# Inside git: how it works and the role of the .git folder

Git is a distributed version control system which helps a developer to track and manages personal or collaborative code files over the time. GIT is an open-source system created by **Linus Torvalds** in 2005.

To start working on git, you need to install and configure the git in your local system. To understand the git as how it works and the role of this .git folder. Let’s dive into this.

## What is `.git` folder:

`.git` folder is automatically created during your first initializing the project or folder by running `git init` command in your terminal. Git stores everything including files, directories, and history. It stores as immutable objects identified by a 40-character SHA-1 hash. These are stored in `.git/objects`.

## **Key components of** `.git` folder

The contents of the `.git` folder might seem confusing at first, but every file and subdirectory has a specific purpose.

### **1\. HEAD**

* The `HEAD` file points to the current branch reference.
    
* For example: `ref: refs/heads/main`
    
* It tracks which branch you're currently on.
    

### **2\. config**

This `config` contains repository-specific configuration settings (like remotes, user info, aliases), separate from global git config.

* Example:
    
* ```plaintext
    [core]
    	repositoryformatversion = 0
    	filemode = false
    	bare = false
    	logallrefupdates = true
    	symlinks = false
    	ignorecase = true    
    [remote "origin"]
            url = git@github.com:user/repo.git
            fetch = +refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*
    ```
    

### **3\. description**

This `description` is text file which used mostly by graphical interfaces or Github desktop or git lenses to describe the repository. Usually ignored in bare repositories.

### **4\. hooks/**

This `hooks` folder Contains scripts that git can trigger at key events, such as before a commit (`pre-commit`) or after a push (`post-receive`). It has stored custom logic for code quality checks, CI/CD, etc., can be executed here.

### **5\. info/**

Inside this `info/` folder consists of the `exclude` file, which can be used to ignore files locally, supplementing `.gitignore`. It helps prevent pushing any confidential or unnecessary files.

### **6\. objects/**

This `objects/` folder is known for the **heart of Git’s content storage.** Here git stores everything—files, directories, commits—as **objects** using the content-addressed storage model. Here the objects are named based on the SHA-1 (or SHA-256) hash of their content. In this folder every objects have a unique address.

* * **blobs:** store file contents
        
        \* **trees:** represent directory structures
        
        \* **commits:** record changes and metadata
        
        \* **tags:** point to specific objects
        
* Structure example: `objects/bg/3cg3434567r34...`
    

### **7\. refs/**

This `refs/` folder contains references, or **pointers to commits**.

* `refs/heads/`: Referred local branches
    
* `refs/tags/`: Referred for Tags
    
* `refs/remotes/`: Referred for Remote branches
    

### **8\. logs/**

Logs folder stores recent updates to references which helps recover the lost commits or even you can see previous `HEAD` position. The command is used to check the recent updates : `git reflog`

### **9\. index**

`index` is a binary file which keeps track of changes staged for the next commit. In this file every content has been tracked.

### **10\. Packed files**

Git may also optimize storage using **packfiles** (visible as `pack` subfolder within `objects/`). It combines many objects into compressed files to save space and improve performance.

## Final words

The `.git` folder is much more than a hidden subdirectory—it’s a central nervous system of your project repository. By understanding what’s inside and how Git builds its history through objects, trees, commits, and references.

Disclaimer: image sourced from [https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/](https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/)