git-init(1)

NAME#

git-init - Create an empty Git repository or reinitialize an existing one

SYNOPSIS#

git init\n [\n-q\n | \n--quiet\n] [\n--bare\n] [\n--template=\n<template-directory>\n]
\n
          [\n--separate-git-dir\n \n<git-dir>\n] [\n--object-format=\n<format>\n]
\n
          [\n--ref-format=\n<format>\n]
\n
          [\n-b\n \n<branch-name>\n | \n--initial-branch=\n<branch-name>\n]
\n
          [\n--shared\n[\n=\n<permissions>\n]] [\n<directory>\n]

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 branch without any commits will be created (see the --initial-branch option below for its name).

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#

-q, --quiet

--bare

--object-format=<format>

Note: At present, there is no interoperability between SHA-256 repositories and SHA-1 repositories.

Historically, we warned that SHA-256 repositories may later need backward incompatible changes when we introduce such interoperability features. Today, we only expect compatible changes. Furthermore, if such changes prove to be necessary, it can be expected that SHA-256 repositories created with today’s Git will be usable by future versions of Git without data loss.

--ref-format=<format>

--template=<template-directory>

--separate-git-dir=<git-dir>

If this is a reinitialization, the repository will be moved to the specified path.

-b<branch-name>, --initial-branch=<branch-name>

--shared[=(false|true|umask|group|all|world|everybody|<perm>)]

The option can have the following values, defaulting to group if no value is given:

umask, false

group, true

all, world, everybody

<perm>

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 provide a <directory>, the command is run inside it. If this directory does not exist, it will be created.

TEMPLATE DIRECTORY#

Files and directories in the template directory whose name do not start with a dot will be copied to the $GIT_DIR after it is created.

The template directory will be one of the following (in order):

The default template directory includes some directory structure, suggested "exclude patterns" (see gitignore(5)), and sample hook files.

The sample hooks are all disabled by default. To enable one of the sample hooks rename it by removing its .sample suffix.

See githooks(5) for more general info on hook execution.

EXAMPLES#

Start a new Git repository for an existing code base

$ cd /path/to/my/codebase
$ git init      \n(1)\n
$ git add .     \n(2)\n
$ git commit    \n(3)

CONFIGURATION#

Everything below this line in this section is selectively included from the git-config(1) documentation. The content is the same as what’s found there:

init.templateDir

init.defaultBranch

init.defaultObjectFormat

init.defaultRefFormat

GIT#

Part of the git(1) suite