Version Control with Git takes you step-by-step through ways to track, merge, and manage software projects, using this highly flexible, open source version control system. Git permits virtually an infinite variety of methods for development and collaboration. Created by Linus Torvalds to manage development of the Linux kernel, it's become the principal tool for distributed version control. But Git's flexibility also means that some users don't understand how to use it to their best advantage. Version Control with Git offers tutorials on the most effective ways to use it, as well as friendly yet rigorous advice to help you navigate Git's many functions. With this book, you will:

• Learn how to use Git in several real-world development environments

• Gain insight into Git's common-use cases, initial tasks, and basic functions

• Understand how to use Git for both centralized and distributed version control

• Use Git to manage patches, diffs, merges, and conflicts

• Acquire advanced techniques such as rebasing, hooks, and ways to handle submodules (subprojects)

• Learn how to use Git with Subversion

Git has earned the respect of developers around the world. Find out how you can benefit from this amazing tool with Version Control with Git.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 8 Ratings

Best book available on git, almost perfect - 2010-01-01
Reviewer Rating:
This is absolutely the best book on git available, and even if you've used git before you'll learn something from it.

The first five chapters are perfect, and do an amazing job of explaining what the heck git is doing.

If there's anything wrong with the book, it starts to show up in chapter 6, which is where new concepts are referenced many chapters before they're explained (for example, all the sudden remote tracking branches show up 5 chapters before they're actually explained). Sometime's there's just no way around this - it's tough to untie all of the knots of git.

Expect to read chapters 6 (commits) and chapter 9 (merges) twice - ideally after you've read the whole book and have actually used git to manage a project with branches.

There's plenty to tighten up for a second edition, but it still gets five stars.

Git under the hood - 2009-12-14
Reviewer Rating:
I've been using git for over two years before I finally picked up this book - I knew the basics, but wanted to learn about the internals. Glad to report, it was perfect for that. While the author covers the basics of the interactions and commands for working with Git, much of the book is dedicated to looking under the hood and explaining what each operation actually does. Architecturally, Git is a beautiful piece of code worth studying.

If you're looking for a basic how-to, make sure to check out the free online resources - there are several free and excellent how-to books online. Then, once you've mastered the basics, pick up this book to fill in the gaps.

Classic O'Reilly Book - 2009-11-27
Reviewer Rating:
This is a book in the style of the classic O'Reilly books; well written, understandable, comprehensive enough for a beginner with Git. I'm not sure how easy it would be for someone without experience of version control systems to understand; it isn't an introduction to verison control, but a description of Git. It doesn't try to educate on the basics - which improved its value to me.

Overall, a good book - I am happy with it.

Great book despite confusing order - 2010-01-05
Reviewer Rating:
I had only very basic experiences with both the git and svn tools when I began reading Version Control with Git. If you have either never used these tools but are familiar with the idea of version control or have used either of them in very basic, single-developer situations, then this will be a great book for you.
While I was very impressed with the book and the author's obvious familiarity and knowledge about git, I felt that the chapters were sometimes ordered a little strangely. Loeliger (or his editors) seemed to introduce a concept at the beginning of a chapter, then another concept later on in the chapter, and then would remark that those concepts would be discussed several more chapters later on in the book. For me, this was more frustrating than anything. I wanted to know it all right away! In the end it does work out fine, I didn't' feel like I was necessarily missing anything, but I didn't really see why it couldn't have been ordered in a more linear way.
Having said this, Jon Loeliger is very adept at explaining everything that he sets out to about Git. Not only is it a great introduction, but I see myself referencing this book for years to come!

Teaches software engineers how to use Git in several real-world development environments - 2009-09-17
Reviewer Rating:
Jon Loeliger's VERSION CONTROL WITH GIT teaches software engineers how to use Git in several real-world development environments, exploring an open source version control program that permits a wide range of methods for development and collaboration. From using Git for different version controls to using it to manage merges and patches, this provides an invaluable developer's tool.

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