What the Fuck Even is a Git?–Version Control

* tech

[2025-10-26 Sun]

1. Overview

Git is a distributed version control system (DVCS) used to track changes in files (typically source code) over time.
It was created by Linus Torvalds in 2005 for managing the Linux kernel.
The main idea: every contributor keeps a complete local history of the repository
Git allows:
- Reverting to any past state of your project.
- Experimenting safely in branches.
- Merging contributions from others.
- Keeping full accountability of who changed what and when.

2. Core Concepts

2.1. Repository (`repo`)

A Git repository is like a project folder that contains:
- Your files (the working directory)
- A hidden .git/ folder — where Git stores all history, commits, and branches.
You can create one by running:
```
git init
```

2.2. Commit

A commit is a snapshot of your project at a specific point in time.
Each commit stores:
- The author and timestamp
- The diff (what changed)
- A parent link (so Git can reconstruct history)
Think of it as a “save point” you can always return to.
```
git add file.txt
git commit -m "Add intro section"
```

2.3. Branch

A branch is a parallel timeline of commits.
main (or master) is the default branch.
You can create branches to work on new features or experiments without disturbing the main code.
```
git checkout -b feature/awesome-ui
```

2.4. Merge

When you’re ready to bring changes from a branch back into another, you merge.
Git compares both histories and applies the differences intelligently (unless conflicts occur).
```
git checkout main
git merge feature/awesome-ui
```

2.5. Remote

A remote is a copy of your repo hosted elsewhere (e.g., GitHub, GitLab).
Remotes make collaboration possible — everyone works locally, then pushes and pulls updates.
My remote repos are available on git@ssh.tweetor.org and the gitweb is viewable at https://git.tweetor.org
```
git remote add origin https://github.com/user/project.git
git push -u origin main
```

3. Differences from cloud sync

Unlike Dropbox or Google Drive, Git:
- Tracks changes, not files.
- Lets you explore history and undo specific edits.
- Merges concurrent changes rather than overwriting them.

4. Typical Workflow

Clone a remote repository (get the full history)
```
git clone https://github.com/user/project.git
```
Create a new branch for your feature
Edit files, make commits as you go
Merge your branch back into main
Push changes to share with others

5. Philosophy

Git’s philosophy: History is sacred.
It never throws data away; it just moves pointers.
The commit graph forms a directed acyclic graph (DAG) — each node is a commit, each edge shows lineage.
The “current branch” is just a label pointing to the latest commit.

6. Visualization

main:   A -- B -- C -- D
                \
feature-x:        E -- F

Commits E and F diverged from C; when merged, Git unifies them into a new commit G.

7. Common Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)

Problem	Explanation	Remedy
Detached HEAD	You checked out a commit, not a branch	`git switch main`
Merge Conflict	Git can’t auto-merge same line edits	Manually edit & `git commit`
Accidental deletion	Git’s reflog remembers all commits	`git reflog` + `git checkout <hash>`

8. Why Use Git

Reliable collaboration tool for any text-based project.
Enables reproducibility (critical for research and software)(see: What ensures the validity of a scientific investigation?).
You can build workflows like Org → Git → Publish seamlessly. (see: Org-ref & Org-roam-bibtex Citation Workflow)

What the Fuck Even is a Git?–Version Control

1. Overview

2. Core Concepts

2.1. Repository (`repo`)

2.2. Commit

2.3. Branch

2.4. Merge

2.5. Remote

3. Differences from cloud sync

4. Typical Workflow

5. Philosophy

6. Visualization

7. Common Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)

8. Why Use Git

9. Further Reading

10. Elsewhere

10.1. References

10.2. In my garden

1. Overview

2. Core Concepts

2.1. Repository (repo)

2.2. Commit

2.3. Branch

2.4. Merge

2.5. Remote

3. Differences from cloud sync

4. Typical Workflow

5. Philosophy

6. Visualization

7. Common Pitfalls (and How to Avoid Them)

8. Why Use Git

9. Further Reading

10. Elsewhere

10.1. References

10.2. In my garden

2.1. Repository (`repo`)