---
layout: full
body_class: home
menu_item: getting_started
---
## Install NodeGit
NodeGit can be quickly and painlessly installed via NPM. For more
comprehensive installation techniques, check out the
[Install Guides](/guides/install/).
```bash
npm install nodegit
```
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## Compatibility
* * *
## Getting Started
You simply need to require NodeGit in your project to start using it.
``` javascript
var Git = require("nodegit");
```
###
Clone a Repository
Let's learn how to clone a repository. Create a file named `clone.js`,
and add the following code:
``` javascript
var Git = require("nodegit");
Git.Clone("https://github.com/nodegit/nodegit", "nodegit").then(function(repository) {
// Work with the repository object here.
});
```
This will clone our repository into a folder named `nodegit`.
###
Open a Repository
Let's learn how to open a repository. Create a file named `open.js`,
and add the following code:
``` javascript
var Git = require("nodegit");
var getMostRecentCommit = function(repository) {
return repository.getBranchCommit("master");
};
var getCommitMessage = function(commit) {
return commit.message();
};
Git.Repository.open("nodegit")
.then(getMostRecentCommit)
.then(getCommitMessage)
.then(function(message) {
console.log(message);
});
```
This will open our cloned repository and read out the latest commit's message from master.
### Have a problem? Come chat with us!
Visit [slack.libgit2.org](http://slack.libgit2.org/) to sign up, then join us in #nodegit.
* * *
##
Brought to you by
NodeGit is brought to you by the work of [many contributors](https://github.com/nodegit/nodegit/graphs/contributors) all over the globe. We are proud to be sponsored by the following companies to continue work on making NodeGit one of the best native node modules around!
OS X
Windows
Linux
NodeJS
