Easy Steps To Install Latest Git on Debian 11 From Source

In this guide from the Orcacore website, we want to teach you How To Install Latest Git on Debian 11. By far, the most widely used modern version control system in the world today is Git. Git is a mature, actively maintained open-source project originally developed in 2005 by Linus Torvalds, the famous creator of the Linux operating system kernel. A staggering number of software projects rely on Git for version control, including commercial projects as well as open-source projects.

To install Git, you must log in to your server as a non-root user with sudo privileges. To do this, you can follow our guide on the Initial Server Setup with Debian 11.

Now, follow the steps below to install git in the latest version on Debian 11.

1. Install Git From Source on Debian 11

For those who want the latest Git version, it is recommended to always install from the source. First, update your local package index with the following command:

sudo apt update

Then, you need to install the Dependencies on your server by using the following command:

sudo apt install make libssl-dev libghc-zlib-dev libcurl4-gnutls-dev libexpat1-dev gettext unzip -y

Now you need to visit the Git Release page and find the master zip archive or the latest stable release from Git.

Next, use the wget command to download the Latest Git on Debian 11:

sudo wget https://github.com/git/git/archive/refs/tags/v2.49.0.zip

When your download is completed, unzip your file with the command below:

sudo unzip v2.49.0.zip

Switch to your Git directory:

cd git-2.49.0

At this point, use the following commands to install Git:

# sudo make prefix=/usr/local all
# sudo make prefix=/usr/local install

This may take some time to complete. When you are done, verify your Git installation on Debian 11 by checking its version:

git --version

**Output**
git version 2.49.0

2. Configure Git on Debian 11

At this point, you must configure Git so that the generated commit messages you make will contain the correct information and support you as you build your software project.

You must provide your name and email address because Git embeds this information into each commit you do. To do this, you can use the following commands:

# git config --global user.name "Your Name"
# git config --global user.email "youremail@domain.com"

After setting up the user name and email ID, you can verify the details using git config --list command:

git config --list

**Output**
user.name=Your Name
user.email=youremail@domain.com

All the configuration done through the git command will save the information in a file called .gitconfig in the user’s home directory. So you can also verify the configuration by checking this file using cat ~/.gitconfig command as shown below:

cat ~/.gitconfig

**Output**
[user]
   name=Your Name
   email=youremail@domain.com

3. Perform a Git Clone From GitHub

Now that you have set up Git on Debian 11, you can try using it by performing git clone operations from GitHub.

We can just clone a repository called wig by using git clone https://github.com/jekyc/wig.git command as shown below. This will create a directory wig in your local system and copy all the contents from the repository:

git clone https://github.com/jekyc/wig.git

In your output, you will see:

Also, you can check all the subcommands available with the git command using git help -a command as shown below:

git help -a

That’s it, you are done.

Conclusion

At this point, you have learned to install the Latest Git on Debian 11. While Debian’s default repositories often provide older versions, adding an external repository or building Git from source allows you to stay up-to-date. Following a few simple steps, you can successfully install and maintain the latest Git release on your system. This guide showed you how to install the Latest Git on Debian 11 from source.

Hope you enjoy it. You may also be interested in these articles:

How To Install MongoDB Server on Debian 11

Set up and configure NTP Server and Client on Debian 11

Install and Use Vagrant on Debian 11

FAQs

Do I need to remove the old Git version before installing the new one?

If you install from source, it usually installs separately. However, it’s a good idea to uninstall or overwrite the old version to avoid conflicts.

Will installing a newer Git version break my current repositories?

No, your repositories will stay intact. Newer Git versions are fully backward compatible with older repositories.

How do I update Git in the future after installing it manually?

If you built it from source, you’ll need to download and compile newer releases manually.

Alternative Methods to Install Latest Git on Debian 11

While compiling from source provides the absolute latest version, there are alternative methods to install Git on Debian 11 that offer a balance between ease of use and up-to-dateness. Let’s explore two of them: using a PPA (Personal Package Archive) and using backports. Both methods can assist you to install the Latest Git on Debian 11.

1. Using a PPA (Personal Package Archive)

PPAs are repositories hosted on Launchpad that allow developers to distribute software and updates directly to users. While not officially supported by Debian, they can provide more recent versions of software than the official repositories. It’s important to exercise caution when using PPAs from untrusted sources.

Explanation:

The primary advantage of using a PPA is the ease of installation and updates. Once the PPA is added to your system, you can install Git using apt, and subsequent updates will be managed automatically through the standard apt update && apt upgrade process. This simplifies maintaining an up-to-date Git installation.

Steps:

Install software-properties-common: This package provides the add-apt-repository command, which simplifies adding PPAs.
```
sudo apt update
sudo apt install software-properties-common -y
```
Add the PPA: While a dedicated Git PPA isn’t as common as for other software, searching Launchpad might reveal suitable options. For demonstration, let’s assume there’s a hypothetical PPA (replace with a real, trusted PPA if found):
```
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:example/git
```
Important: Before adding any PPA, carefully research its source and trustworthiness.
Update the package index:
```
sudo apt update
```
Install Git:
```
sudo apt install git -y
```
Verify the installation:
```
git --version
```

Caveats:

Trust: PPAs are maintained by individuals or small groups, so it’s crucial to trust the source. Unofficial PPAs can pose security risks.
Stability: PPAs may contain software that’s less stable than the versions in the official Debian repositories.
Availability: Finding a reliable and actively maintained PPA for Git can be challenging.

2. Using Debian Backports

Debian Backports provide newer versions of software packages for stable Debian releases. They offer a more reliable alternative to PPAs because they are built from the testing or unstable distributions but are recompiled to run without requiring newer libraries than those available in the stable release. This makes them more secure and stable than PPAs.

Explanation:

Backports offer a middle ground between the stability of Debian’s main repositories and the freshness of more cutting-edge distributions. They provide a way to install newer versions of specific packages without upgrading the entire operating system.

Steps:

Add the Backports repository to your sources.list:

Open /etc/apt/sources.list with a text editor (e.g., sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list) and add the following line:
```
deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye-backports main contrib non-free
```
Replace bullseye with your Debian version if it’s different (although this guide is for Debian 11, codenamed Bullseye).
Update the package index:
```
sudo apt update
```
Install Git from Backports: Use the -t option to specify the backports repository.
```
sudo apt install git -t bullseye-backports -y
```
Verify the installation:
```
git --version
```

Advantages:

Reliability: Backports are officially supported by the Debian project, offering a higher level of reliability and security than PPAs.
Stability: Packages in backports are carefully selected and recompiled to minimize compatibility issues with the stable Debian release.

Disadvantages:

Availability: Not all packages are available in backports. The availability of a newer Git version in backports depends on the Debian project’s decisions.
Potentially Older than Source: While newer than the base Debian repository, the version in backports might not be as new as compiling from source.

Conclusion:

Installing the Latest Git on Debian 11 can be achieved through various methods, each with its own trade-offs. Compiling from source provides the most recent version but requires more manual effort. PPAs offer ease of installation but carry potential security risks. Backports provide a balance between stability and up-to-dateness, making them a generally recommended approach. Choose the method that best suits your needs and risk tolerance when trying to install the Latest Git on Debian 11.