Git
Introduction
Git is a free and open source distributed version control system for tracking changes in source code during software development. It is designed with speed and efficiency in mind.
Due to its distributed nature, every Git repository on every computer is a full-fledged repository with complete history and full version-tracking abilities, independent of network access or a central server. Changes can be copied between such local repositories or synced ("pushed") to a central master repository (the origin).
Git was created by Linus Torvalds in 2005 for development of the Linux kernel.
About / Getting started
The Git website features an About section listing the advantages of Git compared to other source control systems, like Branching and Merging, its Distributed nature or its support for distributed, non-linear Workflows.
Documentation
The Documentation section of the Git website lists various sources for information on git:
- Reference Manual
- Pro Git Book written by Scott Chacon and Ben Straub, available online for free
GUI Clients
Git itself already features tools with graphical user interfaces (git-gui for committing and gitk for browsing). There are also third-party tools that offer additional features or platform-specific UX. Popular choices are: