Setting Up Git Bash in Positron (Windows)

1. Install Git for Windows

To get a Linux/Mac-style command line on Windows, you need to install Git Bash.

Option A:

• In the terminal enter: winget install --id Git.Git -e --source winget and follow the prompts

Option B:

1. Go to the official website: https://git-scm.com.
2. Click “Click here to download” to get the latest 64-bit standalone installer.
3. Open the downloaded .exe file to start the setup wizard.
4. Click Next through the prompts. Most defaults are perfect, but ensure the following are checked:
   • Choosing the default editor: You can leave this as Vim, or switch it to VS Code/Notepad if preferred.
   • Adjusting your PATH environment: Ensure “Git from the command line and also from 3rd-party software” is selected (this is the default).
5. Click Install, then click Finish once it completes.

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2. Set Git Bash as Default in Positron

Now, configure Positron to open Git Bash automatically instead of PowerShell.

1. Open Positron.
2. Open the Command Palette using the keyboard shortcut:
   • Ctrl + Shift + P
3. Type Terminal: Select Default Profile into the search bar and press Enter.
4. A dropdown menu will appear at the top of the screen. Select Git Bash from the list.
5. Open a new terminal to test it:
   • Press (Control + Backtick) or go to Terminal -> New Terminal.
   • You should see a green/purple prompt ending with a $ symbol.

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3. Navigating Windows Drive Letters in Git Bash

Windows uses drive letters (like C: or D:) instead of a single root directory. Git Bash mounts these drives under a virtual root directory (/) so you can navigate your entire computer using Unix paths.

Finding and Switching Drives

• The C: Drive: Your main hard drive is mapped to /c/. To jump directly to your main drive, type:

  cd /c/

• External Drives / USBs: If you plug in a flash drive or external drive that Windows labels as D: or E:, Git Bash maps it to /d/ or /e/. Switch to it by typing:

  cd /d/

• See All Available Drives: To see a list of every mounted drive letter on the computer, type:

  df -h

Understanding Your Paths

When you open Git Bash, you start in your user “Home” directory (~), which is actually located at /c/Users/YourUsername/.

• To see your current path in Windows format: Type pwd -W. This bridges the gap if you are confused about where you are in the Windows File Explorer.

• To open your current terminal location in Windows File Explorer: Type:

  explorer .

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4. Core Command Translation Cheat Sheet

Git Bash allows you to use standard Unix syntax directly on Windows. Use this guide to practice your command-line techniques:

Goal	Mac / Linux / Git Bash	Windows PowerShell	What it Does
List Files	ls or ls -la	Get-ChildItem	Shows everything in the current folder
Change Folder	cd path/to/folder	Set-Location	Moves you to a new directory
Print Location	pwd	Get-Location	Prints the full path of your current folder
Make Folder	mkdir new_project	New-Item -Type Directory	Creates a brand new directory
Create File	touch script.R	New-Item script.R	Creates an empty file
View File	more data.csv	Get-Content data.csv	Dumps the file contents into the terminal
Search Text	grep "tidyverse" script.R	Select-String	Finds specific words inside a file
Clear Screen	clear	Clear-Host or cls	Cleans up a messy terminal screen
Open File	open page.html |start page.html`	Opens a file in the default program

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5. Key Windows Tips for Mac/Linux Users

• The Control Key: Windows uses Ctrl instead of Command. To copy text in the terminal, use Ctrl + Shift + C. To cancel a running command, press Ctrl + C.
• Case Insensitivity: Windows does not care about capital letters in file names. data.csv and DATA.CSV are treated as the exact same file.
• File Paths in R: While Windows naturally uses backslashes (\), Git Bash translates standard forward slashes (/) seamlessly. Always use forward slashes when writing R scripts (e.g., read.csv("data/my_data.csv")) so your code works perfectly on both Windows and Mac!