`git init` Turn a folder into a new Git repository

Creates a hidden .git folder in the current directory so Git can start tracking changes. Run it once at the top of a project that is not under version control yet.

Synopsis

git init [OPTION]... [DIRECTORY]

Common options

Option or form	What it does
`-b NAME, --initial-branch=NAME`	Name the first branch, for example main, instead of the default
`DIRECTORY`	Create the repository in that folder, making the folder if needed
`--bare`	Make a repository with no working files, used as a shared central copy on a server
`-q`	Print nothing except errors

Examples

Start a repository in the current folder

git init

Initialized empty Git repository in /home/ana/project/.git/

Start one with main as the first branch

git init -b main

Create a new folder and a repository in it

git init my-site

Check that it worked

git status

On branch main

No commits yet

Notes

Nothing is saved until you add files and commit them. Init only prepares the folder.
Do not run it inside an existing repository. The .git folder holds the whole history, so deleting it removes the repository but leaves your files.
Run git config --global init.defaultBranch main once so every new repository starts on main.

git init Turn a folder into a new Git repository

Synopsis

Common options

Examples

Notes

See also

`git init` Turn a folder into a new Git repository