Documentation / git-init.txton commit Merge branch 'jc/deref-tag' (2a5618e)
   1git-init(1)
   2===========
   3
   4NAME
   5----
   6git-init - Create an empty Git repository or reinitialize an existing one
   7
   8
   9SYNOPSIS
  10--------
  11[verse]
  12'git init' [-q | --quiet] [--bare] [--template=<template_directory>]
  13          [--separate-git-dir <git dir>]
  14          [--shared[=<permissions>]] [directory]
  15
  16
  17DESCRIPTION
  18-----------
  19
  20This command creates an empty Git repository - basically a `.git`
  21directory with subdirectories for `objects`, `refs/heads`,
  22`refs/tags`, and template files.  An initial `HEAD` file that
  23references the HEAD of the master branch is also created.
  24
  25If the `$GIT_DIR` environment variable is set then it specifies a path
  26to use instead of `./.git` for the base of the repository.
  27
  28If the object storage directory is specified via the
  29`$GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY` environment variable then the sha1 directories
  30are created underneath - otherwise the default `$GIT_DIR/objects`
  31directory is used.
  32
  33Running 'git init' in an existing repository is safe. It will not
  34overwrite things that are already there. The primary reason for
  35rerunning 'git init' is to pick up newly added templates (or to move
  36the repository to another place if --separate-git-dir is given).
  37
  38OPTIONS
  39-------
  40
  41--
  42
  43-q::
  44--quiet::
  45
  46Only print error and warning messages; all other output will be suppressed.
  47
  48--bare::
  49
  50Create a bare repository. If `GIT_DIR` environment is not set, it is set to the
  51current working directory.
  52
  53--template=<template_directory>::
  54
  55Specify the directory from which templates will be used.  (See the "TEMPLATE
  56DIRECTORY" section below.)
  57
  58--separate-git-dir=<git dir>::
  59
  60Instead of initializing the repository as a directory to either `$GIT_DIR` or
  61`./.git/`, create a text file there containing the path to the actual
  62repository.  This file acts as filesystem-agnostic Git symbolic link to the
  63repository.
  64+
  65If this is reinitialization, the repository will be moved to the specified path.
  66
  67--shared[=(false|true|umask|group|all|world|everybody|0xxx)]::
  68
  69Specify that the Git repository is to be shared amongst several users.  This
  70allows users belonging to the same group to push into that
  71repository.  When specified, the config variable "core.sharedRepository" is
  72set so that files and directories under `$GIT_DIR` are created with the
  73requested permissions.  When not specified, Git will use permissions reported
  74by umask(2).
  75+
  76The option can have the following values, defaulting to 'group' if no value
  77is given:
  78+
  79--
  80'umask' (or 'false')::
  81
  82Use permissions reported by umask(2). The default, when `--shared` is not
  83specified.
  84
  85'group' (or 'true')::
  86
  87Make the repository group-writable, (and g+sx, since the git group may be not
  88the primary group of all users). This is used to loosen the permissions of an
  89otherwise safe umask(2) value. Note that the umask still applies to the other
  90permission bits (e.g. if umask is '0022', using 'group' will not remove read
  91privileges from other (non-group) users). See '0xxx' for how to exactly specify
  92the repository permissions.
  93
  94'all' (or 'world' or 'everybody')::
  95
  96Same as 'group', but make the repository readable by all users.
  97
  98'0xxx'::
  99
 100'0xxx' is an octal number and each file will have mode '0xxx'. '0xxx' will
 101override users' umask(2) value (and not only loosen permissions as 'group' and
 102'all' does). '0640' will create a repository which is group-readable, but not
 103group-writable or accessible to others. '0660' will create a repo that is
 104readable and writable to the current user and group, but inaccessible to others.
 105--
 106
 107By default, the configuration flag `receive.denyNonFastForwards` is enabled
 108in shared repositories, so that you cannot force a non fast-forwarding push
 109into it.
 110
 111If you provide a 'directory', the command is run inside it. If this directory
 112does not exist, it will be created.
 113
 114--
 115
 116TEMPLATE DIRECTORY
 117------------------
 118
 119The template directory contains files and directories that will be copied to
 120the `$GIT_DIR` after it is created.
 121
 122The template directory will be one of the following (in order):
 123
 124 - the argument given with the `--template` option;
 125
 126 - the contents of the `$GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR` environment variable;
 127
 128 - the `init.templateDir` configuration variable; or
 129
 130 - the default template directory: `/usr/share/git-core/templates`.
 131
 132The default template directory includes some directory structure, suggested
 133"exclude patterns" (see linkgit:gitignore[5]), and sample hook files.
 134
 135The sample hooks are all disabled by default, To enable one of the
 136sample hooks rename it by removing its `.sample` suffix.
 137
 138See linkgit:githooks[5] for more general info on hook execution.
 139
 140EXAMPLES
 141--------
 142
 143Start a new Git repository for an existing code base::
 144+
 145----------------
 146$ cd /path/to/my/codebase
 147$ git init      <1>
 148$ git add .     <2>
 149$ git commit    <3>
 150----------------
 151+
 152<1> Create a /path/to/my/codebase/.git directory.
 153<2> Add all existing files to the index.
 154<3> Record the pristine state as the first commit in the history.
 155
 156GIT
 157---
 158Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite