HISTORY OF GITHUB AND THE

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GIT

FROM STARTUP TO OPEN-SOURCE POWERHOUSE
NAME: AHMED SAMIR AWED ALI
MAJOR: MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTER SCIENCE
ID: 352151186
AGENDA
❑ What is GitHub
❑ Benefits of GitHub ❑ Microsoft Acquisition
❑ Difference Between Git and GitHub ❑ GitHub Today
❑ How GitHub is different from Git ❑ The Octocat Story
❑ Git vs. GitHub competitors ❑ GitHub as a Social Platform
❑ Quick Facts about GitHub ❑ GitHub as a Social Platform
❑ Why GitHub was Created
❑ GitHub’s Rise
WHAT IS GITHUB

GitHub is a platform that enables developers to store, manage, track, and collaborate on
software projects using a system called Git. While Git is a distributed version control system
originally created by Linus Torvalds, GitHub adds a friendly, visual interface to it—making
collaboration and code management accessible to individuals and teams around the world.
GitHub has become the central hub for developers to share code, manage changes,
contribute to projects, and build communities.
BENEFITS OF GITHUB

Along with making Git easier to use, GitHub also provides a variety of additional features you
don't get with a plain installation of Git.

For example, Git has no built-in user management or user authentication tools. If a remote
user can access your local Git installation, they have full control over your repository and
commit history, which means they can squash commits, delete branches, and completely
corrupt your version control system.
BENEFITS OF GITHUB

In contrast, GitHub provides two-factor authentication and token-based authorization services that
govern what a user can do to a Git repository.

Authorization and authentication are not within the scope of the Git feature set, but they're
something most organizations need. When a gap exists between what an organization wants
and what the feature set of the Git tool provides, vendors such as GitHub and GitLab step up
to fill the void.

However, describing GitHub as simply providing a few extra features

around a cloud-based Git hosting service undersells its true value.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GIT AND GITHUB

Git: Git is a distributed version control system for tracking changes in source code during
software development. It is designed for coordinating work among programmers, but it can
be used to track changes in any set of files. Its goals include speed, data integrity, and
support for distributed, non-linear workflows.

GitHub: GitHub is a web-based Git repository hosting service, which offers all of the
distributed revision control and source code management (SCM) functionality of Git as well
as adding its own features.
 HOW GITHUB IS DIFFERENT FROM GIT
❑ A web-based interface to make Git easier to use.
GitHub has built an entire
ecosystem of DevOps tools ❑ GitHub Actions to help users create CI/CD pipelines.

around the Git tooling that ❑ GitHub Pages for free website hosting.
promises to make developers, ❑ Branch protection rules for increased security.
software teams and organizations
❑ Pull request workflows to help merge and rebase code.
more productive. Additional tools
❑ Code scanning to identify known vulnerabilities.
GitHub provides over and above
❑ GitHub Desktop to simplify push, pull and fetch operations.
their Git hosting service include
the following: ❑ Software team administration tools.

❑ GitHub Copilot for AI-based peer programming.

❑ Social media functionality that lets users follow other developers.

GIT VS. GITHUB COMPETITORS

For Git, the direct competition includes various version control tools such as the
following:
❑ Subversion (SVN).
❑ Helix Core by Perforce.
❑ Mercurial.
❑ PVCS Version Manager.
❑ Rational ClearCase.
GIT VS. GITHUB COMPETITORS

In contrast, GitHub competes with other online SaaS vendors that

specialize in GitOps in the cloud, including the following:

❑ GitLab.

❑ Bitbucket from Atlassian.

❑ AWS CodeCommit.

❑ Azure DevOps Repos.

❑ SourceForge.

❑ RhodeCode.
GIT VS. GITHUB COMPETITORS

In contrast, GitHub competes with other online SaaS vendors that

specialize in GitOps in the cloud, including the following:

❑ GitLab.

❑ Bitbucket from Atlassian.

❑ AWS CodeCommit.

❑ Azure DevOps Repos.

❑ SourceForge.

❑ RhodeCode.
QUICK FACTS ABOUT GITHUB

GitHub officially launched in April 2008. It was founded by three developers: Tom Preston-
Werner, Chris Wanstrath, and PJ Hyett. Initially, it was a side project under the company name
Logical Awesome LLC. GitHub was built using technologies like Ruby on Rails and Erlang. Its iconic
mascot, the Octocat, quickly became a symbol of developer culture and creativity. GitHub grew
from a simple idea into the world’s largest source code hosting service.
WHY GITHUB WAS CREATED

By 2007, Git was gaining popularity among developers for its power and speed, but it lacked user-
friendly hosting platforms. Chris Wanstrath and Tom Preston-Werner began working on GitHub to
solve this problem. Their goal was to create a simple and elegant way to host Git repositories and
make collaboration easier. GitHub wasn’t just about code storage—it also introduced social
features like user profiles, pull requests, and issue tracking, making development more
interactive and transparent.
GITHUB’S RISE

GitHub entered public beta in late 2007 and officially launched in April 2008. Developers quickly
embraced it because it solved real-world problems in version control and team collaboration. Its
simplicity and community-driven features made it the preferred platform for open-source
projects. In just a few years, GitHub became an essential tool for developers across the globe. By
2016, it hosted over 35 million repositories and had more than 14 million users.
THE OCTOCAT STORY

One of the most recognizable elements of GitHub is its mascot—the Octocat. The character was
created by designer Simon Oxley, who originally sold the image on a stock photo website.
GitHub's team loved the quirky design and adopted it as a fun, unofficial mascot. Over time, the
Octocat became part of GitHub’s brand identity, often appearing in costumes or themed
illustrations. It symbolizes the creativity and playfulness of the developer community.
GITHUB AS A SOCIAL PLATFORM

GitHub transformed software development into a more social experience. It introduced features
like forks, stars, pull requests, and comments that made it easy to collaborate on projects with
developers from around the world. Much like a social network, developers can follow others,
showcase their work, and build a public portfolio. GitHub profiles are often used by employers to
assess coding skills, contributions, and professionalism. For many, GitHub is more than a tool—
it's a community.
MICROSOFT ACQUISITION

In June 2018, Microsoft acquired GitHub for $7.5 billion. The news surprised many in the
developer community, some of whom feared that Microsoft would restrict or commercialize the
platform. However, under Microsoft's leadership, GitHub continued to grow and evolve.
Integration with tools like Visual Studio Code and Azure improved workflows, and GitHub began
launching new features like GitHub Actions, GitHub Copilot, and Codespaces. The acquisition
helped GitHub become more powerful without compromising its open-source values.
GITHUB TODAY

Today, GitHub supports over 100 million developers and countless projects, making it the largest
and most influential code hosting platform in the world. It’s at the heart of DevOps pipelines,
continuous integration, and deployment strategies. With features like Copilot (an AI coding
assistant), GitHub Actions for automation, and Codespaces for cloud-based development
environments, GitHub continues to redefine how software is built and shared in the modern era.
WHY GITHUB MATTERS

GitHub has played a major role in democratizing software development. It enables anyone—from
beginner students to enterprise teams—to contribute to meaningful projects. It has made open-
source development more transparent, collaborative, and impactful. Whether you're learning to
code, working on a startup, or contributing to a major framework, GitHub provides the
infrastructure to build, share, and grow together.
 SUMMARY

Git vs GitHub – Key Differences

❑ Git is a version control system that tracks changes in your code locally.

❑ GitHub is a cloud-based platform that hosts Git repositories and adds collaboration features.

Feature Git GitHub

Type Tool (CLI-based) Hosting service
Location Local (on your computer) Online (cloud)
Share, collaborate, manage
Purpose Track code changes
projects
Internet Needed No Yes (for full use)
 SUMMARY

GitHub is a platform for hosting and collaborating on code using Git, launched in 2008 by Tom Preston-
Werner, Chris Wanstrath, and PJ Hyett. It made Git more accessible with social features like pull requests
and issues. The mascot Octocat symbolizes its fun, collaborative spirit. GitHub quickly became popular,
hosting millions of repositories. In 2018, it was acquired by Microsoft for $7.5 billion. Today, GitHub
powers the global developer community with tools like Actions, Copilot, and Codespaces, making it
essential for modern software development.
A black background with a black square

AI-generated content may be incorrect.