NAME
----
-git-init - Create an empty git repository or reinitialize an existing one
+git-init - Create an empty Git repository or reinitialize an existing one
SYNOPSIS
--------
-'git init' [-q | --quiet] [--bare] [--template=<template_directory>] [--shared[=<permissions>]] [directory]
+[verse]
+'git init' [-q | --quiet] [--bare] [--template=<template_directory>]
+ [--separate-git-dir <git dir>]
+ [--shared[=<permissions>]] [directory]
+DESCRIPTION
+-----------
+
+This command creates an empty Git repository - basically a `.git`
+directory with subdirectories for `objects`, `refs/heads`,
+`refs/tags`, and template files. An initial `HEAD` file that
+references the HEAD of the master branch is also created.
+
+If the `$GIT_DIR` environment variable is set then it specifies a path
+to use instead of `./.git` for the base of the repository.
+
+If the object storage directory is specified via the
+`$GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY` environment variable then the sha1 directories
+are created underneath - otherwise the default `$GIT_DIR/objects`
+directory is used.
+
+Running 'git init' in an existing repository is safe. It will not
+overwrite things that are already there. The primary reason for
+rerunning 'git init' is to pick up newly added templates (or to move
+the repository to another place if --separate-git-dir is given).
+
OPTIONS
-------
--template=<template_directory>::
-Provide the directory from which templates will be used. The default template
-directory is `/usr/share/git-core/templates`.
+Specify the directory from which templates will be used. (See the "TEMPLATE
+DIRECTORY" section below.)
+
+--separate-git-dir=<git dir>::
-When specified, `<template_directory>` is used as the source of the template
-files rather than the default. The template files include some directory
-structure, some suggested "exclude patterns", and copies of non-executing
-"hook" files. The suggested patterns and hook files are all modifiable and
-extensible.
+Instead of initializing the repository where it is supposed to be,
+place a filesytem-agnostic Git symbolic link there, pointing to the
+specified path, and initialize a Git repository at the path. The
+result is Git repository can be separated from working tree. If this
+is reinitialization, the repository will be moved to the specified
+path.
---shared[={false|true|umask|group|all|world|everybody|0xxx}]::
+--shared[=(false|true|umask|group|all|world|everybody|0xxx)]::
-Specify that the git repository is to be shared amongst several users. This
+Specify that the Git repository is to be shared amongst several users. This
allows users belonging to the same group to push into that
repository. When specified, the config variable "core.sharedRepository" is
set so that files and directories under `$GIT_DIR` are created with the
-requested permissions. When not specified, git will use permissions reported
+requested permissions. When not specified, Git will use permissions reported
by umask(2).
The option can have the following values, defaulting to 'group' if no value
--
-DESCRIPTION
------------
-This command creates an empty git repository - basically a `.git` directory
-with subdirectories for `objects`, `refs/heads`, `refs/tags`, and
-template files.
-An initial `HEAD` file that references the HEAD of the master branch
-is also created.
+TEMPLATE DIRECTORY
+------------------
-If the `$GIT_DIR` environment variable is set then it specifies a path
-to use instead of `./.git` for the base of the repository.
+The template directory contains files and directories that will be copied to
+the `$GIT_DIR` after it is created.
+
+The template directory used will (in order):
-If the object storage directory is specified via the `$GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY`
-environment variable then the sha1 directories are created underneath -
-otherwise the default `$GIT_DIR/objects` directory is used.
+ - The argument given with the `--template` option.
-Running 'git init' in an existing repository is safe. It will not overwrite
-things that are already there. The primary reason for rerunning 'git init'
-is to pick up newly added templates.
+ - The contents of the `$GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR` environment variable.
-Note that 'git init' is the same as 'git init-db'. The command
-was primarily meant to initialize the object database, but over
-time it has become responsible for setting up the other aspects
-of the repository, such as installing the default hooks and
-setting the configuration variables. The old name is retained
-for backward compatibility reasons.
+ - The `init.templatedir` configuration variable.
+ - The default template directory: `/usr/share/git-core/templates`.
+
+The default template directory includes some directory structure, some
+suggested "exclude patterns", and copies of sample "hook" files.
+The suggested patterns and hook files are all modifiable and extensible.
EXAMPLES
--------
-Start a new git repository for an existing code base::
+Start a new Git repository for an existing code base::
+
----------------
$ cd /path/to/my/codebase
<1> prepare /path/to/my/codebase/.git directory
<2> add all existing file to the index
-
-Author
-------
-Written by Linus Torvalds <torvalds@osdl.org>
-
-Documentation
---------------
-Documentation by David Greaves, Junio C Hamano and the git-list <git@vger.kernel.org>.
-
GIT
---
Part of the linkgit:git[1] suite