---
title: Centralized and distributed systems
description: Compare a single central repository with a complete repository history on each contributor's computer.
---

import WorkshopRecordingLink from '../../../../components/workshops/WorkshopRecordingLink.astro';

[Git and GitHub Workshop: CryptX 2.0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRzFBDPsmEI)

<WorkshopRecordingLink href="https://youtu.be/fRzFBDPsmEI" />

## Centralized version control

A centralized system relies on one main repository server. Contributors connect their computers to that server to work with the project. The workshop compares this arrangement with distributed version control. [The session introduces these two approaches](https://youtu.be/fRzFBDPsmEI?t=1463) and describes the central-server model at [24:43](https://youtu.be/fRzFBDPsmEI?t=1483).

## Distributed version control

In a distributed system, each contributor's computer has a repository with the project's history. Git is a distributed version control system. GitHub can host a remote repository for collaboration, but it is not itself the version control system; Git manages the version history. [The workshop describes the distributed model](https://youtu.be/fRzFBDPsmEI?t=1544) and introduces the tools used in its workflow at [26:28](https://youtu.be/fRzFBDPsmEI?t=1588).

[Continue to file states and repositories](/docs/ta/workshops/git-and-github/file-states-and-repositories)