diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6cce26551
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+
+# Ignore Git-Mastery metadata
+.gitmastery.json
+.gitmastery.log
+progress/
+
+# Ignore all other exercise folders
+*/
diff --git a/hp-populate-remote/fruits.txt b/hp-populate-remote/fruits.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9b4fa3113
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hp-populate-remote/fruits.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+elderberries
diff --git a/hp-populate-remote/things b/hp-populate-remote/things
new file mode 160000
index 000000000..4d250a06c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hp-populate-remote/things
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 4d250a06cb413a4ded66f7e9d63d90eb9bee896e
diff --git a/progress.json b/progress.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f371e9a89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/progress.json
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+[
+  {
+    "exercise_name": "grocery-shopping",
+    "started_at": 1768804130.752432,
+    "completed_at": 1768804133.035856,
+    "comments": [
+      "Great work! You have successfully used `git add` and `git commit` to modify the shopping list! Keep it up!"
+    ],
+    "status": "Completed"
+  },
+  {
+    "exercise_name": "log-and-order",
+    "started_at": 1768805391.733197,
+    "completed_at": 1768805394.076792,
+    "comments": [],
+    "status": "Completed"
+  },
+  {
+    "exercise_name": "stage-fright",
+    "started_at": 1768803565.082808,
+    "completed_at": 1768803567.244366,
+    "comments": [
+      "Great work! You have successfully checked in all the actors!"
+    ],
+    "status": "Completed"
+  },
+  {
+    "exercise_name": "staging-intervention",
+    "started_at": 1768803750.217581,
+    "completed_at": 1768803752.371842,
+    "comments": [
+      "Great work! You have successfully fixed the attendance system!"
+    ],
+    "status": "Completed"
+  },
+  {
+    "exercise_name": "under-control",
+    "started_at": 1768801078.140937,
+    "completed_at": 1768801080.139617,
+    "comments": [
+      "You successfully used git init to initialize this folder as a Git repository!"
+    ],
+    "status": "Completed"
+  },
+  {
+    "exercise_name": "undo-init",
+    "started_at": 1768801419.530353,
+    "completed_at": 1768801421.493766,
+    "comments": [
+      "You have successfully undone the init operation!"
+    ],
+    "status": "Completed"
+  },
+  {
+    "exercise_name": "remote-control",
+    "started_at": 1769021467.518535,
+    "completed_at": 1769021538.871965,
+    "comments": [
+      "Great work setting up a public remote repository!"
+    ],
+    "status": "Completed"
+  }
+]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/remote-control/README.md b/remote-control/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9d1230a4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/remote-control/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+# Git-Mastery Progress Backup