Linus Torvalds built Git in 10 days – and never imagined it would last 20 years
a year ago
- #Version Control
- #Linus Torvalds
- #Git
- Linus Torvalds created Git in just 10 days in 2005 as an open-source alternative to BitKeeper.
- Before Git, Torvalds used manual methods and earlier version control systems like RCS, CVS, and SVN, which were inefficient.
- BitKeeper, a proprietary SCM, was initially used for Linux development but faced issues due to licensing conflicts.
- Andrew Tridgell's reverse-engineering of BitKeeper led to its free version being withdrawn, prompting Torvalds to develop Git.
- Git's decentralized design revolutionized version control, enabling efficient collaboration and synchronization among developers.
- Despite initial doubts, Git now dominates the SCM market with over 87% share and is integral to open-source development.
- Torvalds takes pride in Git as it proved his ability to innovate beyond reimplementing existing systems like Unix.
- Git is praised for its framework of trust, recording developer intent through branches and commits.
- Git continues to shape software development, impacting even non-coders through projects managed with it.