Twenty years after its creation, Git has exceeded all possible expectations. What started as an internal tool to manage the development of the Linux kernel has ultimately become the most influential version control system in the world. Even its creator, Linus Torvalds, admits with some surprise that its impact has been such that “Git is more popular than Linux.”
To celebrate Git’s 20th anniversary, GitHub organized a special interview with Torvalds, during which he reviewed the history, design, and evolution of the tool. In his words, Git was an urgent response to a specific problem: the loss of access to BitKeeper, the proprietary system used by the kernel community in 2005.
“There was nothing that worked for me. BitKeeper was good, but we could no longer use it. CVS was unbearable. So I created Git for myself. I wasn’t even interested in whether anyone else liked it,” Torvalds candidly admitted.
A 10-Day Solution That Changed History
What is truly surprising is that the first functional version of Git was written in just 10 days. Just enough time to manage patches in the Linux kernel. In its early days, there was no user interface or user-friendly commands: everything was done with rudimentary tools, directly using commands like commit-tree or hash-object.
“Git solved my problem in a few months. After that, I lost interest. That’s why I handed it over to Junio Hamano, who has brilliantly led the project since then,” he explained.
This pragmatism, combined with a design focused on efficiency, stability, and decentralization, laid the foundation for what is now considered the de facto standard in version control. According to Torvalds, the key was applying simple yet powerful concepts, such as using hashes (SHA-1 at the time) to ensure integrity and the idea that each copy of the repository should be autonomous and complete.
From Technical Need to Global Phenomenon
Although Git was initially complex for users accustomed to CVS or Subversion, its distributed architecture was revolutionary. It allowed for offline work, collaboration without central servers, and the easy cloning of entire repositories. This approach facilitated the rise of platforms like GitHub, which Torvalds considers a natural complement to Git’s original design.
“Git didn’t need infrastructure. That’s why GitHub could emerge and scale so well. Any repository was equal to another,” he said, almost in awe.
Interestingly, for Torvalds, Git has always been a pragmatic solution, not a passion. “I’m not interested in version control. I did it because I needed it. In contrast, I’m still committed to the kernel. I love seeing how it adapts to new hardware, how it evolves.”
A Tool Adopted Even by Those Unaware of Its History
Torvalds also found it amusing to recall that his daughter, a computer science student, told him that at her university he is better known for Git than for Linux. “That shows that the tool has transcended its origins. There are millions of people using Git without knowing it was created for the kernel.”
Torvalds himself admits that he hasn’t contributed new features to the project since 2022, and that he maintains only a few personal patches. He still uses Git, but in a simple way, with just five commands in his daily routine: commit, merge, log, blame, and pull.
Git, the New Unix of Collaboration
Throughout the interview, Torvalds compared the design of Git to the spirit of Unix: a simple philosophy at its core, with increasing complexity in its use and adoption. “Git became powerful when people started to understand and appreciate it, not when it was new and everyone was complaining about how hard it was.”
Today, Git is an integral part of software development culture. From large companies to university students, it is used daily. Its ubiquity has created unexpected challenges, such as the proliferation of abandoned projects or its use in environments for which it was never designed, like Microsoft’s monorepos.
“When a tool is everywhere, you start to see uses you never imagined… and some that I consider outright wrong,” he said with a laugh.
A New Project from Torvalds?
After Linux (1991) and Git (2005), many wonder if Linus will surprise the world again with another revolutionary tool. His answer is clear:
“I haven’t created any more projects because the world hasn’t asked me to. I do things when there’s nothing that solves my problem. And in 20 years, no one has failed enough to force me to do it again.”
At 55 years old, Torvalds seems more interested in continuing to optimize the kernel than in leading new developments. Nevertheless, his legacy continues to grow. Git not only transformed source code management; it also ushered in an era in how to collaborate, learn, and build technology.
via: GitHub