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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>] [--object-format=<format>]
	  [--ref-format=<format>]
	  [-b <branch-name> | --initial-branch=<branch-name>]
	  [--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 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

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.

--object-format=<format>

Specify the given object format (hash algorithm) for the repository. The valid values are sha1 and (if enabled) sha256. sha1 is the default.

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>

Specify the given ref storage format for the repository. The valid values are:

  • files for loose files with packed-refs. This is the default.

--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 as a directory to either $GIT_DIR or ./.git/, create a text file there containing the path to the actual repository. This file acts as a filesystem-agnostic Git symbolic link to the repository.

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

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

Use the specified name for the initial branch in the newly created repository. If not specified, fall back to the default name (currently master, but this is subject to change in the future; the name can be customized via the init.defaultBranch configuration variable).

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

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:

umask (or false)

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

group (or true)

Make the repository group-writable, (and g+sx, since the git group may not be 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