Git interview questions

Basic Git Questions:

1. What is Git?
   • Explain the purpose of version control and Git’s role in it.
2. What is the difference between Git and GitHub?
   • How is Git different from GitHub or other hosting platforms like GitLab, Bitbucket, etc.?
3. What are the main features of Git?
   • Mention features like branching, version control, distributed nature, and more.
4. Explain the Git workflow.
   • Working directory, staging area, and local repository.
5. What are the basic Git commands?
   • Commands like git init, git add, git commit, git push, and git pull.
6. What is a Git repository?
   • Differentiate between local and remote repositories.
7. What is the staging area in Git?
   • Describe how git add works and its role in version control.
8. What is the difference between git clone and git fork?
   • Explain how cloning duplicates the repository while forking copies it into your own GitHub account.
9. How do you create a new branch in Git?
   • Explain git branch <branch_name> and git checkout -b <branch_name>.
10. What is git merge?
    • How does it merge branches, and what is a “fast-forward” merge?

Advanced Git Questions:

11. What is git rebase, and how does it differ from git merge?
    • Explain both, and discuss scenarios where rebasing is better suited.
12. What is a git stash?
    • How can you use git stash to temporarily save changes without committing?
13. What is the difference between git fetch and git pull?
    • Describe how git fetch only updates local metadata while git pull also integrates the changes.
14. What are git cherry-pick and git revert?
    • How do you selectively apply or undo commits?
15. What is a “detached HEAD” state in Git?
    • Discuss how this happens and how to resolve it.
16. How can you undo the last commit?
    • Explain git reset –soft HEAD~1 and git revert.
17. What is the purpose of .gitignore?
    • Explain how to use this file to prevent unwanted files from being committed.
18. How do you resolve merge conflicts in Git?
    • Describe the process of conflict resolution and tools that can help (e.g., git mergetool).
19. What is Git submodule?
    • Describe how you can include another repository inside your project and manage dependencies.
20. What is git bisect, and how does it help in debugging?
    • Explain how git bisect is used to perform a binary search to identify the commit that introduced a bug.

GitHub-Specific Questions:

21. How does GitHub handle collaboration?
    • Discuss pull requests, issues, and code reviews.
22. What are GitHub Actions?
    • Explain CI/CD workflows within GitHub.
23. What is a GitHub Fork, and when would you use it?
    • How does forking help when contributing to open-source projects?
24. What is a Pull Request, and how is it different from pushing code?
    • Discuss how pull requests facilitate code reviews and collaboration in GitHub.
25. What are tags in Git and GitHub?
    • Explain how tags are used for marking releases and important versions.
26. What are GitHub repositories’ permissions?
    • Explain the difference between owner, collaborator, and other roles.
27. How can you secure a GitHub repository?
    • Mention strategies like two-factor authentication, branch protection rules, and limiting write access.
28. How do you squash commits in Git/GitHub?
    • Explain squashing commits into one using git rebase -i and why this might be useful.
29. How do you link a local Git repository with a remote repository on GitHub?
    • Describe git remote add origin <repository_URL> and git push.
30. What is the difference between public and private repositories in GitHub?
    • Discuss visibility and accessibility between the two.

These questions span across basic and advanced concepts, providing a solid foundation for Git and GitHub knowledge in an interview.

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