Git might the most popular version control system for code in the world, but its creator didn’t have such grandiose plans for it when he built it.
Linus Torvalds, the mind behind the Linux operating system and the Git version control system, recently shared a humorous anecdote revealing a surprising fact: his daughter found him more famous for Git than Linux at her university. This seemingly simple statement speaks volumes about the pervasive nature of Git in modern software development and the unintended consequences of creating a truly useful tool.
“My oldest daughter went off to college, and two months later she sent this text to me and says that I’m more well-known at the computer science department for Git than for Linux, because they actually use Git for everything there,” Torvalds says.
“Git was never a big thing for me. It was, ‘I need to get this done to do the kernel.’ And it’s kind of ridiculous that, yes, I used four months of my life maintaining it,” he adds.
The story’s context is rooted in the origins of Git. In 2005, the licensing of BitKeeper, the then-preferred tool for Linux kernel development, became an issue. Unhappy with available alternatives, Torvalds, true to his nature, embarked on a rapid-fire development sprint to build his own version control system. His goals were simple: speed, a distributed workflow, and robustness against corruption. Within months, Git was born, exceeding even his own performance expectations.
This “small” project, born out of necessity, has become a global phenomenon. Today, Git is practically synonymous with version control. From open-source projects to enterprise software development, Git repositories on platforms like GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket host the source code that powers much of the digital world. Nearly 95% of developers use Git as their primary version control system. It’s the backbone of modern collaborative software development, enabling teams across the globe to work together seamlessly.
Torvalds’s surprise at Git’s widespread adoption highlights a common theme in software development: the unpredictable trajectory of innovation. What began as a pragmatic solution to a specific problem evolved into a foundational tool reshaping the entire industry. It’s a testament to the power of building something truly useful and the ripple effects that can follow. The irony, of course, is that while Torvalds’ name is inextricably linked with Linux, the operating system that revolutionized computing, it’s Git, the “small” side project, that has garnered more recognition amongst the next generation of computer scientists. This speaks not only to Git’s ubiquity but also to the evolving landscape of software development, where collaboration and version control are paramount.