# early days before git's invention 5 messages from 2009-11-08 to 2009-11-09. Participants: Zhi Li, Johannes Schindelin, Alejandro Riveira, Jakub Narebski. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/21531 ## Zhi Li, 2009-11-08 12:23 Subject: early days before git's invention Message-ID: <2986b3940911080423p4ccfe279ia00c995e1ea23fb9@mail.gmail.com> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/2986b3940911080423p4ccfe279ia00c995e1ea23fb9%40mail.gmail.com ``` Hello list, I have a question maybe not suitable to be put on this list. I'm just curious on git and Linux history. As what was said on wiki, Linux kernel was maintained by BitKeeper, then for some reason, BitKeeper can not be used, so git was invented. My question is what was used before BitKeeper, CVS? I don't think so. Then, just using file to manage? Zhi ``` ## Alejandro Riveira, 2009-11-08 13:10 Subject: Re: early days before git's invention Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/hd6fvc%24s8j%241%40ger.gmane.org In-Reply-To: <2986b3940911080423p4ccfe279ia00c995e1ea23fb9@mail.gmail.com> ``` El Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:23:08 +0800, Zhi Li escribió: > Hello list, Hi [ ... ] > used, so git was invented. My question is what was used before > BitKeeper, CVS? I don't think so. Then, just using file to manage? Tarballs and patches :-) > > Zhi ``` ## Johannes Schindelin, 2009-11-08 13:12 Subject: Re: early days before git's invention Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/alpine.DEB.1.00.0911081410490.4985%40pacific.mpi-cbg.de In-Reply-To: <2986b3940911080423p4ccfe279ia00c995e1ea23fb9@mail.gmail.com> ``` Hi, On Sun, 8 Nov 2009, Zhi Li wrote: > I have a question maybe not suitable to be put on this list. I'm just > curious on git and Linux history. As what was said on wiki, Linux kernel > was maintained by BitKeeper, then for some reason, BitKeeper can not be > used, so git was invented. My question is what was used before > BitKeeper, CVS? I don't think so. Then, just using file to manage? Please read the transcript of Linus' talk about Git, it should contain all the information you are interested in [*1*]: http://git.or.cz/gitwiki/LinusTalk200705Transcript Ciao, Dscho Footnote *1*: For more background on the BitKeeper sadness: http://git.or.cz/gitwiki/GitHistory ``` ## Jakub Narebski, 2009-11-08 13:29 Subject: Re: early days before git's invention Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/m3ws21rvrd.fsf%40localhost.localdomain In-Reply-To: <2986b3940911080423p4ccfe279ia00c995e1ea23fb9@mail.gmail.com> ``` Zhi Li writes: > I have a question maybe not suitable to be put on this list. I'm just > curious on git and Linux history. As what was said on wiki, Linux > kernel was maintained by BitKeeper, then for some reason, BitKeeper > can not be used, so git was invented. My question is what was used > before BitKeeper, CVS? I don't think so. Then, just using file to > manage? For why BitKeeper could not be used, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Git_(software)#Early_history http://git.or.cz/gitwiki/GitHistory http://kerneltrap.org/node/4982 http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/129776/after_controversy_torvalds_begins_work_git?fp=16&fpid=0 http://better-scm.berlios.de/bk/demise-of-gratis-bitkeeper.html http://better-scm.berlios.de/bk/what-bitmover-got-wrong.html http://better-scm.berlios.de/bk/the-bitkeeper-ghost.html Before BitKeeper Linux used tarballs (for releases) plus patches (for changes); patches were send by email (on LKML). Some maintainers used tools like Quilt (or custom scripts) for patch management. P.S. FreeBSD (IIRC) used / uses CVS for version control, but it has quite different development model than Linux. -- Jakub Narebski Poland ``` ## Zhi Li, 2009-11-09 03:39 Subject: Re: early days before git's invention Message-ID: <2986b3940911081939s1bc78ab0m8e9d8f040af87a70@mail.gmail.com> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/2986b3940911081939s1bc78ab0m8e9d8f040af87a70%40mail.gmail.com In-Reply-To: ``` Thank you all for the information! Zhi On Sun, Nov 8, 2009 at 9:29 PM, Jakub Narebski wrote: > > Zhi Li writes: > > > I have a question maybe not suitable to be put on this list. I'm just > > curious on git and Linux history. As what was said on wiki, Linux > > kernel was maintained by BitKeeper, then for some reason, BitKeeper > > can not be used, so git was invented. My question is what was used > > before BitKeeper, CVS? I don't think so. Then, just using file to > > manage? > > For why BitKeeper could not be used, see: >  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Git_(software)#Early_history >  http://git.or.cz/gitwiki/GitHistory >  http://kerneltrap.org/node/4982 >  http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/article/129776/after_controversy_torvalds_begins_work_git?fp=16&fpid=0 > >  http://better-scm.berlios.de/bk/demise-of-gratis-bitkeeper.html >  http://better-scm.berlios.de/bk/what-bitmover-got-wrong.html >  http://better-scm.berlios.de/bk/the-bitkeeper-ghost.html > > Before BitKeeper Linux used tarballs (for releases) plus patches (for > changes); patches were send by email (on LKML).  Some maintainers used > tools like Quilt (or custom scripts) for patch management. > > > P.S. FreeBSD (IIRC) used / uses CVS for version control, but it has > quite different development model than Linux. > > -- > Jakub Narebski > Poland > ```