Newer Git is not a part of older distros. It is the case with Ubuntu and Debian (etch, lenny). Fortunately, manual Git installation seems simple.
I had no extra packages to install, no weird dependencies. Hope you will have the same luck. Here is what you do.

Works for

Ubuntu 9.10
Debian Lenny and Etch
Git 1.7.1

Should also wok for

many other Linux distros
Other Git versions

1

Download and install

Git

 
Go to http://packages.debian.org/sid/git
Check your Linux system type. Amd or intel, 32 / 64 bit etc. Depending on type, choose your architecture in the Download git section
You have your .deb package. Install it with dpkg -i

Example for i386 Linux type and Git 1.7.1:

wget http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/main/g/git/git_1.7.1-1_i386.deb
dpkg -i git_1.7.1-1_i386.deb

Git core

 
Current version is here http://packages.debian.org/sid/git.

Example for Git 1.7.1:

wget http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian/pool/main/g/git/git-core_1.7.1-1_all.deb
dpkg -i git-core_1.7.1-1_all.deb

2

Validate

Following should work now:

# git --version
git version 1.7.1

That’s it, have fun!