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>]]
+[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
- 'group' (or 'true'): Make the repository group-writable, (and g+sx, since
the git group may be not the primary group of all users).
+ This is used to loosen the permissions of an otherwise safe umask(2) value.
+ Note that the umask still applies to the other permission bits (e.g. if
+ umask is '0022', using 'group' will not remove read privileges from other
+ (non-group) users). See '0xxx' for how to exactly specify the repository
+ permissions.
- 'all' (or 'world' or 'everybody'): Same as 'group', but make the repository
readable by all users.
- - '0xxx': '0xxx' is an octal number and each file will have mode '0xxx'
- Any option except 'umask' can be set using this option. '0xxx' will
- override users umask(2) value, and thus, users with a safe umask (0077)
- can use this option. '0640' will create a repository which is group-readable
- but not writable. '0660' is equivalent to 'group'.
+ - '0xxx': '0xxx' is an octal number and each file will have mode '0xxx'.
+ '0xxx' will override users' umask(2) value (and not only loosen permissions
+ as 'group' and 'all' does). '0640' will create a repository which is
+ group-readable, but not group-writable or accessible to others. '0660' will
+ create a repo that is readable and writable to the current user and group,
+ but inaccessible to others.
By default, the configuration flag receive.denyNonFastForwards is enabled
in shared repositories, so that you cannot force a non fast-forwarding push
into it.
+If you name a (possibly non-existent) directory at the end of the command
+line, the command is run inside the directory (possibly after creating it).
+
--
-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.
-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 template directory used will (in order):
-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 argument given with the `--template` option.
-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 contents of the `$GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR` environment variable.
+ - 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