Distributed version control

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Distributed revision control is a recent innovation that provides two significant advantages over the more traditional centralized approach to software revision control:

  • allows users to work productively even when not connected to a network
  • allows participation in projects without requiring permissions from project authorities

However, there are some disadvantages as well:

  • Early distributed systems were slow and complicated, but this is improving
  • Some projects want or need centralized control
  • Distributed systems can end up with a person as the central point of control, rather than a server

See also