

$ git psuh

git: 'psuh' is not a git command. See 'git --help'.

The most similar command is
        push

So you retry again (in my case probably making another typo or two) until you get the right command you were going for.

Instead, just adjust your .gitconfig to prompt you:

[help]
    autocorrect = prompt

Or run:

git config --global help.autocorrect prompt

Now, when you make a typo, you'll get a prompt instead:

$ git psuh

WARNING: You called a Git command named 'psuh', which
 does not exist.
Run 'push' instead [y/N]?

Ahh, much better! Now you can just type y and you're good to go.

There's also more options for autocorrect that you can read about in the git-config man page, such as running the suggested command immediately without prompting.

Conclusion

I hope this post sheds some light on the configurability of Git and a small subset of the options available. For such a ubiquitous tool, I think it's worth it to spend the time to tailor it to your needs instead of just rolling with the basic setup of configuring your username and email.

My full .gitconfig can be found here.

If you have any questions, or if there's something I've missed, feel free to comment below!

References