Get started with Git
Get Ready

Git comes up all the time in discussions of Linux, but in our new world of repositories and package managers, many users are still unfamiliar with it. Read on to get started with this powerful version control environment.
Code and version management used to be difficult and risky. Users were never quite sure whether they would keep or lose their last changes when switching to a different development branch. Attempts to merge the results of hours of work could sometimes lead to unexpected results.
Before Git [1] became the de facto standard, CVS [2] was the most widely used version management system. In CVS, all changes must be uploaded to a central server and the user needs a functioning network connection. In addition, CVS only saves the individual changes and never a complete version of the code. When merging the work of two developers, branching can lead to conflict situations that can be very time consuming to resolve. Other systems such as Subversion (svn
) [3] or Mercurial (hg
) [4] brought about significant improvements, but at the end of the day, Git worked best and is the most widely accepted option.
Git offers a revolutionary, decentralized approach: mirroring the entire repository, including the complete history of all files, on the computers of all users. At the same time, Git always creates complete snapshots of the entire repository.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
Cairo Dock 3.6 Now Available for More Compositors
If you're a fan of third-party desktop docks, then the latest release of Cairo Dock with Wayland support is for you.
-
System76 Unleashes Pop!_OS 24.04 Beta
System76's first beta of Pop!_OS 24.04 is an impressive feat.
-
Linux Kernel 6.17 is Available
Linus Torvalds has announced that the latest kernel has been released with plenty of core improvements and even more hardware support.
-
Kali Linux 2025.3 Released with New Hacking Tools
If you're a Kali Linux fan, you'll be glad to know that the third release of this famous pen-testing distribution is now available with updates for key components.
-
Zorin OS 18 Beta Available for Testing
The latest release from the team behind Zorin OS is ready for public testing, and it includes plenty of improvements to make it more powerful, user-friendly, and productive.
-
Fedora Linux 43 Beta Now Available for Testing
Fedora Linux 43 Beta ships with Gnome 49 and KDE Plasma 6.4 (and other goodies).
-
USB4 Maintainer Leaves Intel
Michael Jamet, one of the primary maintainers of USB4 and Thunderbolt drivers, has left Intel, leaving a gaping hole for the Linux community to deal with.
-
Budgie 10.9.3 Now Available
The latest version of this elegant and configurable Linux desktop aligns with changes in Gnome 49.
-
KDE Linux Alpha Available for Daring Users
It's official, KDE Linux has arrived, but it's not quite ready for prime time.
-
AMD Initiates Graphics Driver Updates for Linux Kernel 6.18
This new AMD update focuses on power management, display handling, and hardware support for Radeon GPUs.