Getting started with Git on live website server

Question

I have a website and I currently use FTP to upload files. I now want to implement Git version control. I downloaded Git for Windows.

• Do I have to download the live website directory and then clone it git clone /path/to/repository?

Or

• Do I clone the live website directory directly using git clone username@host:/path/to/repository?

Do I need to install anything on the live server?

I already know about git commit, git push origin but difficulty understanding how to connect to live website server.

Answer 1

Not sure why you would want to do that, when you can have private Git repositories for free on BitBucket, or pay 10 bucks/month for private Git repositories on GitHub.

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But yes, if you really want to host on your own server, you will need to install a software on the server that will handle requests/responses - a Git server.

You can start by reading Chapter 4 of the Pro Git book.

You may also want to look at the products below (in no particular order), which you could install on your server.

• GitHub Enterprise - https://enterprise.github.com/home
• BitBucket Server (former Stash) - https://www.atlassian.com/software/bitbucket/server
• GitLab - https://about.gitlab.com
• Bonobo - https://bonobogitserver.com
• GitBlit - http://gitblit.com
• Gitolite - https://github.com/sitaramc/gitolite
• Others - https://www.google.com/#q=git+server

Answer 2

It depends on the hosting service that you are using. If you are using a shared hosting platform, it might cause some problem. But yes you can deploy your website to a live server by installing git on your server. Some Repo Hosting Providers : Beanstalk, Heroku, Github Pages(Static websites).