BitKeeper is a distributed source management and revision control system (SCM) for tracking changes to software projects. It played an early role in Linux kernel development: Linux kernel documentation says distributed version control for the kernel began in early 2002, when Linus Torvalds started using BitKeeper. The kernel project now uses Git.
What BitKeeper does
BitKeeper describes itself as a distributed SCM. Its official product page lists features such as nested repositories, tracking file operations, checksum validation, merge support, and source annotations. These are vendor-described capabilities, not independent performance comparisons. The project’s source repository says BitKeeper originated as a proprietary application and is now distributed under the Apache 2.0 license.
In a distributed version-control workflow, developers work with repository history locally and exchange changes with other repositories. BitKeeper’s documentation covers commands and workflows for inspecting file revisions and repository history, as well as nested repositories.
BitKeeper’s role in Linux kernel history
The Linux kernel documentation’s “Advanced topics” section says, “The use of distributed version control for the kernel began in early 2002, when Linus first started playing with the proprietary BitKeeper application.” The same documentation says the kernel project has settled on Git as its tool of choice. BitKeeper therefore has an important place in the kernel’s version-control history, but it is not the kernel project’s current tool.
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That account establishes the timeline and the change in tool. It does not, on its own, provide a detailed explanation of why the project moved to Git, so it would be misleading to infer specific causes from it.
License and availability
BitKeeper’s official website describes the software as open source under Apache 2.0. Its source repository also says the project is now distributed under that license. The product page’s search-visible listing names version 7.3.3, but the page is an old crawl snapshot; that listing does not establish that 7.3.3 is the latest version available today.
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The source repository documents builds for Linux, FreeBSD, and Windows, noting that Windows requires additional setup. Treat these as the repository’s documented build platforms rather than independently verified compatibility guarantees.
How to inspect history with BitKeeper
Review repository history
The BitKeeper history guide identifies bk changes as the primary way to review repository history. The guide also names bk csettool and bk revtool as graphical tools for viewing history.
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Inspect a file’s revisions
Use bk log to extract revision history or metadata for files. The command manual describes it as a way to view that file-level information. Consult the manual for the relevant options and output details; the command’s exact behavior depends on how it is invoked.
Where to find BitKeeper documentation
The official documentation index points to the command man pages, nested-repository materials, design documents, a whitepaper, and tutorials. BitKeeper says its man pages provide the most comprehensive command descriptions. For a specific command such as bk log, start with its manual page; for repository-wide history, use the history guide.
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- BitKeeper official website — product description and the version listing on its search-visible page.
- BitKeeper source repository — project background, license, and build-platform notes.
- The
bk logmanual page — file revision history and metadata. - BitKeeper history guide — repository history commands and graphical history tools.
- BitKeeper documentation index — command references and other documentation.
- Linux kernel documentation: Advanced topics — the kernel’s brief account of BitKeeper’s historical role and its use of Git.
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