Chapter 1 - Introduction to Git

Introduction

Welcome to the Git series! In this chapter, we will introduce Git, a powerful version control system widely used in software development. Understanding Git is essential for managing code and collaborating with other developers efficiently.

What is Git?

Git is a distributed version control system created by Linus Torvalds (the same person who created the Linux operating system) in 2005. Let's break down this definition by shedding more light on two terms; "distributed" and "version controll". "Distributed", in the context of this definition means that the version history of your codebase is stored on every developer's machine, rather than on a single central server. This allows multiple developers to work on the same codebase simultaneously, without relying on a single point of failure (the central server). "Version control" refers to the process of tracking and managing changes made to your codebase over time. Version control is very important because it helps you keep track of:

What changes were made
Who made the changes
When the changes were made
Why the changes were made (through commit messages)

Version control systems like Git allow you to:

Revert to previous versions of your code if needed
Compare changes between different versions
Collaborate with others on the same codebase

Thus, Git is a powerful tool for managing code repositories and collaborating with others.

Differences Between Centralized and Distributed Version Control Systems

Centralized Version Control Systems	Distributed Version Control Systems
Store version history on a single central server	Store version history on every developer's machine
Clients check out and commit changes to the central server	Changes are committed locally, then pushed to a remote repository
Examples: Subversion (SVN), Perforce	Examples: Git, Mercurial

Installing Git

To start using Git, you need to install it on your computer. The installation process varies depending on the platform you are using.

Installation Process on Various Platforms

Linux

Debian/Ubuntu:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt install git

Fedora:
```
sudo dnf install git
```
Arch Linux:
```
sudo pacman -S git
```
Windows

To install Git on Windows:

Download the installer from the official Git website.
Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions. You can leave the default settings as they are.

Mac

To install Git on Mac, you can use Homebrew or Xcode Command Line Tools:

Homebrew
```
brew install git
```
Xcode Command Line Tools:

Open your terminal and run:
```
xcode-select --install
```

Conclusion

In this chapter, we introduced Git, a powerful and widely used version control system. We covered the basics of version control, the differences between centralized and distributed systems, and the installation process for various platforms. With Git installed, you're ready to start managing your code efficiently and collaborating with others.