SYNOPSIS
--------
-'git-init-db'
+'git-init-db' [--template=<template_directory>] [--shared]
+
+
+OPTIONS
+-------
+--template=<template_directory>::
+ Provide the directory from which templates will be used.
+ The default template directory is `/usr/share/git-core/templates`.
+
+--shared::
+ Specify that the git repository is to be shared amongst several users.
+
DESCRIPTION
-----------
-This simply creates an empty git repository - basically a `.git` directory
-and `.git/object/??/`, `.git/refs/heads` and `.git/refs/tags` directories,
-and links `.git/HEAD` symbolically to `.git/refs/heads/master`.
+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 `--template=<template_directory>` is 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.
-If the 'GIT_DIR' environment variable is set then it specifies a path
+If the `$GIT_DIR` environment variable is set then it specifies a path
to use instead of `./.git` for the base of the repository.
-If the object storage directory is specified via the 'GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY'
+If the object storage directory is specified via the `$GIT_OBJECT_DIRECTORY`
environment variable then the sha1 directories are created underneath -
otherwise the default `$GIT_DIR/objects` directory is used.
-"git-init-db" won't hurt an existing repository.
+A shared repository allows users belonging to the same group to push into that
+repository. When specifying `--shared` the config variable "core.sharedRepository"
+is set to 'true' so that directories under `$GIT_DIR` are made group writable
+(and g+sx, since the git group may be not the primary group of all users).
+
+Running `git-init-db` in an existing repository is safe. It will not overwrite
+things that are already there. The primary reason for rerunning `git-init-db`
+is to pick up newly added templates.
+
+
+
+EXAMPLES
+--------
+
+Start a new git repository for an existing code base::
++
+----------------
+$ cd /path/to/my/codebase
+$ git-init-db <1>
+$ git-add . <2>
+----------------
++
+<1> prepare /path/to/my/codebase/.git directory
+<2> add all existing file to the index
Author