Documentation / git-init.txton commit convert: make it harder to screw up adding a conversion attribute (3bfba20)
   1git-init(1)
   2===========
   3
   4NAME
   5----
   6git-init - Create an empty git repository or reinitialize an existing one
   7
   8
   9SYNOPSIS
  10--------
  11'git init' [-q | --quiet] [--bare] [--template=<template_directory>]
  12          [--separate-git-dir|-L <git dir>]
  13          [--shared[=<permissions>]] [directory]
  14
  15
  16DESCRIPTION
  17-----------
  18
  19This command creates an empty git repository - basically a `.git`
  20directory with subdirectories for `objects`, `refs/heads`,
  21`refs/tags`, and template files.  An initial `HEAD` file that
  22references the HEAD of the master branch is also created.
  23
  24If the `$GIT_DIR` environment variable is set then it specifies a path
  25to use instead of `./.git` for the base of the repository.
  26
  27If the object storage directory is specified via the
  28`$GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY` environment variable then the sha1 directories
  29are created underneath - otherwise the default `$GIT_DIR/objects`
  30directory is used.
  31
  32Running 'git init' in an existing repository is safe. It will not
  33overwrite things that are already there. The primary reason for
  34rerunning 'git init' is to pick up newly added templates (or to move
  35the repository to another place if --separate-git-dir is given).
  36
  37OPTIONS
  38-------
  39
  40--
  41
  42-q::
  43--quiet::
  44
  45Only print error and warning messages, all other output will be suppressed.
  46
  47--bare::
  48
  49Create a bare repository. If GIT_DIR environment is not set, it is set to the
  50current working directory.
  51
  52--template=<template_directory>::
  53
  54Specify the directory from which templates will be used.  (See the "TEMPLATE
  55DIRECTORY" section below.)
  56
  57-L=<git dir>::
  58--separate-git-dir=<git dir>::
  59
  60Instead of initializing the repository where it is supposed to be,
  61place a filesytem-agnostic git symbolic link there, pointing to the
  62specified git path, and initialize a git repository at the path. The
  63result is git repository can be separated from working tree. If this
  64is reinitialization, the repository will be moved to the specified
  65path.
  66
  67--shared[=(false|true|umask|group|all|world|everybody|0xxx)]::
  68
  69Specify that the git repository is to be shared amongst several users.  This
  70allows users belonging to the same group to push into that
  71repository.  When specified, the config variable "core.sharedRepository" is
  72set so that files and directories under `$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 - 'umask' (or 'false'): Use permissions reported by umask(2). The default,
  80   when `--shared` is not specified.
  81
  82 - 'group' (or 'true'): Make the repository group-writable, (and g+sx, since
  83   the git group may be not the primary group of all users).
  84   This is used to loosen the permissions of an otherwise safe umask(2) value.
  85   Note that the umask still applies to the other permission bits (e.g. if
  86   umask is '0022', using 'group' will not remove read privileges from other
  87   (non-group) users). See '0xxx' for how to exactly specify the repository
  88   permissions.
  89
  90 - 'all' (or 'world' or 'everybody'): Same as 'group', but make the repository
  91   readable by all users.
  92
  93 - '0xxx': '0xxx' is an octal number and each file will have mode '0xxx'.
  94   '0xxx' will override users' umask(2) value (and not only loosen permissions
  95   as 'group' and 'all' does). '0640' will create a repository which is
  96   group-readable, but not group-writable or accessible to others. '0660' will
  97   create a repo that is readable and writable to the current user and group,
  98   but inaccessible to others.
  99
 100By default, the configuration flag receive.denyNonFastForwards is enabled
 101in shared repositories, so that you cannot force a non fast-forwarding push
 102into it.
 103
 104If you name a (possibly non-existent) directory at the end of the command
 105line, the command is run inside the directory (possibly after creating it).
 106
 107--
 108
 109
 110TEMPLATE DIRECTORY
 111------------------
 112
 113The template directory contains files and directories that will be copied to
 114the `$GIT_DIR` after it is created.
 115
 116The template directory used will (in order):
 117
 118 - The argument given with the `--template` option.
 119
 120 - The contents of the `$GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR` environment variable.
 121
 122 - The `init.templatedir` configuration variable.
 123
 124 - The default template directory: `/usr/share/git-core/templates`.
 125
 126The default template directory includes some directory structure, some
 127suggested "exclude patterns", and copies of sample "hook" files.
 128The suggested patterns and hook files are all modifiable and extensible.
 129
 130EXAMPLES
 131--------
 132
 133Start a new git repository for an existing code base::
 134+
 135----------------
 136$ cd /path/to/my/codebase
 137$ git init      <1>
 138$ git add .     <2>
 139----------------
 140+
 141<1> prepare /path/to/my/codebase/.git directory
 142<2> add all existing file to the index
 143
 144GIT
 145---
 146Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite