Getting started with BuildWithGit

Getting Started

You need two things on your machine: Git and the bwg CLI. Everything else runs on our servers.

Install the CLI

Run this in your terminal to install the bwg command:

$ curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/buildwithgitstarter/buildwithgit-cli/main/install.sh | sh

Verify it works:

$ bwg --version

You also need Git installed (git --version to check).

How to Complete Challenges

Every challenge follows three steps: init → code → submit. The server runs tests automatically on every submit and reports the result back to your terminal.

Initialize your project

On your dashboard you'll find your unique hash. Use the CLI to register:

$ bwg init <your-hash>

Then browse and clone a challenge:

$ bwg list

Write your solution

Open the main file in your editor and write your solution for the current stage. Each stage has a clear description of what to implement and the expected output.

Submit your code

When you're ready, run:

$ bwg submit

This stages your changes, commits, and pushes — all in one command. The server picks up your push immediately and runs the automated tests. The result is printed directly in your terminal with colored output showing pass/fail for each stage.

You can also pass a custom commit message:

$ bwg submit -m "implement hash-object"

There is no limit on how many times you can submit. Fix the issue and run bwg submit again — the tests will run fresh each time.

What happens when done

When every stage in a challenge passes, your progress is saved automatically. The challenge page and your dashboard will update to show it as completed.

Updating the CLI

To update bwg to the latest version:

$ bwg update

This checks for new releases, downloads the latest binary, and replaces the current one automatically. You can also check your current version with bwg --version.

Video walkthrough

Prefer watching over reading? The video below walks through the full flow — initializing, writing a solution, submitting, and reading the test result — in under five minutes.

Open the BuildWithGit setup walkthrough video