init

Git · Reference cheat sheet

📋 Overview

git init creates a new repository (a .git directory) in the current or given folder. Optionally set the initial branch name and template; then add a remote and make the first commit.

🔧 Core concepts

• Repo root — .git/ holds objects, refs, config.
• Initial branch — -b main (or init.defaultBranch).
• Bare — git init --bare for remotes without a working tree.
• Template — --template=<dir> copies hooks/info.
• Reinit — safe to re-run; won’t overwrite existing history.

💡 Examples

mkdir my-app && cd my-app
git init -b main

# Or
git init
git branch -M main

echo "# my-app" > README.md
git add README.md
git commit -m "chore: initial commit"

git remote add origin git@github.com:org/my-app.git
git push -u origin main

# Bare remote-style repo
git init --bare /srv/git/my-app.git

# Shared permissions (server)
git init --shared=group

⚠️ Pitfalls

• Don’t git init inside an existing repo unless you intend a nested repo (usually wrong).
• Forgetting .gitignore before the first add can commit secrets/build artifacts.
• Default branch may still be master on older Git — set -b main explicitly.
• Bare repos have no working tree — don’t develop directly in them.
• Nested git init in monorepo packages breaks tooling — use one root repo.

🔗 Related

• clone.md
• commit.md
• remote.md
• gitignore.md
• hooks.md
• stage.md