BitKeeper is a software tool designed for source control management, which means it helps developers manage changes to source code over time. Here are some detailed insights into BitKeeper:
BitKeeper was initially developed by Larry McVoy at BitMover Inc. in 1998. The creation of BitKeeper was driven by the need for a distributed version control system that could handle large codebases efficiently. Its development was influenced by the limitations of existing version control systems at the time, like CVS and Subversion.
Between 2002 and 2005, Linux kernel development adopted BitKeeper as its version control system. This move was facilitated by BitMover's offer to provide a free license to open-source projects. However, the relationship ended when the free license was withdrawn due to disagreements over the use of the tool, which led to the creation of Git by Linus Torvalds.
The use of BitKeeper in the Linux community was controversial due to its proprietary nature and licensing restrictions. This led to community efforts to reverse engineer its protocols, which eventually resulted in the development of open-source alternatives like Git.
After the fallout with the Linux kernel development, BitKeeper went through several ownership changes. It is now owned by Perforce Software, and while it's still used in some commercial environments, its prominence has significantly waned with the rise of open-source alternatives like Git and Mercurial.
For further reading on BitKeeper and its impact: