If you want to start using a shell and GitLab, make sure that you have created an account on [gitlab.com](https://about.gitlab.com/)
## Open a shell
* Depending on your operating system, find the shell of your preference. Here are some suggestions
-[Terminal](http://blog.teamtreehouse.com/introduction-to-the-mac-os-x-command-line) on Mac OSX
-[GitBash](https://msysgit.github.io) on Windows
-[Linux Terminal](http://www.howtogeek.com/140679/beginner-geek-how-to-start-using-the-linux-terminal/) on Linux
## Check if Git has already been installed
* Git is usually preinstalled on Mac and Linux
* Type the following command and then press enter
```
git --version
```
* You should receive a message that will tell you which Git version you have in your computer. If you don’t receive a "Git version" message, it means that you need to [download Git](https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Getting-Started-Installing-Git)
* If Git doesn't automatically download, there's an option on the website to [download manually](https://git-scm.com/downloads). Then follow the steps on the installation window
* After you finished installing, open a new shell and type "git --version" again to verify that it was correctly installed
## Add your Git username and set your email
* It is important because every Git commit that you create will use this information
* On your shell, type the following command to add your username
```
git config --global user.name ADD YOUR USERNAME
```
* Then verify that you have the correct username
```
git config --global user.name
```
* To set your email address, type the following command
```
git config --global user.email ADD YOUR EMAIL
```
* To verify that you entered your email correctly, type
```
git config --global user.email
```
* You'll need to do this only once because you are using the "--global" option. It tells Git to always use this information for anything you do on that system. If you want to override this with a different username or email address for specific projects, you can run the command without the "--global" option when you’re in that project
