@@ -58,28 +58,28 @@ def test_init_repo_object(self, rw_dir):
 
         # repository paths
         # [7-test_init_repo_object]
-        assert os.path.isdir(cloned_repo.working_tree_dir)                    # directory with your work files
-        assert cloned_repo.git_dir.startswith(cloned_repo.working_tree_dir)   # directory containing the git repository
-        assert bare_repo.working_tree_dir is None                             # bare repositories have no working tree
+        assert os.path.isdir(cloned_repo.working_tree_dir)                   # directory with your work files
+        assert cloned_repo.git_dir.startswith(cloned_repo.working_tree_dir)  # directory containing the git repository
+        assert bare_repo.working_tree_dir is None                            # bare repositories have no working tree
         # ![7-test_init_repo_object]
 
         # heads, tags and references
         # heads are branches in git-speak
         # [8-test_init_repo_object]
-        assert repo.head.ref == repo.heads.master                   # head is a symbolic reference pointing to master
-        assert repo.tags['0.3.5'] == repo.tag('refs/tags/0.3.5')    # you can access tags in various ways too
-        assert repo.refs.master == repo.heads['master']             # .refs provides access to all refs, i.e. heads ...
+        self.assertEqual(repo.head.ref, repo.heads.master)                  # head is a sym-ref pointing to master
+        self.assertEqual(repo.tags['0.3.5'], repo.tag('refs/tags/0.3.5'))   # you can access tags in various ways too
+        self.assertEqual(repo.refs.master, repo.heads['master'])            # .refs provides all refs, ie heads ...
 
         if 'TRAVIS' not in os.environ:
-            assert repo.refs['origin/master'] == repo.remotes.origin.refs.master  # ... remotes ...
-        assert repo.refs['0.3.5'] == repo.tags['0.3.5']             # ... and tags
+            self.assertEqual(repo.refs['origin/master'], repo.remotes.origin.refs.master)  # ... remotes ...
+        self.assertEqual(repo.refs['0.3.5'], repo.tags['0.3.5'])             # ... and tags
         # ![8-test_init_repo_object]
 
         # create a new head/branch
         # [9-test_init_repo_object]
         new_branch = cloned_repo.create_head('feature')               # create a new branch ...
         assert cloned_repo.active_branch != new_branch                # which wasn't checked out yet ...
-        assert new_branch.commit == cloned_repo.active_branch.commit  # and which points to the checked-out commit
+        self.assertEqual(new_branch.commit, cloned_repo.active_branch.commit)  # pointing to the checked-out commit
         # It's easy to let a branch point to the previous commit, without affecting anything else
         # Each reference provides access to the git object it points to, usually commits
         assert new_branch.set_commit('HEAD~1').commit == cloned_repo.active_branch.commit.parents[0]
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ def test_init_repo_object(self, rw_dir):
         # [10-test_init_repo_object]
         past = cloned_repo.create_tag('past', ref=new_branch,
                                       message="This is a tag-object pointing to %s" % new_branch.name)
-        assert past.commit == new_branch.commit        # the tag points to the specified commit
+        self.assertEqual(past.commit, new_branch.commit)        # the tag points to the specified commit
         assert past.tag.message.startswith("This is")  # and its object carries the message provided
 
         now = cloned_repo.create_tag('now')            # This is a tag-reference. It may not carry meta-data
@@ -110,7 +110,7 @@ def test_init_repo_object(self, rw_dir):
             file_count += item.type == 'blob'
             tree_count += item.type == 'tree'
         assert file_count and tree_count                        # we have accumulated all directories and files
-        assert len(tree.blobs) + len(tree.trees) == len(tree)   # a tree is iterable itself to traverse its children
+        self.assertEqual(len(tree.blobs) + len(tree.trees), len(tree))   # a tree is iterable on its children
         # ![11-test_init_repo_object]
 
         # remotes allow handling push, pull and fetch operations
@@ -122,8 +122,8 @@ def update(self, op_code, cur_count, max_count=None, message=''):
                 print(op_code, cur_count, max_count, cur_count / (max_count or 100.0), message or "NO MESSAGE")
         # end
 
-        assert len(cloned_repo.remotes) == 1                    # we have been cloned, so there should be one remote
-        assert len(bare_repo.remotes) == 0                      # this one was just initialized
+        self.assertEqual(len(cloned_repo.remotes), 1)                    # we have been cloned, so should be one remote
+        self.assertEqual(len(bare_repo.remotes), 0)                      # this one was just initialized
         origin = bare_repo.create_remote('origin', url=cloned_repo.working_tree_dir)
         assert origin.exists()
         for fetch_info in origin.fetch(progress=MyProgressPrinter()):
@@ -138,8 +138,8 @@ def update(self, op_code, cur_count, max_count=None, message=''):
 
         # index
         # [13-test_init_repo_object]
-        assert new_branch.checkout() == cloned_repo.active_branch     # checking out a branch adjusts the working tree
-        assert new_branch.commit == past.commit                       # Now the past is checked out
+        self.assertEqual(new_branch.checkout(), cloned_repo.active_branch)     # checking out branch adjusts the wtree
+        self.assertEqual(new_branch.commit, past.commit)                       # Now the past is checked out
 
         new_file_path = os.path.join(cloned_repo.working_tree_dir, 'my-new-file')
         open(new_file_path, 'wb').close()                             # create new file in working tree
@@ -244,17 +244,17 @@ def test_references_and_objects(self, rw_dir):
         # ![8-test_references_and_objects]
 
         # [9-test_references_and_objects]
-        assert hct.type == 'tree'           # preset string type, being a class attribute
+        self.assertEqual(hct.type, 'tree')           # preset string type, being a class attribute
         assert hct.size > 0                 # size in bytes
         assert len(hct.hexsha) == 40
         assert len(hct.binsha) == 20
         # ![9-test_references_and_objects]
 
         # [10-test_references_and_objects]
-        assert hct.path == ''                  # root tree has no path
+        self.assertEqual(hct.path, '')                  # root tree has no path
         assert hct.trees[0].path != ''         # the first contained item has one though
-        assert hct.mode == 0o40000              # trees have the mode of a linux directory
-        assert hct.blobs[0].mode == 0o100644   # blobs have a specific mode though comparable to a standard linux fs
+        self.assertEqual(hct.mode, 0o40000)              # trees have the mode of a linux directory
+        self.assertEqual(hct.blobs[0].mode, 0o100644)   # blobs have specific mode, comparable to a standard linux fs
         # ![10-test_references_and_objects]
 
         # [11-test_references_and_objects]
@@ -311,14 +311,14 @@ def test_references_and_objects(self, rw_dir):
         # ![18-test_references_and_objects]
 
         # [19-test_references_and_objects]
-        assert tree['smmap'] == tree / 'smmap'          # access by index and by sub-path
+        self.assertEqual(tree['smmap'], tree / 'smmap')          # access by index and by sub-path
         for entry in tree:                                         # intuitive iteration of tree members
             print(entry)
         blob = tree.trees[0].blobs[0]                              # let's get a blob in a sub-tree
         assert blob.name
         assert len(blob.path) < len(blob.abspath)
-        assert tree.trees[0].name + '/' + blob.name == blob.path   # this is how the relative blob path is generated
-        assert tree[blob.path] == blob                             # you can use paths like 'dir/file' in tree[...]
+        self.assertEqual(tree.trees[0].name + '/' + blob.name, blob.path)   # this is how relative blob path generated
+        self.assertEqual(tree[blob.path], blob)                             # you can use paths like 'dir/file' in tree
         # ![19-test_references_and_objects]
 
         # [20-test_references_and_objects]
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ def test_references_and_objects(self, rw_dir):
         assert repo.tree() == repo.head.commit.tree
         past = repo.commit('HEAD~5')
         assert repo.tree(past) == repo.tree(past.hexsha)
-        assert repo.tree('v0.8.1').type == 'tree'               # yes, you can provide any refspec - works everywhere
+        self.assertEqual(repo.tree('v0.8.1').type, 'tree')        # yes, you can provide any refspec - works everywhere
         # ![21-test_references_and_objects]
 
         # [22-test_references_and_objects]
@@ -351,7 +351,7 @@ def test_references_and_objects(self, rw_dir):
         index.remove(['LICENSE'])                                              # remove an existing one
         assert os.path.isfile(os.path.join(repo.working_tree_dir, 'LICENSE'))  # working tree is untouched
 
-        assert index.commit("my commit message").type == 'commit'              # commit changed index
+        self.assertEqual(index.commit("my commit message").type, 'commit')              # commit changed index
         repo.active_branch.commit = repo.commit('HEAD~1')                      # forget last commit
 
         from git import Actor
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ def test_references_and_objects(self, rw_dir):
         assert origin == empty_repo.remotes.origin == empty_repo.remotes['origin']
         origin.fetch()                  # assure we actually have data. fetch() returns useful information
         # Setup a local tracking branch of a remote branch
-        empty_repo.create_head('master', origin.refs.master)  # create local branch "master" from remote branch "master"
+        empty_repo.create_head('master', origin.refs.master)  # create local branch "master" from remote "master"
         empty_repo.heads.master.set_tracking_branch(origin.refs.master)  # set local "master" to track remote "master
         empty_repo.heads.master.checkout()  # checkout local "master" to working tree
         # Three above commands in one:
@@ -455,19 +455,19 @@ def test_submodules(self):
 
         assert len(sms) == 1
         sm = sms[0]
-        assert sm.name == 'gitdb'                         # git-python has gitdb as single submodule ...
-        assert sm.children()[0].name == 'smmap'           # ... which has smmap as single submodule
+        self.assertEqual(sm.name, 'gitdb')                         # git-python has gitdb as single submodule ...
+        self.assertEqual(sm.children()[0].name, 'smmap')           # ... which has smmap as single submodule
 
         # The module is the repository referenced by the submodule
         assert sm.module_exists()                         # the module is available, which doesn't have to be the case.
         assert sm.module().working_tree_dir.endswith('gitdb')
         # the submodule's absolute path is the module's path
         assert sm.abspath == sm.module().working_tree_dir
-        assert len(sm.hexsha) == 40                       # Its sha defines the commit to checkout
+        self.assertEqual(len(sm.hexsha), 40)                       # Its sha defines the commit to checkout
         assert sm.exists()                                # yes, this submodule is valid and exists
         # read its configuration conveniently
         assert sm.config_reader().get_value('path') == sm.path
-        assert len(sm.children()) == 1                    # query the submodule hierarchy
+        self.assertEqual(len(sm.children()), 1)                    # query the submodule hierarchy
         # ![1-test_submodules]
 
     @with_rw_directory