Git is a free & open source, distributed version control system designed to handle everything from small to very large projects with speed and efficiency.

Every Git clone is a full-fledged repository with complete history and full revision tracking capabilities, not dependent on network access or a central server. Branching and merging are fast and easy to do.

Git is used for version control of files, much like tools such as Mercurial, Bazaar, Subversion, CVS, Perforce, and Visual SourceSafe.

Why Linus name it Git…

Linus Torvalds has quipped about the name “git”, which is British English slang for a stupid or unpleasant person: “I’m an egotistical bastard, and I name all my projects after myself. First Linux, now git.” This self-deprecating humor is tongue-in-cheek, as Torvalds was actually pressured into naming Linux after himself.

How Git started…

Git development began after many Linux kernel developers were forced to give up access to the proprietary BitKeeper system. The ability to use BitKeeper free of charge had been withdrawn by the copyright holder Larry McVoy after he claimed Andrew Tridgell had reverse engineered the BitKeeper protocols in violation of the BitKeeper license. At Linux.Conf.Au 2005, Tridgell demonstrated during his keynote that the reverse engineering process he had used was simply to telnet to the appropriate port of a BitKeeper server and type “help”.

Torvalds wanted a distributed system that he could use like BitKeeper, but none of the available free systems met his needs, particularly his performance needs.

Torvalds design criteria…

1. Take CVS as an example of what not to do; if in doubt, make the exact opposite decision. To quote Torvalds, speaking somewhat tongue-in-cheek.

2. Support a distributed, BitKeeper-like workflow

3. Very strong safeguards against corruption, either accidental or malicious

4. Very high performance

Design…

Git’s design was inspired by BitKeeper and Monotone. Git was originally designed as a low-level version control system engine on top of which others could write front ends, such as Cogito or StGIT. However, the core Git project has since become a complete revision control system that is usable directly.

Git Quick Start…

Cloning and Creating a Patch…

$ git clone git://github.com/git/hello-world.git

$ cd hello-world

$ (edit files)

$ git add (files)

$ git commit -m ‘Explain what I changed’

$ git format-patch origin/master

Creating and Commiting….

$ cd (project-directory)

$ git init

$ (add some files)

$ git add .

$ git commit -m ‘Initial commit’

Developed…

Original author: Linus Torvalds

Developer: Junio Hamano, Linus Torvalds

Stable release: 1.6.4.2 (2009-08-29; 44 hours ago) [+/−]

Written in: C, Bourne Shell, Perl

Operating system: POSIX

Type: Revision control

License: GNU General Public License v2

Website: http://git-scm.com