# Why's Git called Git ? 4 messages from 2006-07-04 to 2006-07-05. Participants: Aaron Gray, Linus Torvalds, Jakub Narebski. Thread: https://gitlist.dev/t/4754 ## Aaron Gray, 2006-07-04 00:56 Subject: Why's Git called Git ? Message-ID: <013001c69f04$ae4e2400$0200a8c0@amd2500> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/013001c69f04%24ae4e2400%240200a8c0%40amd2500 ``` Why the name I could not find any answer in the documentation ? Aaron ``` ## Linus Torvalds, 2006-07-04 03:28 Subject: Re: Why's Git called Git ? Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/Pine.LNX.4.64.0607032022050.12404%40g5.osdl.org In-Reply-To: <013001c69f04$ae4e2400$0200a8c0@amd2500> ``` On Tue, 4 Jul 2006, Aaron Gray wrote: > > Why the name I could not find any answer in the documentation ? It's really quite random. It needs to be a two- or three-letter thing just because I end up typing a lot. My favourite explanation is "I name all my projects after myself: first 'Linux', now 'git'". Which only makes sense if you know british slang. The runner up was "Because 'twerp' was too hard to type". But really, there's not a lot of real thinking behind it. The made-up acronym was "global information tracker", but that's a pretty bad excuse too. It just happened. Don't ask me why. All the explanations are really made up after the fact. Linus ``` ## Jakub Narebski, 2006-07-05 19:33 Subject: Re: Why's Git called Git ? Message-ID: URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/e8h466%24o4%241%40sea.gmane.org In-Reply-To: <001001c6a06d$6e7b94b0$0200a8c0@AMD2500> ``` Aaron Gray wrote: > Anyway good going, I am glad Linux has an open source VCS again now. > > I do not know how BitKeeper are going to fell knowing they have been > replaced by a Git :) > > I am toying with using a VCS for a set of related projects, either CVS > because its well known, SubVersion for ease of use, or Git as it is new. > Lots to descide upon, any pointers would be appreciated. CVS is showing it's age; mainly the fact that IIRC it began as a series of scripts over RCS, file level version control system, extending version control to sets of files, somewhat. Branching in CVS is serious PITA. Renaming _with_ retaining full and correct history: forget about it. Subversion is "better CVS": still centralized, CVS infernal branching replaced by "cheap copy" branching. Well known, replaces CVS thorough OSS projects. Git, Mercurial, Monotone, Bazaar-NG, Darcs are new brand of distributed VCS. I really like notion of branching in Git; but be warned about tracking and not recording renames, and the need of explicit packing (the latter very minor). Powerfull, perhaps too powerfull for newbie user: but that is what Cogito is for (although now Git contains fairly large set of high-level commands). http://git.or.cz/ http://git.or.cz/gitwiki http://git.or.cz/gitwiki/Git and "Other version control software" at http://git.or.cz/gitwiki/GitLinks P.S. If you decide to use Git as VCS for your project, consider adding entry about it on http://git.or.cz/gitwiki/GitProjects wiki page. -- Jakub Narebski Warsaw, Poland ShadeHawk on #git (at FreeNode) ``` ## Aaron Gray, 2006-07-05 19:58 Subject: Re: Why's Git called Git ? Message-ID: <001001c6a06d$6e7b94b0$0200a8c0@AMD2500> URL: https://gitlist.dev/e/001001c6a06d%246e7b94b0%240200a8c0%40AMD2500 In-Reply-To: ``` Anyway good going, I am glad Linux has an open source VCS again now. I do not know how BitKeeper are going to fell knowing they have been replaced by a Git :) I am toying with using a VCS for a set of related projects, either CVS because its well known, SubVersion for ease of use, or Git as it is new. Lots to descide upon, any pointers would be appreciated. All the best to the Git team. Regards, Aaron ----- Original Message ----- From: "Linus Torvalds" To: "Aaron Gray" Cc: "Git Mailing List" Sent: Tuesday, July 04, 2006 4:28 AM Subject: Re: Why's Git called Git ? > > > On Tue, 4 Jul 2006, Aaron Gray wrote: >> >> Why the name I could not find any answer in the documentation ? > > It's really quite random. It needs to be a two- or three-letter thing just > because I end up typing a lot. > > My favourite explanation is "I name all my projects after myself: first > 'Linux', now 'git'". > > Which only makes sense if you know british slang. > > The runner up was "Because 'twerp' was too hard to type". > > But really, there's not a lot of real thinking behind it. The made-up > acronym was "global information tracker", but that's a pretty bad excuse > too. > > It just happened. Don't ask me why. All the explanations are really made > up after the fact. > > Linus ```