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Version control tools have been evolving for several decades now. In
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simple terms, there have been 5 generations of tools:
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simple terms, there have been 4 generations of tools:
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1. file versioning tools, e.g. SCCS, RCS
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2. tree versioning tools - central style, e.g. CVS
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3. tree versioning tools - central style, done right, e.g. Subversion
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4. tree versioning tools - distributed style, e.g. Arch
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5. tree versioning tools - distributed style, done right, e.g. Bazaar.
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3. tree versioning tools - central style, take two, e.g. Subversion
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4. tree versioning tools - distributed style, e.g. Bazaar.
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The design and implementation of Bazaar builds on the lessons learned
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from all the previous generations of tools. In particular, Bazaar
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While Bazaar is not the only distributed VCS tool around, it does have some
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notable features that make it an excellent choice for many teams and
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communities. These include:
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* it **Just Works** - a high focus on usability and performance
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* **adaptive** - cleanly supports many different ways of working together
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* **rich metadata** that tracks merge history across distributed locations,
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understands directories as first-class objects and correctly tracks
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renames of both files and directories
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* **integrated merging** that uses this metadata intelligently to
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ensure that merging is safe without being painful, letting you
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collaborate without fear
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* **truly portable** across many operating systems including Windows
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* **safe with your data** - integrity is checked using cryptographic
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techniques and all changes can be digitally signed if required
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* **low administration**, e.g. access to FTP or SFTP is enough to
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share with others - no special server required
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* **efficiently stores data** across branches in a flexible and safe way
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* an **open architecture and API** that makes it easy to integrate
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* a **large number of plugins** including bzr-svn and GUI front-ends
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* **excellent integration** with a range of companion tools and services
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including PQM, Bundle Buggy and Launchpad
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* **completely open source**
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* **commercial training and support** available from Canonical,
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the company that sponsors Ubuntu.
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While all of these are important, perhaps the greatest asset Bazaar has is
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an active and growing open source community behind it. Bazaar is completely
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free software written in Python so it is easy to contribute improvements.
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Our collective goal is to build and support a distributed VCS tool that
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developers love to use, a tool that helps them get their job done without
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getting in their way. If you wish to get involved, please see
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http://bazaar-vcs.org/BzrSupport.
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communities. A summary of these and comparisons with other VCS tools
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can be found on the Bazaar Wiki, http://bazaar-vcs.org.
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Of the many features, one in particular is worth highlighting:
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Bazaar is completely free software written in Python. As a result,
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it is easy to contribute improvements. If you wish to get involved,
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please see http://bazaar-vcs.org/BzrSupport.
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* `Bazaar Quick Start Card`_ - a one page summary of commonly used commands.
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The online help and `Bazaar User Reference`_ are also particularly useful as
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they provide all the gory details on the commands and options available.
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In addition, the online help and `Bazaar User Reference`_ provide all the
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details on the commands and options available.
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.. _Bazaar in five minutes: ../mini-tutorial/index.html
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.. _Bazaar Quick Start Card: ../quick-reference/quick-start-summary.svg