Chapter 22. Version control for non-programmers
You probably have a folder full of documents that say things like importantpresentation.final.odp, importantpresentation.real.final.odp, and importantpresentation .final.changesfromjen.odp. The dates the files were created might help you figure out which one is the latest version, but it can get confusing easily. Version control solves that problem by tracking document versions for you.
Version control is a process that lets you keep track of changes to electronic items. It’s used by coders who might make a change that breaks things. Version controls allows them to go back to the last working version. But it’s also a useful workflow for collaborating on documents. Because you now understand a lot about Linux, from installing software, to the using the command line, to printing, I thought we could end with the advanced concept of version control.
In this chapter, you’re going to learn how to use version control to collaborate on a document. We’re going to use a program called Git to track our files and a site called GitLab to host them. Git is the perfect tool because it’s a command-line tool that you can use with graphical tools, like text editors. In other words, it uses a lot of the concepts you’ve spent the past month studying. Git works well with Linux and is a popular technology that you’ve probably heard about. It’s a great next step for a brand new Linux user like you.