Highlights from Git 2.49

Git 2.49, the latest release from the open-source Git project, introduces several enhancements, including an upgraded name-hash function for faster packfile generation and reduced storage size, as demonstrated by its impact on the microsoft/fluentui repository. The release also unveils the git backfill tool to improve performance in partial clones by efficiently retrieving historical blobs, and adds support for building Git with the zlib-ng compression library for better performance. Additionally, Git 2.49 marks the initial integration of Rust code into the project with the introduction of two Rust crates, reflecting ongoing efforts towards "libification" and improving code modularity and maintainability. The update also includes changes to git gc, introducing the --expire-to option for managing pruned objects, and adjusts the behavior of the help.autocorrect feature for consistency with other boolean settings. Furthermore, a new --revision option is introduced for the git clone command, enabling the cloning of specific revisions without relying on branches or tags. The release notes highlight the contribution of Outreachy interns Usman Akinyemi and Seyi Kuforiji, who worked on adding uname information to Git’s user agent and converting unit tests to the Clar framework, respectively. Git 2.49 continues to advance Git's functionality, preparing for future updates, including the anticipated Git 3.0.