Tomadora
Git Internals: How Git Actually Works
AI-generated course for Master Git covering: Module 1: Git's Core Philosophy and Data Model, Module 2: A Deep Dive into the `.git` Directory, Module 3: The Three Objects: Blobs, Trees, and Commits, Module 4: Understanding References: Branches and Tags, Module 5: Demystifying the Index (Staging Area), Module 6: Traversing History: The Commit Graph (DAG), Module 7: The Mechanics of Merging, Module 8: Storage, Packfiles, and Garbage Collection
Beginner
28 lessons
770 questions
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What you'll learn
This course is part of the Master Git track on Tomadora. It covers 8 progressive modules with 28 bite-sized lessons, totalling 770 interactive questions including flashcards, multiple choice, true/false, typing, matching, and fill-in-the-blank.
Course syllabus
Module 1: Git's Core Philosophy and Data Model
Start by understanding what makes Git different. This module introduces the core concepts of snapshots, the content-addressable filesystem, and the three primary object types: blobs, trees, and commits.
- Git's Philosophy: Snapshots, Not Differences (25 questions)
- The Core Objects: Blobs, Trees, and Commits (23 questions)
- Under the Hood: A Tour of the .git Directory (34 questions)
Module 2: A Deep Dive into the `.git` Directory
Explore the anatomy of a Git repository by dissecting the hidden `.git` directory. Learn the purpose of `HEAD`, `config`, `index`, and the `objects` and `refs` subdirectories.
- Anatomy of the `.git` Directory (33 questions)
- The Heart of Git: The Objects Database (32 questions)
- Pointers and History: Understanding `HEAD` and `refs` (27 questions)
- The Staging Area Unmasked: The `index` File (29 questions)
Module 3: The Three Objects: Blobs, Trees, and Commits
Get hands-on with low-level 'plumbing' commands like `hash-object` and `cat-file`. Learn to manually inspect and even create Git's fundamental objects to truly understand how they link together.
- Understanding Blobs: Git's Atomic Unit of Content (21 questions)
- Structuring with Trees: The Directory Snapshot (27 questions)
- The Commit Object: A Snapshot in Time (25 questions)
Module 4: Understanding References: Branches and Tags
Discover that branches and tags are not complex structures, but simple pointers to commits. This module explains how references work, where they are stored, and the concept of a 'detached HEAD'.
- Git's Filing System: The .git/refs Directory (32 questions)
- Branches Unpacked: A Look Under the Hood (27 questions)
- Tags Explained: Lightweight Pointers vs. Annotated Objects (27 questions)
Module 5: Demystifying the Index (Staging Area)
Uncover the role and structure of the index file. Learn how `git add` prepares the next commit and why the staging area is a powerful feature for crafting precise commit history.
- The Three Roles of the Index (17 questions)
- Anatomy of the Index File (29 questions)
- Manipulating the Index: The `add` and `reset` Dance (19 questions)
- The Index as a Merge Resolution Tool (27 questions)
Module 6: Traversing History: The Commit Graph (DAG)
Learn to see your repository's history as Git does: a Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG). Understand how Git follows parent pointers to reconstruct history for commands like `git log`.
- The Commit as a Node: Understanding the DAG (27 questions)
- Walking the Graph: `git log` and Revision Selection (33 questions)
- Graph Topology: Branching and Merging Explained (33 questions)
- Advanced Queries with `git rev-list` (28 questions)
Module 7: The Mechanics of Merging
Go beyond the command and learn how merging actually works. This module covers fast-forward merges, the three-way merge algorithm, merge commits, and how Git finds a common ancestor.
- Merge Foundations: Finding the Common Ancestor (26 questions)
- The Fast-Forward Merge: A Simple Pointer Move (27 questions)
- Recursive Strategy: The Three-Way Merge Explained (28 questions)
- The Merge Commit: Unifying Divergent Histories (30 questions)
Module 8: Storage, Packfiles, and Garbage Collection
Investigate how Git ensures repository efficiency. Learn about loose objects vs. compressed packfiles, and understand the process of garbage collection (`git gc`) that cleans up and optimizes storage.
- Loose Objects vs. Packed Objects (30 questions)
- Inside a Packfile: Delta Compression and Indexes (27 questions)
- Garbage Collection: The `git gc` Command (27 questions)
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Git Internals: How Git Actually Works course?
- Git Internals: How Git Actually Works is a beginner course on Tomadora covering 8 modules and 28 lessons. It is designed to be completed in 5-minute bursts during your work breaks, using a Pomodoro-style focus + learn cycle.
- How long does Git Internals: How Git Actually Works take to finish?
- Each lesson takes about 5 minutes. With 28 lessons, you can finish the course in roughly 3 hours of total learning time, spread across as many breaks as you like.
- Is Git Internals: How Git Actually Works free?
- Yes. Tomadora is free to download and the entire Master Git track — including Git Internals: How Git Actually Works — is free to learn.
- What level is Git Internals: How Git Actually Works?
- Git Internals: How Git Actually Works is rated Beginner. No prior knowledge is required.
- What language is Git Internals: How Git Actually Works taught in?
- Git Internals: How Git Actually Works is taught in English.
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