Introduction to Git

1. What Is Git?

1.1 Official Definitions

From Git SCM

• Git is a free, open-source, and distributed version control system.
• Designed to handle projects of all sizes with speed and efficiency.
• Key features:
  • Local branching
  • Staging area
  • Multiple workflows

From Wikipedia

• Git tracks versions of files, mainly source code.
• Often used in collaborative software development.

1.2 A Simplified Explanation

• Git helps you track, manage, and revert changes in your files.
• It's the most popular version control system today.

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2. Why Use Git?

2.1 Benefits of Version Control

With Git, you can:

• Revisit earlier versions of your work
• See what's changed and when
• Undo mistakes
• Collaborate with others on the same files

2.2 Real-Life Analogies

• Game checkpoints – save and return to earlier states
  

• App versions – track new releases
  

• Avoid messy filenames like project_final_final_v2_revised.zip

• See version history like Chromium's

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3. Git in Context

3.1 Git vs Other VCS

• Alternatives: Subversion, CVS, Mercurial
• All are version control systems, but Git is more popular and flexible.

3.2 Git’s Popularity

• As of 2018, nearly 90% of developers used Git (Stack Overflow Survey).
• It has since become the industry standard for version control.

Git allows you to:

• Track and compare changes
• Revert to old versions
• Merge changes from others
• Collaborate efficiently

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4. History of Git

4.1 How It Started

• Created in 2005 by Linus Torvalds (creator of Linux).
• Frustrated with slow and proprietary tools used for the Linux kernel.
• Built Git in a matter of days.
• First official release came the same year.

4.2 Fun Fact

• You can explore Git’s early logs with git log during the session.

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5. Who Uses Git?

Git is used by:

• Software developers and engineers
• Governments and research labs
• Scientists and academics
• Writers and content creators

Anyone who needs to track changes to files can benefit from Git.

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6. Working with Git

6.1 Command-Line First

• Git is primarily a command-line tool.
• Used by running commands like git status, git add, git commit.

While it can be intimidating at first, it's powerful and efficient once you're comfortable.

6.2 Git GUI Tools

Graphical interfaces make Git more accessible.

Popular GUI Clients:

• GitHub Desktop
• SourceTree
• Tower
• GitKraken
• Ungit

Pros of GUIs:

• Easier for beginners
• Visual and intuitive

Cons of GUIs:

• Hides inner workings
• Troubleshooting is harder
• Each tool works a little differently

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7. Command Line vs GUI

Feature	Command Line	GUI Tools
Learning Curve	Steeper	Easier for beginners
Speed	Faster once comfortable	Slower for frequent actions
Features	Full access	Often limited to common tasks
Portability	Same across systems	Tool-specific differences

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8. Installing Git

8.1 On macOS

• Check if Git is installed: git --version
• If not, download from git-scm.com
• Recheck installation with the same command

8.2 On Windows

• Download Git for Windows from the official site
• It includes Git Bash, a Unix-style terminal
• Preferred over Command Prompt for Git usage

Why Git Bash?

• Provides a Linux/macOS-like experience
• Comes bundled with Git
• Makes learning Git more consistent across platforms

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