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+# systrunk
+
+Systrunk is a simple version control system, implemented in BASH utilizing rsync, amonst
+other utilities.  'Trunk' is a common term from VCSs referring to the main data branch.
+The name 'systrunk' comes from the fact that this software aims to provide versioning to
+full system image backups.
+
+Systrunk shares a lot of themes with both git and subversion.  Systrunk worktrees operate
+on a centralized repository, and therefore names like HEAD, etc. derive their meaning from
+that in subversion.  Systrunk also implements proper branching, and uses something that
+roughly resembles the DAG commit graph that git does to model a repository's history.
+
+Systrunk (technically) does merging pretty meh...  Definately room for improvement, but
+gets the job done for now.  The biggest problems being that systrunk doesn't implement
+merging on a file level, but only a tree merge.  This means that systrunk will identify
+a file that both branches have modified, but won't at all figure out what the merged
+file should be; instead it opens both copies of the file in vimdiff for the user to
+figure out.  The other issue being that systrunk can't tell the difference between files
+{deleted by one branch / modified by the other} and files {created by one of the branches}.
+Systrunk does, however, acknowledge this shortcomming and offers interactive prompts to
+help the users resolve each found 'conflict'.
+
+## reserved names
+
+These reserved reference names are used to reference commits, their meaning is given here...
+
+HEAD        Lastest mainline (trunk) commit.  This is actually the name of a proper branch,
+            but cannot be deleted.  Think 'master' branch from git.
+BASE        Current checked out commit, the commit the worktree is based on.
+TRAC        This will usually reference another reference.  This points to the branch that
+            the current worktree is tracking.  Think about the 'HEAD' pointer from git.
+NULL        Literally means 'no commit'.
+MERG        If a merge operation is in progress, this will point to the branch or commit
+            ID being merged.  Otherwise this is NULL.
+
+## translated commands
+
+Below is a matchup of some basic systrunk commands and their git counterparts...
+
+SYSTRUNK COMMAND           GIT COMMAND                       EXPLANATION
+
+systrunk checkout          git clone / git checkout          This systr cmd not only checks out
+                                                             new files, but also inits the worktree
+
+systrunk commit            git commit
+systrunk status            git status
+systrunk init              git init --bare
+
+systrunk clone             git clone --no-checkout           Since systr uses a central repo, clone
+                                                             is not the operation used to setup a
+                                                             workspace, but instead produces a copy
+                                                             of *just* the repository; intended for
+                                                             backup purposes.
+
+systrunk reset             git reset --soft / git commit     This systr cmd allows user to commit
+                                                             directly to a branch from anywhere else.
+
+systrunk tag               git branch                        Systrunk tags are identical to branches
+systrunk log               git log
+systrunk shortlog          git rev-list
+systrunk merge             git merge
+systrunk update            git pull