Probably inspired by my comment earlier [1] about how Linus comitted the first version of git in git [2].

I find it fascinating that systems can be bootstrapped upon their own foundations.

[1] - http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3277079

[2] - http://git.kernel.org/?p=git/git.git;a=commit;h=e83c5163316f...

I have a question, why did git grow so popular? What was better about it?

Edit: To down voters I think this question is important because it helps us understand why certain softwares are successful despite other successful competitors. I am not trying to start a flame war on which version control system is better.

That's pretty close to a minimal viable format Particularly key to the success is the clear invitation to build obvious tools and extensions without relying on magic limitations. There's no version number embedded in the format, but it's easy to flag tags your tool doesn't understand.

And this is why I have a deep respect and admiration for Mr. Torvalds