Git and Linus

The Story of Git

Git's start was characterized by creative destruction and controversy. In terms of scope, the Linux kernel is a large open-source software project. Patches and archived files were used during the early years of Linux kernel maintenance (1991–2002), and in 2002, Linux kernel development introduced and used a Distributed Version Control System (DVCS) called BitKeeper. However, in 2005 when Larry McVoy, BitKeeper's creator, developed strained relations with the Linux community, it resulted in the Linux community losing access to BitKeeper, causing significant disruptions in development.

Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, decided to create a new DVCS to replace BitKeeper. He started working on Git in 2005 and released the first version of Git in April 2005. He designed the system so developers could work on a project from anywhere and easily merge changes made by multiple contributors.

Linus Torvalds based Git on his experience working on the Linux kernel and his desire for a version control system that could handle the demands of large-scale, distributed development. He also drew inspiration from other version control systems like BitKeeper, Subversion, and Monotone.

Since its release, Git has become one of the world's most popular version control systems, used by millions of developers across various industries and projects.

Git offers the following benefits:

• Since it is open-source, you can contribute anytime without paying for it.

• Its performance is better than any other version control software since it focuses solely on the contents of files rather than their names.

• Through hashing, Git protects the code and changes history.

• Many organizations are using Git as their primary version control system.