Troubleshooting — Stage 1: First Save Point

Common Errors

git: command not found

Cause: Git is not installed, or not in your shell's PATH.

Fix: Install Git from git-scm.com. On macOS you can also run xcode-select --install. Open a fresh terminal after installing and try git --version again.

fatal: not a git repository

Cause: You ran git status (or another Git command) from a folder that is not a Git repo. Usually you forgot to cd box-runner first, or you forgot to run git init.

Fix: Make sure you are inside the box-runner folder (pwd to check) and that you ran git init once inside it.

Author identity unknown when committing

Cause: Git needs a name and email attached to every commit, and yours are not set.

Fix: Run these two commands once on your machine:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"

Then retry git commit.

nothing to commit, working tree clean when you expected a commit

Cause: You never ran git add, so nothing is staged. A commit with nothing in the staging area does nothing.

Fix: Run git add index.html, then git commit -m "..." again.

FAQ

What is the difference between git add and git commit?

git add stages a file — it puts the file in the "ready to save" box. git commit actually saves everything in the box as a permanent save point with a message.

Can I edit the commit message after committing?

Yes, for the most recent commit: git commit --amend -m "new message". Avoid amending commits you have already shared with others — that is a topic for later.

Do I need to git init every time I make a change?

No. git init runs exactly once per project, ever. After that, you just use git add and git commit.

Why is the commit message in past tense in this tutorial?

The convention in this project is to describe what the commit does as a complete sentence: "Created basic Box Runner start screen." Many teams use present tense ("Create...") — either is fine. Pick one style and stick to it.