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2. Introduction to Git

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Git as a Version Control System

Git is one of the most widely used distributed version control systems in the world. It was originally developed by Linus Torvalds in 2005 to manage the Linux kernel’s source code, and has since become essential for software development, research collaboration, and project management across all disciplines.

Using Git, you can:

Think of Git as a sophisticated time machine for your files that:

  • 📸 Takes snapshots of your project at different points in time
  • 🔄 Lets you travel back to any snapshot
  • 🌿 Allows you to create parallel timelines (branches)
  • 🤝 Helps multiple people work together without chaos

Git vs. GitHub: What's the Difference?

Before we dive deeper, let's clear up a common confusion:

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