Virtual File System for Git

VFS for Git is designed to ease the handling of enterprise-scale Git repositories, such as the Microsoft Windows operating system (whose development switched to Git under Microsoft's internal "One Engineering System" initiative). The system exposes a virtual file system that only downloads files to local storage as they are needed.

VFS for Git was originally named Git Virtual File System (GVFS). However due to complaints by the developers of GNOME over confusion with GNOME Virtual File System, Microsoft announced that it would solicit ideas for a new name of the software in June 2018, following its acquisition of GitHub.{{Cite web|url=https://betanews.com/2018/06/06/microsoft-to-rename-gvfs/|title=Microsoft is going to rename GVFS and wants your suggestions|website=BetaNews.com|date=6 June 2018 |language=en|access-date=2018-06-09}} Its first release{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/Microsoft/VFSForGit/releases/tag/v1.0.18234.1/|title=VFS for Git 1.0.18234.1|website=GitHub.com|language=en|access-date=2018-02-13}} under the new name was in August 2018.

In November 2017, GitHub announced that it would support VFS for Git.{{Cite news|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsofts-one-engineering-system-brings-git-virtual-file-system-to-the-masses/|title=Microsoft's One Engineering System brings Git Virtual File System to the masses|last=Foley|first=Mary Jo|work=ZDNet|access-date=2018-06-04|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/11/15/github-adopts-microsofts-tool-for-supporting-massive-software-projects/|title=GitHub adopts Microsoft's tool for supporting massive software projects|date=2017-11-15|work=VentureBeat|access-date=2018-06-04|language=en-US}}

VFS for Git has been superseded by Scalar.{{cite web |title=Frequently Asked Questions | VFS for Git |url=https://github.com/microsoft/VFSForGit/blob/master/docs/faq.md#why-are-you-abandoning-vfs-for-git |website=GitHub |publisher=Microsoft |access-date=7 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210707091513/https://github.com/microsoft/VFSForGit/blob/master/docs/faq.md |archive-date=7 July 2021 |quote=We transitioned our large repository strategy to focus on using git sparse-checkout instead of filesystem virtualization. We then forked the VFS for Git codebase to create Scalar.}} Scalar was then integrated into the Microsoft Git project.{{cite web |title=README | Scalar |url=https://github.com/microsoft/scalar#scalar-has-moved |website=GitHub |publisher=Microsoft |access-date=7 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210322043031/https://github.com/Microsoft/scalar |archive-date=22 March 2021 |quote=The Scalar executable has now been ported to be included in the microsoft/git fork.}}{{cite web |title=A fork of Git containing Microsoft-specific patches |url=https://github.com/microsoft/git |website=GitHub |publisher=Microsoft |access-date=7 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210707090933/https://github.com/microsoft/git |archive-date=7 July 2021}}

{{Portal|Free and open-source software}}

• Version control

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [https://git-scm.com/docs/scalar Scalar]
• {{Official website|1=https://github.com/microsoft/VFSForGit?tab=readme-ov-file#readme}}
• [https://github.com/Microsoft/VFSForGit Virtual File System for Git] on GitHub

{{Microsoft FOSS}}

Category:Free and open-source software

Category:Git (software)

Category:Microsoft free software

Category:Software using the MIT license

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