What is Version Control System? — Git vs GitHub

Utsav Desai
5 min readFeb 4, 2023

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Version control is a system that records changes to a set of files over time, allowing users to revert to previous versions, collaborate with others, and maintain a complete history of modifications. It is an essential tool for software development, as it allows developers to keep track of the changes made to a codebase, and collaborate with other developers in a controlled manner.

There are two main types of version control systems: centralized and distributed.

Centralized version control systems (CVCS) use a single server to manage all the versions of a project’s files. The server stores all the versions of the project’s files, and clients connect to the server to download the latest version and upload their changes. Examples of CVCS include Subversion and Perforce.

Distributed version control systems (DVCS) allow users to have a full copy of the entire version history of a project on their local machine, without requiring a connection to a central server. Changes made by one user can be easily shared with others, and each user has a full history of the project. Examples of DVCS include Git and Mercurial.

In a typical version control workflow, developers make changes to the files in their local working copy, stage the changes to be committed, and then commit the changes with a descriptive message. The committed changes are then pushed to the remote repository, where they can be pulled by other developers. In case of conflicts, the version control system helps resolve the conflicting changes.

Branches can be used to create separate lines of development, allowing developers to work on different features or fix bugs without affecting the main codebase. Merging changes made in different branches back into the main branch can also be easily managed with version control systems.

In addition to facilitating collaboration and keeping track of changes, version control systems also provide other benefits such as being able to revert to previous versions, maintaining a complete history of modifications, and enabling easier code review.

What is Git?

Git is a distributed version control system that allows developers to keep track of the changes made to their codebase and collaborate with others. It was created by Linus Torvalds in 2005 to manage the development of the Linux kernel.

In Git, each project is stored in a local repository, which is a self-contained directory with all the project files and the history of changes made to them. Users can make changes to the files in their local repository, stage the changes to be committed, and then commit the changes with a descriptive message. Committed changes are stored in the local repository, and can be pushed to a remote repository to share them with others.

Git allows multiple branches to be created in a single repository, enabling developers to work on different features or bug fixes in parallel. Changes made in one branch can be easily merged into another branch, and Git automatically handles conflicts that may arise during the merge process.

One of the key advantages of Git is that it is a distributed version control system, meaning that each user has a complete copy of the entire project history, enabling them to work offline and collaborate with others easily.

Git also provides a number of powerful tools for reviewing and comparing changes, such as diffs, patches, and blame, making it easier for developers to collaborate and maintain a high level of code quality.

Overall, Git is a robust and flexible version control system, widely used by developers and organizations for managing their codebases.

What is GitHub?

GitHub is a web-based platform for version control and collaboration that allows developers to store and manage their Git repositories. It provides a user-friendly interface for managing and sharing code, and it has become one of the largest code-hosting platforms in the world, hosting millions of projects.

GitHub provides a number of features for collaborating on projects, including pull requests, which allow other developers to review and suggest changes to code, issues tracking, which provides a way to manage and prioritize tasks, and wikis, which allow developers to create and share documentation.

GitHub also provides a number of tools for project management, such as project boards, which allow users to track and prioritize work, and actions, which allow developers to automate tasks such as testing and building code.

GitHub offers both free and paid plans, with the free plan providing unlimited public repositories and limited private repositories. The paid plans offer more storage, private repositories, and additional collaboration and project management tools.

In addition to its code hosting capabilities, GitHub is also a vibrant community of developers and organizations, with users from around the world contributing to open-source projects, connecting with others, and sharing their knowledge.

Overall, GitHub is a powerful platform for version control and collaboration, and it is an essential tool for many developers and organizations.

Git vs GitHub

Git and GitHub are related but distinct technologies. Git is a version control system, while GitHub is a web-based platform that provides hosting for Git repositories, as well as a number of tools for collaboration and project management. Developers can use Git without GitHub, but GitHub provides a convenient and feature-rich way to manage Git repositories in the cloud.

In summary, Git is a version control system that allows developers to track changes to their code and collaborate with others, while GitHub is a web-based platform that provides hosting and collaboration tools for Git repositories.

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Utsav Desai

Utsav Desai is a technology enthusiast with an interest in DevOps, App Development, and Web Development.