Version control systems play an essential role for developers. First up, they allow developers to safely store successive versions of source code. Besides providing a secure backup of the source code, this type of software lets developers revert back to a stable release if subsequent code changes have unforeseen consequences.
Equally important, revision control tools enable team members to work simultaneously on a project’s code. If you have ever collaborated with other people on a project, you will appreciate the frustration caused by swapping files. Revision control is an excellent way to combat the problem of sharing files between developers without treading on each other’s toes. For open source projects having tens/hundreds of people working on the same code base, revision control software is essential.
Furthermore, version control systems make it possible to create a new branch of the application source code, and work on that branch without affecting the stability of the original version.
To provide an insight into the quality of software that is available, we have compiled a list of 15 high quality free and open source Linux revision control tools. Hopefully, there will be something of interest here for anyone who wants to collaborate with other people on a project. Here’s our verdict captured in a legendary LinuxLinks-style ratings chart.
Click the links in the table below to learn more about each tool.
| Revision Control Tools | |
|---|---|
| Git | Used in high profile open source projects, most notably the Linux kernel |
| Jujutsu | Powerful version control system for software projects |
| Mercurial | Fast, lightweight Source Control Management system |
| Subversion | General system that can be used to manage any collection of files |
| Lore | Centralized, content-addressed version control system |
| Darcs | An advanced revision control system |
| Fossil | Distributed version control system |
| dat | Distributed data community for the next generation Web |
| Sapling | Scalable, user-friendly source control system |
| Pijul | Sound and fast distributed version control system |
| CVS | Concurrent Versions System |
| Breezy | Decentralized revision control system supporting Bazaar and Git formats |
| Monotone | Especially strong in its support of a diverge/merge workflow |
| Game of Trees | Prioritizes ease of use and simplicity over flexibility |
| HugeSCM | Cloud-native version control system |
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 Explore our carefully curated directory of recommended free and open source software, covering every major software category.The directory forms part of our extensive collection of articles for Linux enthusiasts. It includes hundreds of detailed reviews, together with free and open source alternatives to proprietary software from companies such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk. LinuxLinks also covers interesting projects worth exploring, Linux-compatible hardware, free programming books and tutorials, and much more. Know a useful free and open source Linux application that we haven’t covered? Tell us about it using our submission form. |
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SVN and Tortoise Git is good, but if you are using Visual Studio, you can use built in Git which is much easier than any other external tool.