Documentation / git-init.txton commit Merge branch 'mg/diff-uiconfig-doc' into maint (5f8937d)
   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 <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 `$GIT_DIR/objects`
  30directory is used.
  31
  32Running 'git init' in an existing repository is safe. It will not
  33overwrite things that are already there. The primary reason for
  34rerunning 'git init' is to pick up newly added templates (or to move
  35the repository to another place if --separate-git-dir is given).
  36
  37OPTIONS
  38-------
  39
  40--
  41
  42-q::
  43--quiet::
  44
  45Only print error and warning messages, all other output will be suppressed.
  46
  47--bare::
  48
  49Create a bare repository. If GIT_DIR environment is not set, it is set to the
  50current working directory.
  51
  52--template=<template_directory>::
  53
  54Specify the directory from which templates will be used.  (See the "TEMPLATE
  55DIRECTORY" section below.)
  56
  57--separate-git-dir=<git dir>::
  58
  59Instead of initializing the repository where it is supposed to be,
  60place a filesytem-agnostic git symbolic link there, pointing to the
  61specified git path, and initialize a git repository at the path. The
  62result is git repository can be separated from working tree. If this
  63is reinitialization, the repository will be moved to the specified
  64path.
  65
  66--shared[=(false|true|umask|group|all|world|everybody|0xxx)]::
  67
  68Specify that the git repository is to be shared amongst several users.  This
  69allows users belonging to the same group to push into that
  70repository.  When specified, the config variable "core.sharedRepository" is
  71set so that files and directories under `$GIT_DIR` are created with the
  72requested permissions.  When not specified, git will use permissions reported
  73by umask(2).
  74
  75The option can have the following values, defaulting to 'group' if no value
  76is given:
  77
  78 - 'umask' (or 'false'): Use permissions reported by umask(2). The default,
  79   when `--shared` is not specified.
  80
  81 - 'group' (or 'true'): Make the repository group-writable, (and g+sx, since
  82   the git group may be not the primary group of all users).
  83   This is used to loosen the permissions of an otherwise safe umask(2) value.
  84   Note that the umask still applies to the other permission bits (e.g. if
  85   umask is '0022', using 'group' will not remove read privileges from other
  86   (non-group) users). See '0xxx' for how to exactly specify the repository
  87   permissions.
  88
  89 - 'all' (or 'world' or 'everybody'): Same as 'group', but make the repository
  90   readable by all users.
  91
  92 - '0xxx': '0xxx' is an octal number and each file will have mode '0xxx'.
  93   '0xxx' will override users' umask(2) value (and not only loosen permissions
  94   as 'group' and 'all' does). '0640' will create a repository which is
  95   group-readable, but not group-writable or accessible to others. '0660' will
  96   create a repo that is readable and writable to the current user and group,
  97   but inaccessible to others.
  98
  99By default, the configuration flag receive.denyNonFastForwards is enabled
 100in shared repositories, so that you cannot force a non fast-forwarding push
 101into it.
 102
 103If you name a (possibly non-existent) directory at the end of the command
 104line, the command is run inside the directory (possibly after creating it).
 105
 106--
 107
 108
 109TEMPLATE DIRECTORY
 110------------------
 111
 112The template directory contains files and directories that will be copied to
 113the `$GIT_DIR` after it is created.
 114
 115The template directory used will (in order):
 116
 117 - The argument given with the `--template` option.
 118
 119 - The contents of the `$GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR` environment variable.
 120
 121 - The `init.templatedir` configuration variable.
 122
 123 - The default template directory: `/usr/share/git-core/templates`.
 124
 125The default template directory includes some directory structure, some
 126suggested "exclude patterns", and copies of sample "hook" files.
 127The suggested patterns and hook files are all modifiable and extensible.
 128
 129EXAMPLES
 130--------
 131
 132Start a new git repository for an existing code base::
 133+
 134----------------
 135$ cd /path/to/my/codebase
 136$ git init      <1>
 137$ git add .     <2>
 138----------------
 139+
 140<1> prepare /path/to/my/codebase/.git directory
 141<2> add all existing file to the index
 142
 143GIT
 144---
 145Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite