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.
