Comparison with Git

Understanding how Ivaldi differs from and improves upon Git.

Command Comparison

Feature	Git	Ivaldi
Initialize	`git init`	`ivaldi forge`
Configure	`git config`	`ivaldi config`
Stage files	`git add`	`ivaldi gather`
Unstage	`git reset`	`ivaldi reset`
Commit	`git commit`	`ivaldi seal`
Log	`git log`	`ivaldi log`
Diff	`git diff`	`ivaldi diff`
Status	`git status`	`ivaldi status`
Branch	`git branch`	`ivaldi timeline create`
Switch branch	`git checkout` / `git switch`	`ivaldi timeline switch`
Merge	`git merge`	`ivaldi fuse`
Clone	`git clone`	`ivaldi download`
Push	`git push`	`ivaldi upload`
Fetch	`git fetch`	`ivaldi scout` + `ivaldi harvest`
Remote	`git remote add`	`ivaldi portal add`
Stash	`git stash`	(automatic shelving)
Rebase	`git rebase -i`	`ivaldi travel` (diverge)
Ignore files	Edit `.gitignore`	`ivaldi exclude`

Conceptual Differences

1. Branches vs Timelines

Aspect	Git Branches	Ivaldi Timelines
Working directory	Shared	Isolated
Switching	Manual stash	Auto-shelving
State preservation	Manual	Automatic
Name	Branch	Timeline

Git:

# Working on feature
git checkout feature
# Edit files...

# Need to switch
git stash  # Manual stash required
git checkout main
# Do work on main
git checkout feature
git stash pop  # Manual restore

Ivaldi:

# Working on feature
ivaldi timeline switch feature
# Edit files...

# Need to switch
ivaldi timeline switch main  # Auto-shelved!
# Do work on main
ivaldi timeline switch feature  # Auto-restored!

2. Commits vs Seals

Aspect	Git Commits	Ivaldi Seals
Identifier	SHA-1 hash	BLAKE3 hash + memorable name
Example	`a1b2c3d456789...`	`swift-eagle-flies-high-447abe9b`
Readability	Low	High
Uniqueness	Guaranteed	Guaranteed
Referencing	Hash only	Name, partial name, or hash

Git:

git log --oneline
a1b2c3d Add authentication
9f8e7d6 Fix bug

git show a1b2c3d  # Must remember hash

Ivaldi:

ivaldi log --oneline
447abe9b swift-eagle-flies-high-447abe9b Add authentication
7bb0588 empty-phoenix-attacks-fresh-7bb05886 Fix bug

ivaldi seals show swift-eagle  # Use memorable name!

3. Remote Operations

Aspect	Git	Ivaldi
Download	All branches	Selective
Syntax	Full URL	`owner/repo`
Efficiency	Downloads everything	Downloads what you need

Git:

git clone https://github.com/owner/repo.git
# Downloads ALL branches
# Large repos = long wait

Ivaldi:

ivaldi download owner/repo
# Downloads main only

ivaldi scout  # See what's available
ivaldi harvest feature-x  # Get only what you need
# Fast and efficient!

4. Merging

Aspect	Git Merge	Ivaldi Fuse
Conflict markers	Written to files	Never written to files
Resolution	Edit marked files	Strategies or interactive
Granularity	Line-based	Chunk-based (64KB)
Workspace	Polluted during conflict	Always clean
False conflicts	Common (whitespace)	Rare (hash-based)

Git:

git merge feature

# Conflict!
<<<<<<< HEAD
our code
=======
their code
>>>>>>> feature

# File now has markers, workspace polluted

Ivaldi:

ivaldi fuse feature to main

# Conflict!
# Workspace stays clean - no markers!

# Choose strategy
ivaldi fuse --strategy=theirs feature to main
# Or resolve interactively

5. Hashing Algorithm

Aspect	Git	Ivaldi
Algorithm	SHA-1	BLAKE3
Speed	Slower	Faster (10x)
Security	Deprecated	State-of-the-art
Parallelization	No	Yes
Collision resistance	Weaker	Stronger

Feature Comparison

Git Features → Ivaldi Equivalents

Git Feature	Ivaldi Equivalent	Notes
Branches	Timelines	Enhanced with auto-shelving
Commits	Seals	Added memorable names
Tags	Not yet implemented	Coming soon
Submodules	Not yet implemented	Coming soon
Hooks	Not yet implemented	Coming soon
LFS	Built-in chunking	No separate extension needed
Reflog	MMR history	Append-only, tamper-proof
Cherry-pick	Time travel diverge	Interactive
Rebase	Time travel	Non-destructive option
Bisect	Not yet implemented	Coming soon

Ivaldi-Only Features

Features Ivaldi has that Git doesn’t:

Auto-Shelving: Automatic preservation of changes when switching
Memorable Seal Names: Human-friendly commit identifiers
Interactive Time Travel: Arrow-key navigation through history
Selective Sync: Download only specific branches
Chunk-Level Merging: 64KB chunks with BLAKE3 hashing
Clean Conflict Resolution: No markers in workspace files
Content-Addressable Storage: Automatic deduplication
Merkle Mountain Range: Cryptographic commit proofs

Workflow Comparison

Daily Development

Git:

git status
git add .
git commit -m "message"
git push

Ivaldi:

ivaldi status
ivaldi gather .
ivaldi seal "message"
ivaldi upload

Feature Development

Git:

git checkout -b feature
# work
git add .
git commit -m "msg"
git push -u origin feature
git checkout main
git merge feature
git push
git branch -d feature

Ivaldi:

ivaldi timeline create feature
# work
ivaldi gather .
ivaldi seal "msg"
ivaldi upload
ivaldi timeline switch main
ivaldi fuse feature to main
ivaldi upload
ivaldi timeline remove feature

Hotfix

Git:

git checkout main
git pull
git checkout -b hotfix
# fix
git add .
git commit -m "fix"
git checkout main
git merge hotfix
git push

Ivaldi:

ivaldi timeline switch main
ivaldi harvest main --update
ivaldi timeline create hotfix
# fix
ivaldi gather .
ivaldi seal "fix"
ivaldi timeline switch main
ivaldi fuse hotfix to main
ivaldi upload

Performance Comparison

Large Files

Operation	Git	Ivaldi
Hashing	Slower (SHA-1)	Faster (BLAKE3)
Chunking	Git LFS extension	Built-in
Deduplication	Limited	Automatic
Storage	Delta compression	Content-addressable

Repository Size

Aspect	Git	Ivaldi
Deduplication	Delta-based	Hash-based
Shared content	Limited	Aggressive
Large repos	Slower over time	Consistently fast

Network

Operation	Git	Ivaldi
Clone	All branches	Main only
Fetch	All or nothing	Selective
Bandwidth	Higher	Lower

Security Comparison

Aspect	Git	Ivaldi
Hash algorithm	SHA-1 (deprecated)	BLAKE3 (modern)
Collision resistance	Weak	Strong
Tampering detection	Basic	Advanced
Cryptographic proofs	Limited	MMR-based

Migration Ease

From Git to Ivaldi

cd git-repo
ivaldi forge
# Automatic import!

Preserves all commits
Converts branches to timelines
Maintains history
Git repo still usable

From Ivaldi to Git

Ivaldi repositories are Git-compatible:

Can use git commands
Can push to Git remotes
Other developers can use Git

Advantages of Ivaldi

1. User Experience

Intuitive commands: forge, gather, seal vs init, add, commit
Memorable names: swift-eagle vs a1b2c3d
Auto-shelving: No manual stashing
Clean merges: No conflict markers in files

2. Performance

BLAKE3: Faster hashing
Built-in chunking: No LFS needed
Selective sync: Download only what you need
Content-addressable: Better deduplication

3. Safety

Modern cryptography: BLAKE3 vs SHA-1
MMR: Tamper-proof history
Auto-shelving: Never lose work
Non-destructive time travel: Safe experimentation

4. Collaboration

Selective sync: Team members download only relevant branches
Clean conflict resolution: Easier collaboration
Clear seal names: Better communication

When to Use Each

Use Git When

Team requires Git (company policy)
Existing large Git infrastructure
Need specific Git tools/integrations
Git expertise in team

Use Ivaldi When

Starting new project
Want better UX
Need selective sync
Value auto-shelving
Want modern cryptography
Prefer human-readable identifiers

Use Both When

Transitioning from Git
Team has mixed preferences
Need compatibility

Ivaldi works alongside Git!

Learning Curve

Git Knowledge → Ivaldi

If you know Git:

90% of concepts transfer directly
Main differences: timelines, seals, auto-shelving
Can be productive in 30 minutes

New to VCS

Ivaldi may be easier to learn:

More intuitive command names
Auto-shelving prevents common mistakes
Memorable seal names easier than hashes

Compatibility

Ivaldi with Git Tools

Tool	Compatible?
GitHub	Yes - full integration
GitLab	Via Git compatibility
Bitbucket	Via Git compatibility
GitHub Actions	Yes
Git GUIs	Via Git compatibility

File Formats

.ivaldi and .git can coexist
Ivaldi repos work with Git commands
Can push to Git remotes

Summary

Ivaldi improves on Git with:

Auto-shelving timelines
Memorable seal names
Selective sync
Clean conflict resolution
Modern cryptography (BLAKE3)
Interactive time travel

Git advantages:

Ubiquity
Tool ecosystem
Community size
Longer history

Bottom line: Ivaldi offers a better user experience with modern features while maintaining Git compatibility for interoperability.

Next Steps

Try Ivaldi: Getting Started
Learn concepts: Core Concepts
Migrate project: Migration Guide