Hasty Briefsbeta

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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  • Andrew Tridgell's reverse-engineering of BitKeeper led to its free version being withdrawn, prompting Torvalds to develop Git.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.