The Problem Git Solves

Imagine you're writing an essay. You start with a first draft. Then you make changes. Then more changes. At some point, you realize the version from two days ago was actually better — but you've already overwritten it. Sound familiar?

Now imagine that same scenario, but instead of an essay, it's a software project with thousands of files. And instead of one person, there are five developers all editing the same files at the same time. Without a system to manage all of this, you'd have complete chaos: overwritten work, lost changes, and no way to go back to a version that was working.

That's exactly the problem Git solves.

So What Is Git?

Git is a version control system. In plain language, it's a tool that tracks every change you make to your files, lets you go back to any previous version at any time, and allows multiple people to work on the same project without stepping on each other's toes.

Think of it like an unlimited "undo" button for your entire project — except it's smarter than that. Git doesn't just remember the last change. It remembers every change, who made it, when they made it, and why (if they wrote a good message about it).

Git was created in 2005 by Linus Torvalds — the same person who created Linux. He built it because the existing tools for managing the Linux source code weren't fast enough or reliable enough. Today, Git is used by virtually every software team on the planet.

A Real-World Analogy

Let's say you're a photographer editing a photo. Without version control, your workflow might look like this:

• photo_final.jpg
• photo_final_v2.jpg
• photo_final_v2_FIXED.jpg
• photo_final_v2_FIXED_really_final.jpg

We've all been there. It's messy, confusing, and impossible to manage as the project grows.

With Git, you'd have one file — photo.jpg — and Git would quietly keep track of every version behind the scenes. You could jump back to any version instantly. No duplicate files. No confusion. Just a clean, organized history of every change.

Key Concepts in Plain English

Before you touch any commands, let's build a mental model of how Git works. There are a few core concepts you need to understand:

Repository (Repo)

A repository is simply a project folder that Git is tracking. When you tell Git to start tracking a folder, it creates a hidden .git folder inside it. That hidden folder is where Git stores the entire history of your project. From the outside, your project folder looks completely normal. But under the hood, Git is keeping track of everything.

Commit

A commit is a snapshot of your project at a specific point in time. Every time you make a meaningful change — fixing a bug, adding a feature, updating a file — you "commit" that change. Each commit has a unique ID, a timestamp, the name of the person who made it, and a short message describing what changed.

Think of commits like save points in a video game. You can always go back to any save point if something goes wrong.

Branch

A branch is a separate line of development. Imagine you're working on a new feature, but you don't want to risk breaking the main project. You create a branch — a copy of the project where you can experiment freely. If the experiment works, you merge it back into the main project. If it doesn't, you throw the branch away. The main project was never at risk.

Merge

When you're done working on a branch, you merge it — combining your changes back into the main project. Git is smart enough to combine changes from different people automatically in most cases. When it can't (because two people edited the same line), it asks you to resolve the conflict manually.

Remote

A remote is a copy of your repository stored on a server — usually on a platform like GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket. This is what enables collaboration. You work on your local copy, and when you're ready, you "push" your changes to the remote so your teammates can see them. They "pull" your changes to get the latest version.

What Does Git Look Like in Practice?

Let's walk through a simple, real example. Don't worry about memorizing commands — the goal here is to see the flow.

Say you're starting a new project called my-website. Here's what the workflow looks like:

Step 1: Create a repository

You open your terminal, navigate to your project folder, and type:

git init

That's it. Git is now tracking this folder. You've created a repository.

Step 2: Make some changes

You create a file called index.html and write some code in it. At this point, Git knows the file exists but hasn't saved a snapshot yet.

Step 3: Stage your changes

You tell Git which changes you want to include in your next snapshot:

git add index.html

This moves the file to the staging area — a holding zone where you prepare changes before committing them. You can think of it as putting items in a box before sealing it.

Step 4: Commit

Now you seal the box — you save the snapshot with a message describing what you did:

git commit -m "Add homepage with basic HTML structure"

Done. Git has saved a permanent record of your project at this exact moment. The message "Add homepage with basic HTML structure" helps you (and your teammates) understand what this change was about when you look back at it later.

Step 5: Keep working

You continue making changes — adding CSS, fixing a typo, adding a new page — and repeating the cycle: edit → stage → commit. Each commit adds another save point to your project's history. You can view the full history at any time by typing:

git log

This shows you every commit, who made it, when, and the message they wrote. It's the complete story of your project.

Why Every Developer Needs Git

Whether you're a solo hobbyist or part of a 500-person engineering team, Git is non-negotiable. Here's why:

1. You'll Never Lose Work Again

Accidentally deleted a file? Broke something and can't figure out what you changed? With Git, you can always go back. Every commit is a safety net. You can restore any file, any version, at any time.

2. You Can Experiment Fearlessly

Want to try a risky change? Create a branch. If it works, great — merge it in. If it doesn't, delete the branch. Your main project stays untouched. Git makes experimentation risk-free.

3. Collaboration Becomes Possible

Without Git, two developers editing the same file means someone's work gets overwritten. With Git, both developers can work independently and merge their changes together intelligently. It's the backbone of how modern teams build software.

4. It's the Industry Standard

Git isn't one option among many — it's the option. According to the Stack Overflow Developer Survey, over 93% of developers use Git. Every job posting that mentions version control means Git. Every open-source project you'll ever contribute to uses Git. Learning it isn't optional if you want to work as a developer.

5. It Creates a Complete Project History

Git doesn't just save your files — it tells the story of your project. Who added this feature? When was this bug introduced? Why was this line changed? With good commit messages, Git becomes a living document of every decision your team has made.

Git vs. GitHub — They're Not the Same Thing

This is one of the most common points of confusion for beginners, so let's clear it up:

• Git is the tool. It runs on your computer. It tracks changes, manages branches, and stores your project history. Git works entirely offline — you don't need an internet connection to use it.
• GitHub is a platform. It's a website that hosts Git repositories online so you can share them with others, collaborate, and back up your code in the cloud. Think of GitHub as social media for code.

There are other platforms that do the same thing — GitLab and Bitbucket are popular alternatives. But they all use Git under the hood. Learn Git, and you can use any of them.

How to Get Started

Ready to try Git? Here's how to get it on your machine:

On Mac

Open your Terminal and type:

git --version

If Git isn't installed, macOS will prompt you to install the Xcode Command Line Tools, which includes Git. Follow the prompt and you're set.

On Windows

Download Git from the official website: git-scm.com. Run the installer with the default settings. Once installed, you can use Git through the Git Bash terminal that comes with it, or through Windows Terminal.

On Linux

Use your package manager. For Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt install git

For Fedora:

sudo dnf install git

First-Time Setup

After installing Git, tell it who you are. This information gets attached to every commit you make:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your.email@example.com"

That's the only setup required. You're ready to start using Git.