# Git
**Wikidata**: [Q186055](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q186055)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Git)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/git

## Summary
Git is a distributed revision control system and open-source software tool used for tracking changes in source code during software development. Initially created by Linus Torvalds in 2005, it is currently maintained by Junio C Hamano and operates under the GNU General Public License. It is widely used for version control and supports various operating systems including Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, and Unix-like systems.

## Key Facts
- **Creation:** Git was created by Linus Torvalds and announced on April 8, 2005.
- **Primary Use:** It functions as a distributed revision control system, open science tool, and programming tool for version control.
- **Current Maintainer:** Junio C Hamano has maintained the project since 2005.
- **License:** The software is distributed under the GNU General Public License, version 2.0.
- **Operating Systems:** It runs on cross-platform environments, specifically Microsoft Windows, Mac OS, BSD, and Unix-like operating systems.
- **Organization:** Git is a member project of the Software Freedom Conservancy (joined December 16, 2010).
- **Influences:** The design of Git was influenced by BitKeeper and CVS.
- **Motto:** The project's motto text is "--distributed-is-the-new-centralized".
- **Website:** The official website is located at `https://git-scm.com`.

## FAQs
### Q: Who created Git and why?
A: Git was created by Linus Torvalds in 2005. It was designed as a distributed version control system to replace proprietary tools like BitKeeper for the development of the Linux kernel.

### Q: What programming languages is Git written in?
A: While the source data references specific language identifiers, Git is explicitly noted to use Python, Tcl, and shell scripts in its implementation.

### Q: Under what license is Git distributed?
A: Git is free open-source software released under the GNU General Public License, version 2.0.

### Q: Who maintains Git today?
A: While Linus Torvalds was the initial developer, Junio C Hamano has served as the primary maintainer since 2005.

## Why It Matters
Git is a fundamental tool in modern software engineering, serving as the standard for distributed version control. By allowing multiple developers to work on a project simultaneously without needing a constant connection to a central server, it revolutionized collaborative coding workflows. Its distributed nature ensures that every developer has a full copy of the project history, enhancing redundancy and allowing for complex, non-linear development through branching and merging.

The software's creation marked a significant shift in the open-source community, providing a robust alternative to systems like CVS and BitKeeper. As a project under the Software Freedom Conservancy, it plays a critical role in supporting open science and software freedom. Its availability across all major operating systems (Windows, macOS, Linux/BSD) and its adoption by major platforms (GitHub, GitLab) underscore its status as the de facto standard for code management.

## Notable For
- **Distributed Architecture:** Unlike centralized systems, Git gives every developer a local copy of the entire history, allowing for offline work and faster operations.
- **Creator Legacy:** Created by Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux kernel, specifically to address the needs of the Linux development community.
- **Ubiquity:** It is one of the most popular version control systems in the world, with vast ecosystem support including GitHub, GitLab, and various GUI clients (TortoiseGit, Gitea).
- **Performance:** Designed to handle large projects like the Linux kernel with high speed and efficiency.
- **Flexibility:** Supports non-linear development via branching and merging, making it suitable for complex software lifecycles.

## Body

### Origins and Development
Git was founded by Linus Torvalds, with the inception date recorded as April 8, 2005. Torvalds developed the tool to manage Linux kernel development after the free usage of BitKeeper was revoked. The design was explicitly influenced by BitKeeper and CVS (Concurrent Versions System). Torvalds acted as the primary developer from April 8, 2005, until the end of 2005.

In 2005, stewardship was transferred to Junio C Hamano, a Japanese software engineer and computer scientist, who has served as the chief maintainer since then. The project is currently managed under the Software Freedom Conservancy.

### Technical Specifications
Git is classified as a distributed revision control system and a filestore. It is compatible with cross-platform environments, specifically BSD, Mac OS operating systems, Microsoft Windows, and other Unix-like operating systems. The software utilizes several protocols for data transfer, including:
- Git Wire Protocol (Version 1 and 2)
- Git Dumb HTTP and Git Smart HTTP (with TLS support)

The software's source code is written in C, Shell script, Tcl, and Python. It defines a "changeset" as a "commit." The official man page is `git.1`.

### Features and Operation
Git provides a command-line interface (CLI) and has various graphical user interface (GUI) derivatives, such as TortoiseGit and integration within IDEs. It uses specific file formats for storage, including "git packfile" and corresponding index files (versions 1 and 2).

The project maintains a continuous integration pipeline for software quality assurance. It has a registered slogan/motto: "--distributed-is-the-new-centralized."

### Ecosystem and Adoption
Git has spawned a massive ecosystem of tools and platforms. Notable derivative works and related platforms include:
- **Hosting/Management:** Gogs, Gitea, GitLab.
- **Clients:** TortoiseGit.
- **Integration:** It has package availability on almost all major Linux distributions (Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, Gentoo, Arch, OpenSUSE) and operating systems (FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD).

The project maintains an active presence on social media and developer platforms, including a dedicated subreddit (`r/git`) and Stack Exchange tags. It has participated in outreach programs like Google Summer of Code (2018, 2019).

### Security and Versioning
Git is actively maintained with regular updates addressing security vulnerabilities. The project has records of specific Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) identifiers, such as CVE-2022-39253 and CVE-2022-39260. Version history includes releases such as 2.1.2 (Sept 2014), 2.4.1 (May 2015), 2.6.0 (Sept 2015), and more recent versions up to 2.52.0.

## References

1. [Source](https://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Git)
2. [Source](https://www.linux.com/blog/10-years-git-interview-git-creator-linus-torvalds)
3. [Source](https://github.com/git/git/graphs/contributors)
4. [Copying](https://github.com/git/git/blob/master/COPYING)
5. [The git Open Source Project on Open Hub: Languages Page. Open Hub](https://www.openhub.net/p/git/analyses/latest/languages_summary)
6. [2025](https://github.com/EvanLi/Github-Ranking/blob/master/Data/github-ranking-2025-07-06.csv)
7. [Highlights from Git 2.52. 2025](https://github.blog/open-source/git/highlights-from-git-2-52/)
8. Free Software Directory
9. [Source](https://lkml.org/lkml/2014/9/30/668)
10. [Source](http://lkml.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/1411.3/02881.html)
11. [Source](http://lkml.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/1502.0/03693.html)
12. [Source](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/git/git/master/Documentation/RelNotes/2.4.1.txt)
13. [Source](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/git/git/master/Documentation/RelNotes/2.4.3.txt)
14. [Source](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/git/git/master/Documentation/RelNotes/2.5.1.txt)
15. [Source](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/git/git/master/Documentation/RelNotes/2.6.0.txt)
16. [Source](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/git/git/master/Documentation/RelNotes/2.6.1.txt)
17. [Git v2.6.4 Release Notes. 2015](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/git/git/master/Documentation/RelNotes/2.6.4.txt)
18. [Source](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/git/git/master/Documentation/RelNotes/2.7.0.txt)
19. [Source](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/git/git/master/Documentation/RelNotes/2.7.1.txt)
20. [Source](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/git/git/master/Documentation/RelNotes/2.7.2.txt)
21. [Source](https://git-scm.com/)
22. [Source](https://lkml.org/lkml/2016/3/28/436)
23. [Source](https://lkml.org/lkml/2016/4/5/178)
24. [Source](https://github.com/git/git/releases/tag/v2.8.2)
25. [Source](https://github.com/git/git/releases/tag/v2.8.3)
26. [Source](https://github.com/git/git/releases/tag/v2.9.0)
27. [Source](https://github.com/git/git/releases/tag/v2.9.1)
28. [Source](https://github.com/git/git/releases/tag/v2.9.3)
29. [Source](http://lkml.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/1609.0/01561.html)
30. [Source](http://lkml.iu.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/1610.0/00778.html)
31. [Source](https://marc.info/?l=git&m=147772229110436)
32. [Git 2.11 has been released. 2016](https://github.com/blog/2288-git-2-11-has-been-released)
33. [Git 2.11 Open Source Project Management Tool Officially Released, Download Now. 2016](http://news.softpedia.com/news/git-2-11-open-source-project-management-tool-officially-released-download-now-510600.shtml)
34. [Source](https://github.com/git/git/releases/tag/v2.11.1)
35. [Source](https://github.com/git/git/releases/tag/v2.12.0)
36. [Source](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/git/git/master/Documentation/RelNotes/2.12.1.txt)
37. [Source](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/git/git/master/Documentation/RelNotes/2.12.2.txt)
38. [Source](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/git/git/v2.13.0/Documentation/RelNotes/2.13.0.txt)
39. [Source](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/git/git/v2.13.1/Documentation/RelNotes/2.13.1.txt)
40. [Source](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/git/git/master/Documentation/RelNotes/2.13.3.txt)
41. [Git v2.13.2 Release Notes. 2017](https://github.com/git/git/blob/master/Documentation/RelNotes/2.13.2.txt)
42. [Git v2.13.4 Release Notes. 2017](https://github.com/git/git/blob/master/Documentation/RelNotes/2.13.4.txt)
43. [Git v2.14.0 Release Notes (English)](https://github.com/git/git/blob/master/Documentation/RelNotes/2.14.0.txt)
44. [Git v2.14.3 Release Notes](https://github.com/git/git/blob/v2.14.3/Documentation/RelNotes/2.14.3.txt)
45. [Git v2.15.0 Release Notes](https://github.com/git/git/blob/v2.15.0/Documentation/RelNotes/2.15.0.txt)
46. [Source](https://github.com/git/git/releases/tag/v2.15.1)
47. [Source](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/git/git.git/tag/?h=v2.16.0)
48. [Source](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/git/git.git/tag/?h=v2.16.1)
49. [git.git - The core git plumbing](https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/git/git.git/tag/?h=v2.16.2)
50. [GIT v1.5.0 Release Notes. 2007](https://github.com/git/git/blob/v1.5.0/Documentation/RelNotes-1.5.0.txt)