GIT-INIT(1)                       Git Manual                       GIT-INIT(1)



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

SYNOPSIS
       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
       -q, --quiet
           Only print error and warning messages, all other output will be
           suppressed.

       --bare
           Create a bare repository. If GIT_DIR environment is not set, it is
           set to the current working directory.

       --template=<template_directory>
           Specify the directory from which templates will be used. (See the
           "TEMPLATE DIRECTORY" section below.)

       --separate-git-dir=<git dir>
           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)]
           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 by umask(2).

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

       o   umask (or false): Use permissions reported by umask(2). The
           default, when --shared is not specified.

       o   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.

       o   all (or world or everybody): Same as group, but make the repository
           readable by all users.

       o   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).

TEMPLATE DIRECTORY
       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):

       o   The argument given with the --template option.

       o   The contents of the $GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR environment variable.

       o   The init.templatedir configuration variable.

       o   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

               $ cd /path/to/my/codebase
               $ git init      (1)
               $ git add .     (2)

           1. prepare /path/to/my/codebase/.git directory
           2. add all existing file to the index

GIT
       Part of the git(1) suite



Git 2.1.4                         03/19/2016                       GIT-INIT(1)
