4 ms·

Linus's first version README for git

169 points by mapleoin 15y ago

dsr_ 15y ago
That's pretty close to a minimal viable format Particularly key to the success is the clear invitation to build obvious tools and extensions without relying on magic limitations. There's no version number embedded in the format, but it's easy to flag tags your tool doesn't understand.
yuvadam 15y ago
Probably inspired by my comment earlier [1] about how Linus comitted the first version of git in git [2]. I find it fascinating that systems can be bootstrapped upon their own foundations. [1] - http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3277079 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3277079 [2] - http://git.kernel.org/?p=git/git.git;a=commit;h=e83c5163316f89bfbde7d9ab23ca2e25604af290 http://git.kernel.org/?p=git/git.git;a=commit;h=e83c5163316f...
- grifaton 15y ago
  One of the coolest cases of this I've seen recently is the second half of Kent Beck's "Test Driven Development: By Example". He uses builds a TDD framework with TDD, using the TDD framework he's building.
  - willvarfar 15y ago
    funnily, I was revisiting the TDD sudoku incident recently... ;)
- guygurari 15y ago
  I guess the canonical example is using a compiler to compile its next version. Ken Thompson famously used this bootstrapping property to insert a trojan horse into the C compiler [1]. It propagated itself into future binary versions of the compiler, without actually appearing in their source code. [1] http://cm.bell-labs.com/who/ken/trust.html http://cm.bell-labs.com/who/ken/trust.html
  - mrb 15y ago
    Ken explained it was possible to write such a trojan but he never did it.
kunqiana 15y ago
I have a question, why did git grow so popular? What was better about it? Edit: To down voters I think this question is important because it helps us understand why certain softwares are successful despite other successful competitors. I am not trying to start a flame war on which version control system is better.
- dhx 15y ago
  Some ideas: 1. By being "stupid", git doesn't treat the user as stupid. 2. git allows repositories to be uploaded or transferred anywhere for others to use with a single, simple command. 3. git is efficient and fast. No one likes waiting for their computer to do a seemingly easy task -- especially software developers/hackers who know something should be O(1) complexity and could be written in X lines of code. 4. Merging/branching is easy.
- elii 15y ago
  GitHub may be one reason. Maybe less but still important IMHO is that it's far more pronounceable than e.g. SVN. That could help build the hype.
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
  - srl 15y ago
    I remember when I was first introduced to version control - I was told "we're using 'subversion' for XYZ". I thought that meant we were doing something sneaky that I shouldn't talk about. "Git" is definitely a nice name.
    - to3m 15y ago
      I have no idea where urbandictionary.com is from, but its page on `git' describes the meanings it's always had for me, and indeed probably most UK (and Australian?) readers: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=git http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=git This is partly why I have, so far, not joined the "Git Hub". All in all, I think a better name could have been chosen. But, most of the time, I only type it - and it IS certainly nicer to type than `svn', I'll give it that.
ggwicz 15y ago
And this is why I have a deep respect and admiration for Mr. Torvalds

169 points by mapleoin 15y ago

dsr_ 15y ago

That's pretty close to a minimal viable format Particularly key to the success is the clear invitation to build obvious tools and extensions without relying on magic limitations. There's no version number embedded in the format, but it's easy to flag tags your tool doesn't understand.

yuvadam 15y ago

Probably inspired by my comment earlier [1] about how Linus comitted the first version of git in git [2]. I find it fascinating that systems can be bootstrapped upon their own foundations. [1] - http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3277079 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3277079 [2] - http://git.kernel.org/?p=git/git.git;a=commit;h=e83c5163316f89bfbde7d9ab23ca2e25604af290 http://git.kernel.org/?p=git/git.git;a=commit;h=e83c5163316f...

grifaton 15y ago
One of the coolest cases of this I've seen recently is the second half of Kent Beck's "Test Driven Development: By Example". He uses builds a TDD framework with TDD, using the TDD framework he's building.
- willvarfar 15y ago
  funnily, I was revisiting the TDD sudoku incident recently... ;)
guygurari 15y ago
I guess the canonical example is using a compiler to compile its next version. Ken Thompson famously used this bootstrapping property to insert a trojan horse into the C compiler [1]. It propagated itself into future binary versions of the compiler, without actually appearing in their source code. [1] http://cm.bell-labs.com/who/ken/trust.html http://cm.bell-labs.com/who/ken/trust.html
- mrb 15y ago
  Ken explained it was possible to write such a trojan but he never did it.

kunqiana 15y ago

I have a question, why did git grow so popular? What was better about it? Edit: To down voters I think this question is important because it helps us understand why certain softwares are successful despite other successful competitors. I am not trying to start a flame war on which version control system is better.

dhx 15y ago
Some ideas: 1. By being "stupid", git doesn't treat the user as stupid. 2. git allows repositories to be uploaded or transferred anywhere for others to use with a single, simple command. 3. git is efficient and fast. No one likes waiting for their computer to do a seemingly easy task -- especially software developers/hackers who know something should be O(1) complexity and could be written in X lines of code. 4. Merging/branching is easy.
elii 15y ago
GitHub may be one reason. Maybe less but still important IMHO is that it's far more pronounceable than e.g. SVN. That could help build the hype.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
- srl 15y ago
  I remember when I was first introduced to version control - I was told "we're using 'subversion' for XYZ". I thought that meant we were doing something sneaky that I shouldn't talk about. "Git" is definitely a nice name.
  - to3m 15y ago
    I have no idea where urbandictionary.com is from, but its page on `git' describes the meanings it's always had for me, and indeed probably most UK (and Australian?) readers: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=git http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=git This is partly why I have, so far, not joined the "Git Hub". All in all, I think a better name could have been chosen. But, most of the time, I only type it - and it IS certainly nicer to type than `svn', I'll give it that.

ggwicz 15y ago

And this is why I have a deep respect and admiration for Mr. Torvalds