I’ve used Git every day for years, but I realized I never really knew what happens behind the scenes. How does Git track changes? What does a commit actually store? How do branches and merges work internally?
To answer these questions, I decided to build my own minimal Git clone from scratch — a small, hands-on project I call GitLite.
Instead of just reading about Git’s architecture, I wanted to experience it: implement the core mechanics myself, experiment with commits, branches, merges, and see exactly how Git organizes its data.
GitLite supports a simplified Git workflow:
- Staging files in a basic index
- Creating commits that capture snapshots and history
- Managing branches as simple pointers to commits
- Switching between branches
- Performing fast-forward merges
- Inspecting commit history and repository status
The project is educational, not meant for real-world use. But building it helped me understand Git in a concrete, practical way — far beyond what tutorials or documentation can show.
I also documented every step, so anyone interested can follow along and try it themselves.
🧩 GitLite repository and documentation:
https://github.com/ironrinox/git-lite
If you’ve ever wondered how Git really works, this project is a hands-on way to explore it.
Top comments (1)
Really interesting idea to demystify Git by re‑implementing the basics. I like that you focused on snapshots and fast‑forward merges first. Did anything about Git's internals surprise you once you started coding GitLite, especially around how commits or branches are actually stored?