More on Git

I wrote about Git in my latest post and I thought I needed to add more information on why I like Git so much! and also some starting information is always good and better if they are videos.

I found these 2 videos which are a great if you want to start using Git. The first one is from O'really which gives you a fresh start on Git and GitHub, really good for starters.



The second one, comes from Google Tech Talks where Linus Torvalds explains why you should use Git. It is worth mentioning that he created Git and The Linux Kernel uses it to maintain it.



A couple of notes abut this Video:

I loved when he said "I do open source because I think is the only right way to make software, but at the same time I also use the best tool for the job" I completely agree with him on this. I also love open source but you also need the right tools to make it work and sometimes that means to use commercial tools at least until you find a open source/free replacement, which does the same work or better.

We share the same feeling about CVS and SubVersion although he really really hates them with strong passion :) he started showing WWCVSND which means "What Would CVS Not Do". He also gave an example on merging and how easy is on Git compared to CVS and SubVersion and he is right merging and branching in SubVersion is a pain. First, everyone can see your branches and second when the time comes to merge it is a master pain and sometimes you just don't do it, you just left the branch there.

These are some comments he has about a good SCM Source Code management:

• If you are not distributed, if you perform bad, you are not worth using it is that simple.
• Being distributed means you do not have one central place that keeps track of your data as the opposite of SubVersion ( I totally agree on this one. Having just one central place sucks!).
• Offline, collaborative, distributed, as many branches as you want are some of the benefits you have when you use Git which are not supported in most other tools. ( Try working offline in SubVersion or CVS, it is just not possible!).
• Bitkeeper is worth using, it is commercial, but it is also distributed.

At the of the day everyone uses what is the best for the job or what the company you work for tells you to use but sometimes we do not think outside the box. We do not look for better ways to accomplish our job and we get stuck with something old, that sucks but it "works" for us, apparently.

I love learning and trying new things but not everyone is like me. Old fashion guys prefer to stay with something they know and understand instead of exploring new horizons. Hope I never get to that point.

Enjoy the videos, listening to Linus is really fun. I like the way he thinks and expresses himself.