What is Git? Version Control Basics for DevOps

10 min read

Git Fundamentals

Updated: January 2026

📌 DevOps Quick Take

Git is a distributed version control system that tracks changes in source code. Every DevOps engineer MUST know Git - it's the foundation of CI/CD, collaboration, and deployment automation.

What is Git in Simple Terms?

Git is a tool that helps developers track changes in their code. Think of it as a "time machine" for your codebase - you can go back to any point in time, see what changed, and work with others without overwriting each other's work.

Why Git Matters for DevOps

CI/CD Foundation: Every modern CI/CD pipeline starts with Git
Infrastructure as Code (IaC): Terraform, Ansible, Dockerfiles - all versioned in Git
Collaboration: Multiple DevOps engineers can work on the same project
Rollback Ability: Quickly revert to working versions if deployment fails
Audit Trail: See who changed what and when

Centralized vs Distributed Version Control

Aspect	Centralized (SVN, CVS)	Distributed (Git)
Repository	Single central server	Every user has full copy
Internet Required	Yes, for most operations	No, work offline
Speed	Slower (network dependent)	Faster (local operations)
Branching	Complex and slow	Simple and fast
DevOps Use	Limited in modern pipelines	Standard for all CI/CD

Git Architecture - The 3 Areas

1. Working Directory

Where you actually make changes to files. This is your local workspace.

2. Staging Area (Index)

A "preview" area where you prepare changes before committing. This is unique to Git.

3. Repository (.git folder)

Where Git stores all commits and history. This is what gets cloned/copied.

                    # Basic Git workflow example

                    git init                 # Initialize repository

                    git add .                # Stage all changes

                    git commit -m "message"  # Save changes with message

                    git push origin main    # Send to remote repository

Key Git Concepts DevOps Engineers Should Know

Repository (Repo)

A project folder that Git tracks. Contains all files and version history.

Commit

A snapshot of your code at a specific point in time. Each commit has a unique ID (SHA-1 hash).

Branch

A separate line of development. Main/master is production, feature branches are for development.

Merge

Combining changes from different branches. Essential for GitFlow workflows.

Remote

A shared repository (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket) where teams collaborate.

DevOps Workflow with Git

Clone repository to local machine
Create branch for feature/fix
Make changes to code/configuration
Test locally before committing
Commit changes with descriptive messages
Push to remote and create Pull Request
CI/CD pipeline automatically runs tests
Merge to main after approval
Auto-deploy to staging/production

💡 DevOps Pro Tip

Always use meaningful commit messages! Follow the convention: type(scope): description. Example: feat(kubernetes): add deployment yaml for app or fix(ci): resolve docker build failure.

Git in the DevOps Toolchain

Infrastructure: Terraform/CloudFormation files in Git
Configuration: Ansible/Chef/Puppet scripts versioned
Containers: Dockerfiles and docker-compose.yml
Kubernetes: YAML manifests for deployments
CI/CD: Jenkinsfile, .gitlab-ci.yml, GitHub Actions
Documentation: README.md, runbooks, procedures

Essential Git Commands for DevOps

                    # Initialize & Clone

                    git init

                    git clone https://github.com/user/repo.git

                    # Basic Workflow

                    git status

                    git add filename

                    git commit -m "message"

                    git push

                    # Branching (CRUCIAL for DevOps)

                    git branch

                    git checkout -b feature-branch

                    git merge branch-name

                    # Remote Operations

                    git pull

                    git fetch

                    git remote -v

Common DevOps Git Patterns

GitFlow

Structured branching model with develop, feature, release, hotfix, and main branches.

GitHub Flow

Simpler: main branch always deployable, feature branches, PRs, merge to deploy.

Trunk-Based Development

Short-lived feature branches, frequent merges to main. Great for CI/CD.

Quick Start for DevOps Engineers

1. Install Git on your system
2. Set your username and email: git config --global user.name "Your Name"
3. Clone a repo: git clone repo-url
4. Make changes and commit: git add . && git commit -m "changes"
5. That's it! You're using Git.

Interview Focus Points

Explain Git in 2 minutes
Difference between Git and GitHub
What is a merge conflict and how to resolve it?
Explain git rebase vs merge
How Git enables CI/CD pipelines
What is .gitignore and why is it important?