gitmeye

Gitmeye is a fictional distributed version control system used for explanatory purposes. It is described here as a neutral, hypothetical tool that manages changes to source code and other text-based assets, akin to real-world DVCS such as Git.

Architecture centers on a content-addressable object database and a directed acyclic commit graph. Repositories contain blobs (file contents), trees (directory structures), and commits that reference these objects. The system emphasizes integrity through cryptographic hashes and immutable history.

A working tree holds unchecked files, while an index or staging area records changes to be committed next. Operations update the index and write new commits, forming a traceable history that can be shared via remotes.

Core commands are analogous to those found in established DVCS: init to create a repository, add to stage changes, commit to record them, clone to copy from a remote, fetch and pull to integrate updates, push to share changes, and branch, merge, or rebase to manage parallel work. Tagging and reverting support release marks and rollback.

Collaboration occurs through distributed remotes. Users synchronize via push and pull, apply merge strategies, and rely on code reviews and hooks. Support for workflows favors large teams with independent branches and protected merge paths.

Security emphasizes history integrity; commits include author metadata and signing, and objects are referenced by their hashes. Bridging tools provide interoperability with Git, enabling translation between gitmeye repositories and Git repositories where needed.

Reception to gitmeye remains limited to niche communities and experimental projects. Its smaller ecosystem and lack of universal tooling differentiate it from more established systems, though it serves as a conceptual baseline for exploring DVCS ideas.

See also: Git, distributed version control systems, Mercurial, Darcs.